
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: The Big StageWill the Tar Heels’ astonishing comeback victory over UCLA turn out to be a season-saver? That remains to be seen but, for sure, it gives them a chance heading into their last non-conference date this Sunday against Campbell followed by 19 straight ACC games that will determine their travel plans in March, hopefully to the […]

Art’s Angle: False PositivesSince we’re in the era of COVID, let’s say that Carolina’s performance in Las Vegas against Kentucky was a series of false positives. The five-game winning streak that included impressive second halves was apparently no indication that the Tar Heels were ready to play a full game against a quality opponent like the nationally-ranked Wildcats. […]
![]()
No. 22 UNC Locks Down in Second Half, Rallies to Top Kentucky in CBS Sports ClassicUsing 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 KentuckyComing 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 VegasThe 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 ClassicOn 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 DriverHas 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 ForeignerWhile Luka Bogavac is poised to be the first foreign-born Tar Heel this century, UNC men's basketball has history with international players.

Chansky's Notebook: VAL GoneWe all know the transfer portal is nuts, but Ven-Allen-Lubin flipping from Carolina men's basketball to N.C. State raises questions.

Ven-Allen Lubin Confirms UNC Departure with Commitment to NC StateSenior 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
›