Looking at Ven-Allen Lubin's Performance Through the Non-Conference Schedule
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RALEIGH — Will Wade and NC State men's basketball walked out of the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 9-4 record, slightly behind where the coach wanted his team to be. While some members of the roster are struggling to meet Wade's lofty standards, senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin played at an extremely high level at the start of his first season with the Wolfpack.
Without Lubin, the Wolfpack would be sorely lacking in terms of experience and skill in the paint, as he proved himself as a low-post operator against some of the best in the nation.
Lubin's impressive start
In the first 13 games of the Wolfpack's season, Lubin averaged 13.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and just over an assist per game. The senior tallied three double-doubles during that stretch and helped the Wolfpack stay in the fight against some of the most talented competition it faced, racking up 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Kansas Jayhawks in NC State's overtime loss.
Lubin's off-court leadership has been a point of praise for Wade, as the veteran forward carries himself well in the eyes of his coach. After an offseason filled with hostile words from Wade directed toward Lubin's old program, UNC, he is living up to the hype and outperforming his numbers compared to his time with the Tar Heels. For his teammates, he is easy to play with.
"I think he's the most consistent guy we've got, on and off the basketball court," forward Darrion Williams said of Lubin after the KU loss. "... 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."
What makes Lubin even more effective is the fact that he is a fairly low usage player. Wade doesn't feel obligated to find him offense, as the savvy forward just finds himself in the right place at the right time and makes the right plays. That tendency helped Lubin's field goal percentage shoot up to 69% through the first two months, good for fourth in the country and second in the Power Five conferences.
Have a day, Ven-Allen Lubin!
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) December 6, 2025
23 points
9-of-11 shooting
12 rebounds@PackMensBball Win pic.twitter.com/KXQqldQoFE
Lubin's physicality makes up for his lack of size at times, but Wade was the first to admit that the Wolfpack must find him some cover so that he doesn't play too many minutes and get worn down. The best options in that goal are Musa Sagnia and Jerry Deng, with Scottie Ebube being a potential break-glass choice if foul trouble or major issues with the other players occur.
Similarly to Quadir Copeland, Lubin is outplaying the projections and feelings NC State's staff had coming into the season. Now, the Wolfpack just needs to get the other key contributors up to speed.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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