NC State basketball Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Crazy Work: Ex-Tar Heel Becomes NC State Basketball Man of the Month

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 3:29 PM ET

It's been only a month since the NC State basketball staff announced the addition of Ven-Allen Lubin as one of the finishing pieces to its impressive 2025-26 roster construction in Raleigh under first-year Wolfpack head coach Will Wade.

Evidently, the veteran transfer from nearby rival UNC wasted no time displaying the work ethic that served as a bright spot late for the 2024-25 Tar Heels.

Lubin capped off his first month on campus by earning his second consecutive "Man of the Week" distinction. So, it came as no surprise on Wednesday when the NC State basketball program awarded the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Florida native the first "Man of the Month" honor of the Will Wade era, noting it goes "to the player who best exemplifies the Wolfpack Standard."

.@LubinVen is the Man of the Month.

This honor is awarded monthly to the player who best exemplifies the Wolfpack Standard. pic.twitter.com/r10J5KvbeM
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) July 3, 2025

"We're thrilled to welcome Ven-Allen to our program," Wade said in early June. "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 [before transferring to UNC last year] to step out and be a weapon from three-point range and we'll look to build off of that. He's an incredibly efficient scorer, having led his team in field goal percentage each of his first three college seasons. Beyond that, he has a high basketball IQ and will be a tremendous presence in our locker room."

A projected starter in the eyes of many college basketball experts, Ven-Allen Lubin averaged 8.6 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds as a UNC basketball junior and first-year Tar Heel under Hubert Davis & Co. last season.

This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: