NC State men’s basketball coach Will Wade hasn’t yet coached a game for the Wolfpack. But he’s already endeared himself to the fanbase with his outgoing style, aggressive recruiting and a few barbs at rival North Carolina.

Wade called out the Tar Heels over the weekend for how they used post player Ven-Allen Lubin, who transferred to NC State. 

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The 6-foot-8 Lubin averaged 8.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in 37 games (20 starts) for North Carolina. He averaged 19.5 minutes per game and started 16 of the team’s last 17 games, missing only senior day. His insertion into the starting lineup helped key the Tar Heels’ solid play down the stretch.

“The other school was too dumb to play him,” Wade said Saturday night at a dinner event for One Pack members. “When he 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 going to play him, so he’s going to average 15 and eight.”

The comments were recorded and posted on social media.

Wade’s numbers were pretty accurate. 

Lubin has played 91 career games at UNC, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame. In 24 of those he’s played at least 28 minutes. In those games, he’s averaged 14.8 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Lubin played 28 minutes or more in five games for UNC, and he averaged 15 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. In 2023-24 for Vanderbilt, Lubin played 28 minutes or more in 17 games, and he averaged 15 points and 7.2 rebounds. In 2022-23 for Notre Dame, Lubin played 28 minutes or more in two games, and he averaged 14.5 points and seven rebounds.

North Carolina opened the year with Jalen Washington as the team’s starting center before turning to Lubin for four games. The Tar Heels went back to Washington before moving to Lubin over the final two months.

Lubin entered the transfer portal in April, but indicated that he was planning to return to UNC.

“Before anybody jumps to the wrong conclusion, I am letting everyone know that I am entering the transfer portal with full intent on returning to UNC,” he wrote on social media. “My action relates to the complexities surrounding the possible approval of the pending NCAA settlement.”

Weeks later, NC State announced Lubin’s signing with the Wolfpack. He’s part of a near-complete roster rebuild for the Wolfpack under Wade.