Tag: Ven-Allen Lubin

Seth Trimble says bigs played a major role in UNC’s victory, need to be consistent

Centers Jalen Washington and Ven-Allen Lubin played big roles in helping UNC down Georgia Tech Saturday.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have been searching for post production all season long, particularly given they don’t have the dominant presence of Armando Bacot anymore.

UNC targeted several big men in the transfer portal this offseason, but swung and missed on the biggest names.

North Carolina still has yet to find its go-to big man, but Saturday’s 68-65, ACC opening-victory against Georgia Tech showed it has not one – but two – centers who are capable of filling that role.

Ven-Allen Lubin started in place of Jalen Washington, recording five points, one block, a steal and led the Tar Heels with eight rebounds in 16 minutes. Washington played solid defensive basketball in 20 minutes off the bench: scoring two points, generating a steal and pulling down six rebounds.

North Carolina won the rebounding battle, 48-37. Nearly every Tar Heel recorded multiple rebounds.

“He brought a big presence down low, which is exactly what we needed,” UNC junior guard Seth Trimble said about Lubin. “Every big had a rough first half this game, but he (Lubin) had a really good first half, he had some offensive boards. He defended well, other than fouling out. But he did what we asked him to do. J-Wash had a really good second half I felt like as well. My biggest thing with them is, they need to come out the gate with their motive – and with a response right away – because we’re going to need them. They’re showing that they’re capable of it already this year. They just need to get back going.”

Lubin, who started every game for Vanderbilt last year, is the more experienced option for North Carolina. Washington spent the last two years learning behind Bacot – and despite still trying to grow into his potential, Washington looks like he took a step forward from last season.

Just like Trimble said: if Lubin and Washington can start producing consistently, the Tar Heels will play drastically better basketball.

Lubin and Washington did just enough on Saturday against Georgia Tech – and UNC finally is back in the winning column.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC snaps 3-game slide, wins ACC opener

North Carolina finally snapped its losing streak Saturday in its ACC opener against Georgia Tech.

Entering Saturday’s ACC basketball opener against Georgia Tech, the North Carolina Tar Heels needed a win in the worst way.

UNC lost Wednesday’s ACC-SEC Challenge matchup against Alabama, 94-79, during a game in which it never looked comfortable.

Saturday wasn’t pretty, but North Carolina did just enough to escape with the victory.

The Tar Heels and Yellow Jackets traded leads throughout the game, but it was the Tar Heels who emerged with a 68-65 win in the ACC opener for both teams.

UNC’s (5-4, 1-0) defense looked great against Georgia Tech (4-5, 0-1), holding the Yellow Jackets to a 31.3 field goal percentage. A big part of North Carolina’s improved defensive effort was post play, with the Tar Heels limiting second-chance points and winning the rebounding battle, 48-37.

UNC arguably won today’s game on the fast break, outscoring Georgia Tech 16-5. North Carolina guards RJ Davis, Seth Trimble and Ian Jackson all played big roles in that advantage, quickly racing down the court after a rebound.

Davis, Trimble and Jackson combined for 73.5 percent of the Tar Heels’ points. Trimble led the way with 19 on 5-of-6 shooting and eight made free throws, Davis added 16 points and Jackson contributed 15 off the bench.

UNC announced a starting lineup change just moments before tipoff, with Ven-Allen Lubin starting at center in place of Jalen Washington. Hubert Davis’ decision paid off – despite Lubin fouling out late in the second half, he led North Carolina with eight rebounds, while also adding five points, a steal and block apiece.

Saturday wasn’t pretty. The Tar Heels struggled in moments. When the final buzzer sounded, UNC players and coaches breathed a sigh of relief. North Carolina won its first ACC game and the losing streak is over.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC makes a change to starting lineup for ACC basketball opener against Georgia Tech

The UNC basketball team has a new starter in today’s ACC opener against Georgia Tech.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are mired in their coldest stretch on their young basketball season, entering Saturday’s ACC opener against Georgia Tech with three-consecutive losses.

UNC’s latest defeat came on Wednesday, Dec. 4 against Alabama in the ACC-SEC Challenge, as it largely trailed throughout and lost, 94-79. Despite outrebounding the Crimson Tide and scoring more points in the paint, North Carolina struggled to produce in the post.

In hopes of generating more of a spark Saturday, Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis is making a big change to his starting lineup.

Ven-Allen Lubin, who transferred from Vanderbilt in the offseason, will be starting at center in place of Jalen Washington.

Lubin scored eight points, pulled down four rebounds and blocked two shots in 17 minutes off the bench against Alabama. Washington struggled in just 12 minutes as a starter against the Crimson Tide: scoring just three points, recording five rebounds and turning the ball over twice.

Lubin is averaging 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds through eight games this year. He has a pair of 10-point games under his belt: back on Friday, Nov. 8 in UNC’s 92-89 loss at Kansas, then on Tuesday, Nov 26 against Auburn in the Maui Invitational.

Something you’ll appreciate about Lubin: he’s shooting at least 50 percent in all eight of his previous appearances. North Carolina will need that kind of production from Lubin again today, especially with Washington playing so hot-and-cold.

If Lubin plays well against Georgia Tech, expect to see Hubert starting him a lot going forward. The Tar Heels are in desperate need of production from their big men – and Lubin gets his golden opportunity today.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

How did UNC’s post players perform in closer-than-expected victory over Elon?

UNC might be better off in the frontcourt than you expect this coming basketball season.

Without Armando Bacot in a North Carolina Tar Heels uniform any longer, UNC is in big need of players to step up in the post this season.

Luckily for North Carolina, it has plenty of post guys to rotate with – and all are experienced upperclassmen.

Jalen Washington, who started at center in UNC’s 90-76 victory over Elon, is a junior. Jae’Lyn Withers, who started at power forward, is in his fifth season. Ven-Allen Lubin, the Vanderbilt transfer who came off the bench and can play both the four or five, is a junior. Cade Tyson, the sharp-shooting Belmont transfer seen as a Stretch Four, is a junior.

I’m really encouraged by what I saw from the Tar Heels’ post rotation Monday night, particularly from Withers and Washington. Withers grabbed a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Washington poured in eight points, grabbed four rebounds, blocked a shot, stole a ball and recorded an assist.

Lubin scored four points, registered seven rebounds and blocked two shots in 17 minutes off the bench, while Tyson scored two points – and grabbed two rebounds – in 16 minutes off the bench.

Look at the second sentence of what respected college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein said: Hubert Davis would sign for 3/4 of North Carolina’s post production on Monday night, particularly in a post-Bacot world.

I agree with Rothstein. There are bound to be some growing pains for UNC in the paint during college basketball season, but at least it has experienced upperclassmen in Lubin, Withers and Washington to count on for production.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Where do Tar Heels land in college basketball insider Jon Rothstein’s preseason rankings?

Jon Rothstein knows college basketball. He’s really high on the UNC men’s basketball team in his preseason rankings.

We’re just over two months away from the start of college basketball season – and the North Carolina Tar Heels are eager to show how much they’ve improved in the offseason.

College basketball insider Jon Rothstein is high on UNC’s chances entering the 2024-2025, as he ranks UNC seventh in his “Rothstein 45” rankings.

Reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis decided to stay his final season, which immediately made UNC ACC Championship contenders. Davis wasn’t the only Tar Heel to stay, as center Jalen Washington, guards Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble will also be back.

What North Carolina lost in Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan, it replaced with Ven-Allen Lubin, Cade Tyson, 5-star freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell. Just when you thought the Tar Heels were done making moves, they added Georgia Tech transfer Tyzhaun Claude.

UNC will have a chance to truly prove itself in non-conference play, with a grueling schedule that includes Kansas, Dayton, Auburn/Iowa State, Alabama, Florida and UCLA.

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1828819276901601608

I agree with these rankings, except for where Iowa State and Baylor are ranked. I’m not saying North Carolina should be ranked ahead of either team, but these three are on an equal level from a talent standpoint.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Ven-Allen Lubin details why he chose the Tar Heels

You’ll want to read why Ven-Allen Lubin chose the UNC men’s basketball team in the transfer portal.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ men’s basketball program knew that after last season ended, they’d have to address roster holes through the transfer portal.

All-time UNC great Armando Bacot ran out of eligibility, as did starting small forward Cormac Ryan. Harrison Ingram, last year’s starting power forward, declared for the NBA Draft. There was question about RJ Davis moving on, but he decided to return.

Suddenly, for a program that prides itself on post play, there weren’t a ton of experienced post players.

After swinging and missing on several top transfer portal recruits, North Carolina nabbed its first addition in Belmont transfer Cade Tyson, who figures to slot into Ryan’s role. Two months later – in May – the Tar Heels addressed another hole with Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin. If I had to guess, Lubin starts at power forward.

Now, three months later, we finally hear from the newest UNC basketball player to don Carolina blue. See why he chose Chapel Hill as his next hoops destination:

“The past two years of my college experience, I haven’t been able to experience being in the NCAA Tournament,” Lubin told InsideCarolina’s Adam Smith.” And I know that North Carolina has a history of being on that stage. So I know that they’ll take me there to be able to experience it this year firsthand, and go even further than we did last year.”

Lubin, entering his junior season, spent last year at Vanderbilt. He spent freshman year at Notre Dame, where he was teammates with Ryan, which played a factor in him choosing the Tar Heels.

“As soon as I heard UNC was looking at me, I knew I had to hit him (Cormac) up,” Lubin told Smith. “He just said it’s going to be great for you to expose yourself to the biggest stage in your life, really. He said, ‘it’s going to be a great opportunity for you to show who you are, and what you’re capable of. And if you want to go to the next level, that’s the place for you.'”

Lubin started all 26 games he appeared in for the Commodores last year, averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. I can’t wait to see him produce in Carolina Blue.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Basketball transfer portal target Coleman Hawkins chooses Kansas State over UNC

Maybe missing out on Coleman Hawkins wasn’t the worst thing in UNC’s transfer portal pursuits.

The UNC men’s basketball team struck out, once again, chasing a top target in the transfer portal.

North Carolina’s latest miss was Coleman Hawkins, the big man who – last season – led Illinois to its first Elite 8 appearance since 2005. Hawkins averaged 6.1 rebounds and a career-high 12.1 points per game, so when he initially entered his name in the transfer portal, it came as no surprise he has plenty of suitors.

The Tar Heels are in need of an experienced starting center. They already have Jalen Washington and Zayden High on the roster, plus incoming freshman James Brown, but Washington is the only one with extensive experience – and he was a reserve last year.

I like the idea of Washington starting, but it’s discouraging to see UNC strike out on these top talents.

On Friday, June 14, Hawkins announced that he’d be transferring to Kansas State. The Wildcats, like the Fighting Illini, made the Elite 8 last year.

If there was any speculation about Hawkins chasing money in the transfer portal, his NIL deal at K-State confirms that speculation. Hawkins’ deal is reported to be over $2 million.

North Carolina did add a couple starters in the transfer portal, though, snagging Cade Tyson from Belmont and Ven-Allen Lubin from Vanderbilt. Tyson is expected to replace Cormac Ryan at small forward, while Lubin will likely replace Harrison Ingram at power forward.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Where UNC basketball’s transfer class ranks per 247Sports

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ transfer portal additions of Ven-Allen Lubin and Cade Tyson have them Top-10 in the ACC.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are going to be set for the coming college basketball season.

It’ll be weird not seeing Armando Bacot suiting up, plus I’m sure it’ll take some time adjusting to no Harrison Ingram. The duo provided a rare, solid 2-man post presence not seen since the Isaiah Hicks-Kennedy Meeks days.

UNC is still searching for an experienced center in the transfer portal, but will be set even without one. Jalen Washington has been waiting two years behind Bacot for the starting center role, a spot which he deserves every bit of.

Even with just two additions in the portal, Cade Tyson (Belmont) and Ven-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt), North Carolina only lost rarely-used James Okonkwo to the portal.

This activity ranks the Tar Heels in the ACC’s Top 10 transfer rankings.

“UNC jumped into the top 10 following Ven-Allen Lubin’s commitment on Thursday,” Grant Hughes wrote. “The Tar Heels only have two transfers (the fewest on this list), but they’re two of the best. Cade Tyson is the highest-ranked transfer to commit to an ACC school this offseason, while Lubin gives UNC upside in the frontcourt after averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds as a sophomore at Vanderbilt last season. UNC’s average rating per transfer (94.0) leads the ACC and ranks No. 7 in the nation.”

There’s a solid chance UNC still adds a player or two, as North Carolina is linked to the likes of Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins and Kentucky’s Ugonna Onyenso.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Does Ven-Allen Lubin’s commitment to UNC basketball guarantee him a starting spot?

The Tar Heels should immediately make Ven-Allen Lubin their starting power forward for the coming season.

Thursday was a big day for the UNC basketball program.

After coming so close to landing the likes of coveted transfers Oumar Ballo, Aaron Bradshaw and Cliff Omoruyi – only for them to choose other schools – North Carolina finally grabbed Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin.

The Tar Heels had post players before Lubin’s addition – Jae’Lyn Withers, Jalen Washington, Zayden High and incoming freshman James Brown – but none with extensive college experience.

Lubin started all 26 games for the Commodores last year, averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He recorded five double-doubles, something UNC enjoyed a lot of with Armando Bacot over the last five seasons.

Given that Lubin is 6’8″, I foresee most of his minutes at power forward, with the occasional switch over to small forward or center. This puts North Carolina in a pickle at the 4-spot, as Jae’Lyn Withers was slated to be the starter, after backing up Harrison Ingram last year.

Withers only started three games during the 2023-2024 campaign, averaging 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Lubin is an immediate upgrade, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hubert Davis use Withers and Lubin in a tandem.

Washington’s number are similar to Withers (3.9 points, 2.6 rebounds per game), but he’s a center. High played even less (0.8 points in 4.5 minutes per game), but he’ll likely play as a reserve.

To put it simply, I would be shocked if Lubin isn’t starting from Day One.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

A top UNC basketball transfer portal target stepping foot on campus today

Will Hubert Davis snag his second addition in the transfer portal today?

The North Carolina Tar Heels were lucky to only see one player depart in the college basketball transfer portal, but they haven’t enjoyed that same success with incoming players.

Some people call the transfer portal free agency for college sports, particularly with NIL money being offered to try and sway decisions. There’s fans who like the portal, but others who don’t.

I personally like the portal, in part because head UNC men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis showcasing an ability to bring in impactful transfers. He did it during his first offseason with Brady Manek, last year with Harrison Ingram and Cormac, plus recently with Cade Tyson.

North Carolina has the chance to bring in another top portal player: Vanderbilt’s Ven-Allen Lubin, whom the Tar Heels recently showed interest in and scheduled a visit with.

Lubin started all 26 games last season for the Commodores, averaging 12.3 points per game on 50% shooting, 6.3 rebounds per game and a team-high one block per game.

That visit UNC scheduled? It’s today, May 14 – and we’re hoping Lubin leaves with a scholarship offer.

If North Carolina is lucky to land Lubin, who was a rare bright spot on a Vandy team that failed to reach 10 wins, I imagine he’ll compete with Jae’Lyn Withers for the Tar Heels’ starting power forward position. Lubin has the starting experience Withers doesn’t, but Withers knows the system.

Fingers crossed for some good news this week.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.