From Chapel Hill to Raleigh: NC State picks up commitment from UNC transfer
One North Carolina forward entered the transfer porter earlier this spring intending to return to Chapel Hill. In a reversal, he’s not only leaving UNC but headed down the road to Raleigh.
Ven-Allen Lubin announced at the end of April he was entering the portal “with the full intent on returning to UNC.” Lubin said his decision was based on precautions surrounding the impending House v. NCAA settlement, which will impact third-party NIL agreements.
Instead of returning to Carolina, Lubin committed to play at N.C. State under first-year head coach Will Wade. He announced his decision via social media on Sunday afternoon. He is the final scholarship player of Wade’s first roster, pending the settlement’s approval.
This will be Lubin’s fourth school after transferring from Notre Dame and Vanderbilt. He is reportedly the first Tar Heel to transfer directly from UNC to N.C. State. Dontrez Styles, however, played two seasons for Carolina before transferring to Georgetown in 2023-24. He started for the Wolfpack this past year.
Lubin played a key role for the Tar Heels, especially late in the season, when he averaged 14.6 points and eight rebounds in the final 11 contests.
One of his best performances took place against Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinal. Lubin scored 20 points and 10 rebounds in Carolina’s comeback attempt, which fell short as Duke won, 74-71. At the time, it was his third double-double of the year.
Lubin averaged 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds for the season and scored in double figures the last 10 games. His 67.7% field goal percentage ranked No. 2 in Carolina history for shooting efficiency by players who attempted 100 or more baskets.
Lubin joins a stacked Wolfpack roster under the new coach and his staff, which already ranks among the top classes in the nation.
This addition comes days after the program announced four staff hires, in player performance and development and operations, and the signing of Finnish guard Jayme Kontuniemi. Lubin’s announcement also comes days after Paul Mbiya withdrew from the NBA Draft evaluation process signaling his return to school.
Prior to Lubin’s commitment, the Wolfpack ranked No. 12 in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings, adding one five-star and five four-star recruits. N.C. State also landed at No. 15 in the nation for overall recruiting rankings, picking up two five-star players and six four-stars.
The rankings had not been updated at the time of publication, but Lubin was a four-star recruit out of high school and four-star transfer prospect. That brings N.C. State’s total to six four-stars and one five-star addition.
2025-26 NC State men’s basketball roster
SG Paul McNeil
C Zymicah Wilkins (FR)
SG Matt Able (FR)
PF Colt Langdon (Butler)
SF Terrance Arceneaux (Houston)
PF Jerry Deng (Florida State)
C Paul Mbiya (International)
SG Alyn Breed (McNeese State)
PG Quadir Copeland (McNeese State)
PG Tre Holloman (Michigan State)
PF Darrion Williams (Texas Tech)
SG Jayme Kontuniemi (International)
PF Ven-Allen Lubin (North Carolina)
PG Jordan Snell (walk-on)
This story was originally published June 1, 2025 at 1:32 PM with the headline "From Chapel Hill to Raleigh: NC State picks up commitment from UNC transfer."
