‘He’s a Warrior’: Ven-Allen Lubin Battles in NC State Loss

RALEIGH — Ven-Allen Lubin played nearly 40 minutes in NC State's 77-76 overtime loss to Kansas, battling despite a noteworthy size disadvantage against Jayhawk forward Flory Bidunga. When asked about the performance of his starting forward, Wolfpack head coach Will Wade couldn't help but praise the effort of Lubin.

"He's a warrior, man," Wade said.

That warrior spirit was on full display in a gritty performance from the North Carolina transfer. Lubin scored 16 points and hauled in 11 rebounds, good for his third double-double of the season for NC State.

Inside Lubin's gritty showing

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) dunks the ball during the second half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

There were some obvious concerns about the Lubin, who stands 6-foot-9, going against Bidunga and Kansas' other talented interior defenders. He quickly quelled any such worries, attacking the rack and scoring six points in the first 10 minutes of the game for NC State. Tre Holloman hit Lubin with a nifty pass in transition, which the forward slammed home with authority to put the Wolfpack up four early.

The physicality of the game was evident early, as Lubin stood tall in the paint defensively, while also being forced into mismatches against Jayhawk perimeter players as a result of NC State's switch-centric defensive scheme. He held up well, particularly when the Wolfpack opted to trap future NBA lottery pick Darryn Peterson when Kansas tried to get him active in the pick-and-roll offense.

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What wasn't clear was that Lubin was fighting through pain. Wade revealed the big man dealt with cramping through most of the game, still finding a way to grind out minutes and finish with his double-double. Lubin's warrior spirit kept the Wolfpack in the fight for stretches when it looked like things might teeter toward the Jayhawks.

"He's been phenomenal. He's unbelievably consistent, unbelievably hard worker, just a tremendous, tremendous person," Wade said.

The coach stressed that NC State needs to continue to develop the big men behind Lubin in the rotation to avoid him getting too worn out. Freshman forward Musa Sagnia is the most important part of that equation.

For Lubin, the loss still felt like it provided some validation not just for himself and his ability to compete against the nation's best, but for the team as a whole. While NC State fell short in multiple similar opportunities, this was the one that felt the most like what Wade expected of his team.

"I think we did a really good job of just making some good steps on offense and defensively," Lubin said. "We can't really hang our heads out too low from the results. Obviously, we just look back at this, start from our mistakes down the stretch that cost us the game. But I think we did some good things there."

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) holds the ball guarded by Liberty Flames guard JJ Harper (9) during the first half of the game at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

It was Lubin's eighth-straight game finishing with a double-digit scoring output. Once again, he found himself in the right places at the right time, just as Wade said he always does. He stayed out of the way and let the game come to him. Now, even his star teammates are taking notice of his emergence.

"I think he's the most consistent guy we've got, on and off the basketball court," forward Darrion Williams said of Lubin. "... He's just selfless. He just wants to win. Even if he's not touching the ball a lot, you'll never see him pout or anything like that... I think we do a good job finding him, but he also does a great job of getting into open spaces."

While the missed opportunities Lubin alluded to are a disappointment for NC State, the Wolfpack seems to be finding an identity in the last few games. The forward is a major piece in that puzzle moving forward, so long as he gets some support from deeper in the rotation.

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