Will Wade discusses NC State basketball in opening press conference
Will Wade was introduced as the N.C. State men’s basketball coach Tuesday at Reynolds Coliseum. Here’s the question-and-answer portion of the press conference.
Lubin averaged 8.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for UNC last season.Lubin will provide much-needed experience to NC State’s frontcourt.
Former UNC basketball player Ven-Allen Lubin is set to join N.C. State, he announced June 1 via social media.
Lubin is believed to be the first Tar Heel to make the move from UNC directly to N.C. State. Dontrez Styles played at UNC before transferring to Georgetown and later joining the Wolfpack.
Lubin, a 6-foot-8 forward, is set to become the fifth player to suit up for both programs since the 1940s. Bernie Mack, Fred Swartzberg and Bones McKinney started their careers with the Wolfpack, but joined the Tar Heels after returning from service in World War II. Styles played at N.C. State last season.
Lubin is the eighth player to join head coach Will Wade’s Wolfpack via the transfer portal. Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams, Michigan State’s Tre Holloman and Houston’s Terrance Arceneaux are among the main additions for the new-look Pack.
Because of a change to the ACC schedule, which is moving from 20 league games to 18, N.C. State and UNC won’t play twice this season for the first time since 1919. Lubin’s lone meeting with his former squad will be at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
Lubin entered the transfer portal on April 21, writing a social media post that said he had the “full intent on returning to UNC,” citing the “complexities surrounding the possible approval of the pending NCAA settlement” as his primary reason for entering college basketball’s version of free agency.
Ven-Allen Lubin stats at UNC, expected role for NC State basketball
Lubin played in each of the Tar Heels’ 37 games last season, becoming UNC’s top player in the post by the end of the season. He averaged 8.7 points and a team-best 5.5 rebounds per game, leading the Heels with a 68.4% shooting percentage.
Lubin played his best at UNC’s most crucial point of the season, reaching double-digit points in 11 straight games to close the year. He averaged 13.6 points in that stretch, including averages of 16 points and 11 rebounds during UNC’s three games in the ACC Tournament.
As for his role with N.C. State, Lubin fills a need on the interior for a frontcourt that was lacking post players. The Wolfpack will welcome Zymicah Wilkins and Paul Mbiya to the fold, but Lubin provides much-needed experience as a rebounder and rim runner. Florida State transfer Jerry Deng also gives N.C. State frontcourt depth, but Lubin’s addition levels up the Pack’s presence in the post as a starting-caliber big.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.