A former Tar Heel is headed down Interstate 40 for the upcoming college basketball season, joining one of UNC’s in-state rivals.

Senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin announced his commitment to North Carolina State’s men’s basketball program on Sunday after playing for UNC in the 2024-25 season and entering the transfer portal on its final day in April. The move marks the Orlando, Fla. native’s fourth school in four collegiate seasons, as he played at Notre Dame and Vanderbilt before joining Carolina.

After starting the season as a bench option for head coach Hubert Davis, Lubin’s development and rebounding prowess earned him a starting position and led him to become one of UNC’s more productive players in a season that saw the Tar Heels (23-14) lose in NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64. Lubin finished as Carolina’s leading rebounder (5.6 per game), earned the program’s Most Improved Player award and seemed poised to be a key returning figure for UNC as it aimed to improve from a fifth-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Upon entering the transfer portal, Lubin said his “full intent” was to return to Chapel Hill for another season and the move was related to “the complexities surrounding the possible approval of the pending NCAA settlement.” Instead, he will join a Wolfpack program that hired Will Wade to take over for the dismissed Kevin Keatts after N.C. State underwhelmed after advancing to the 2023-24 Final Four and finished with the third-worst ACC record.

As Lubin remained in the portal, UNC used the transfer portal itself — alongside a blue chip high school recruit — to overhaul its frontcourt for 2025-26. Joining five-star freshman power forward Caleb Wilson will be center Henri Veesaar (Arizona) and forward Jarin Stevenson (Alabama), with rising junior Zayden High reportedly returning to the program after a de facto year-long suspension. All of those players are listed as taller than Lubin (6-foot-8).

Lubin becomes one of only a handful of former Carolina men’s basketball players to join N.C. State — and will not have the opportunity to face UNC in the Dean Smith Center next season. In the ACC schedules revealed on May 28, Carolina will only face N.C. State in Raleigh, which marks the first time since 1919 the Tar Heels will not host the Wolfpack in Chapel Hill.

Lubin is the fifth Tar Heel to enter the transfer portal during the 2025 offseason, joining Elliot Cadeau (Michigan), Jalen Washington (Vanderbilt), Cade Tyson (Minnesota) and Ian Jackson (St. John’s).

 

Featured photo by Todd Melet/Chapel Hill Media Group.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

 

Related Stories
‹
Art's Angle: Trench Fighting
The ironies were unmistakable. UNC men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis said before the game that rebounding would be a key to victory, and while Kentucky’s size and athleticism were superior to Carolina’s, a botched rebound by two colliding Tar Heels (Cormac Ryan and Jae’Lyn Withers) cost them a key possession with 1:08 left in the […]
Chansky's Notebook: All On Nike
Don’t blame Nike for the black uniforms. It’s part of the deal. Among the reactions to Carolina’s dismal showing against Kentucky in Las Vegas was dislike for the black unis with the light blue names and numerals. Although Roy Williams pledged to never don them again if his team lost, the once-a-year outfit is all […]
Chansky's Notebook: Up In The Air
As the sun came up, three options were on the table for the Tar Heels. Don’t you just love the way our country gets on the same page in times of crisis? Any wonder why we’re so divided over everything, thanks to a media ecosystem that is basically an echo chamber. First the coronavirus was […]
No. 22 UNC Locks Down in Second Half, Rallies to Top Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic
Using a second-half surge, the No. 22 UNC men’s basketball team managed to rally back on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland to defeat the Kentucky Wildcats 75-63 in the CBS Sports Classic.  The Tar Heels (5-2) trailed by double-digits early in the first half—as they have so often this season—but were able to claw back […]
Costly Turnovers Doom No. 9 UNC in Loss to No. 19 Kentucky
Coming off a signature victory last weekend at home against Gonzaga, the ninth-ranked UNC men’s basketball team had a chance for another on Saturday in Chicago—but too many costly turnovers ultimately cost the Tar Heels in an 80-72 loss to the No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats. While UNC (8-3)was able to overcome 23 turnovers against Gonzaga […]
UNC Men's Basketball Invited to Play in 2019 CBS Sports Classic, Held in Las Vegas
The announcement came Thursday morning that UNC will again be one of four men’s basketball teams featured in the 2019 CBS Sports Classic, which will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Games will be held on Dec. 21, 2019 with the Tar Heels taking on UCLA and Kentucky facing off against Ohio […]
UNC Signs Three-Year Extension to Play in CBS Sports Classic
On Saturday when No. 7 UNC takes the court in Las Vegas against No. 6 Kentucky, it will be as part of the third annual CBS Sports Classic. The event–which has pitted the Tar Heels against traditional college basketball powerhouses UCLA, Kentucky and Ohio State–was renewed for another three years on Monday. This means that […]
Chansky’s Notebook: The Driver
Has Michael Jordan upped his support of his alma mater? With reports that UNC men's basketball has upped its coffers, it's fair to ask.
Chansky’s Notebook: First Foreigner
While Luka Bogavac is poised to be the first foreign-born Tar Heel this century, UNC men's basketball has history with international players.
Ven-Allen Lubin Confirms UNC Departure with Commitment to NC State
Senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin announced his commitment to N.C. State's men's basketball on Sunday after playing for UNC in the prior season
›