NC State Gets Much-Needed Performance From Ven-Allen Lubin
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RALEIGH — NC State forward Ven-Allen Lubin hauled in just two rebounds in Wednesday's loss to No. 20 Auburn. The veteran big man responded with a monster performance in the win over UNC Asheville, scoring 23 points and pulling down 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
The transfer from North Carolina has hit his stride over the last five games from a scoring standpoint, finishing in double figures in each of those matchups. As NC State works out some issues on both ends of the floor, Lubin has looked like a consistent contributor. His performance against the Bulldogs marked his best showing of the season and could be a positive sign for the future.
Inside Lubin's outing
Lubin took just six shots in the loss to the Tigers on Wednesday, taking a step back from his 23-point showing against the Texas Longhorns in the final game of the Maui Invitational. That drew some concern from head coach Will Wade, who said the practices between the Auburn loss and Saturday's win were particularly rough on his team. Clearly, Lubin used it as motivation and improved greatly.
"Ven was great tonight. He's very consistent," Wade said. "Look, he was making dunks and layups... He finished better at the rim. Didn't finish real well at the rim on Wednesday night. I thought he did a better job finishing through contact, finishing with force on a few of the dunks."
If he can't go around you, he'll just go over you. pic.twitter.com/Qfx44uaBni
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) December 6, 2025
The veteran forward didn't take much credit for his role in the performance. As a team captain and one of the louder voices in terms of leadership on the roster, Lubin lauded his. teammates for his showing after the game.
"I just really gave credit to my teammates being able to find me on offense," Lubin said. "Just for me to believe in the work that I put in and be able to go out there and be aggressive and be assertive and just taking what it takes for helping my team win."
What made Lubin's performance so unique was his quiet first half. The forward did not make a single field goal in the first 20 minutes, scoring his four points exclusively from the free-throw line. It was a disjointed first half, but Lubin still found a way to make an impact, securing five of his 12 rebounds. He stayed the course and UNCA's defense began to break down quickly in the second half.
He came out of the half on the hunt, aggressively rolling behind the Bulldog defense and finding open space for NC State's talented passers, particularly Darrion Williams and Quadir Copeland, to fire passes his way. He scored six points in the first five minutes of the half, opening up the scoring with a quick slam dunk.
Alley-oop to Ven-Allen Lubin! @PackMensBball pic.twitter.com/oYMlhPOrST
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) December 6, 2025
The Bulldogs didn't pose much of a size threat to the undersized Lubin and he maneuvered well around their smaller forwards. As for his second-half explosion, Wade didn't indicate that it was part of any strategic change or plan. Lubin just did his job and played within the flow of the game.
"Our guys always look for him. He also got five offensive rebounds," Wade said. "He had over half of our offensive rebounds. He was active and when you're active, the ball finds you and I think our guys have a lot of confidence in him... He does a good job always being in the play but not ever being in the way. He does a good job of moving... That was apparent today."
Wade's last point about Lubin might've been the most telling. The forward's experience is extensive, as he played significant minutes for North Carolina at times, but wasn't allowed to play within the flow of an offense in the same way he has been able to in the first nine games with the Wolfpack. However, Lubin responds well to coaching and doesn't ever seem to be doing too much, a very important quality for someone Wade considers a leader.
"The coaching staff has done a really good job of holding us accountable to doing our role to the best of our abilities," Lubin said. "(Wade) believes in all of us. Just the way that we know what we're capable of. We haven't really shown it the past few games and that's been really stressful for a lot of us."
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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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