The new NC State men's basketball coach is already causing a stir on Tobacco Road.
Will Wade took a shot at the Wolfpack's rival, North Carolina, in a video that surfaced on social media over the weekend. He was talking about incoming transfer Ven-Allen Lubin, a forward who played just under 20 minutes per game for the Tar Heel last year.
"The other school was too dumb to play him."
– Will Wade apparently taking shots at UNC, after NC State landed UNC transfer Ven Allen Lubin 😲😲
pic.twitter.com/niwe1J7k9w— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) June 15, 2025
“The other school was too dumb to play him,” Wade said to a group of NC State fans in the video. “When [Lubin] plays 28-plus minutes — he's done that in 23 games — he averages 15 [points] and eight [rebounds]. I don't know why the hell they didn't play him, but we're gonna play him. So he's gonna average 15 and eight. We're very excited about Ven.”
When he suits up for NC State basketball, Lubin will be on his fourth school in as many years. He averaged 8.7 points and 5.5 rebounds for UNC last year, and as Wade pointed out, he showed an ability to connect from three while at Vanderbilt, his second stop. He shot 33% from distance in 2023-24 but did not attempt a three-point shot during his season in Chapel Hill.
Article Continues Below“We're thrilled to welcome Ven-Allen to our program,” Wade said in a release when the school announced Lubin's arrival. “Physically, he stands out with a wingspan over seven feet and a strong, powerful frame. Offensively, he creates mismatches — he can score over smaller defenders in the post and has the quickness to drive past bigger ones. He also showed the ability while at Vanderbilt to step out and be a weapon from three-point range and we'll look to build off of that.
Wade also pointed to Lubin's efficiency. He shot 68% from the field last season on 5.3 attempts per game.
“He's an incredibly efficient scorer, having led his team in field goal percentage each of his first three college seasons,” he continued. “Beyond that, he has a high basketball IQ and will be a tremendous presence in our locker room.”
NC State and North Carolina are only scheduled to play each other once in 2025-26, in Raleigh.