ROI REPORT: Did NC State get a good ‘return on investment’ from Ven-Allen Lubin?

Over the next few days, we’ll be focusing in on the transfers that NC State brought in via NIL to see what the ‘Return on Investment’ was during the REGULAR SEASON. To do this, we will look at their stats from last year and compare them to this year, while overlaying perceived expectations and role adjustments.

Let’s look at Ven-Allen Lubin
Lubin is somewhat of a journeyman. He played at Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and UNC before coming to NC State. But, speaking to Lubin and seeing how he operates, he doesn’t seem like a guy who can’t settle. He seems like someone who values consistency and loyalty. With that said, Lubin is most likely just a product of this generation of college basketball. He sees his talent and efficiency and he wants to find a program that sees it the same way.

The problem is, for many programs, the grass is probably always greener. Lubin is an undersized center in today’s game, and he’s not super versatile on the wing or defending quicker guys on switches. Flash back 15 years, and Lubin is probably a stalwart on a top-tier team. For NC State, however, he was a late addition to fill a much-needed role.

Expectations:

Wade came very close to landing 7-footer Paul Mbiya out of the Congo, who ultimately ended up at Kansas. But looking at how things played out there, NC State may have actually benefited from missing on him and pivoting to bring in Lubin from UNC.

This is one area where the original vision for the frontcourt isn’t entirely clear. It seems likely the plan was to pair a true seven-footer with the undersized Williams to balance the lineup.

Lubin didn’t necessarily solve NC State’s issues with rim protection or rebounding, but he did bring something else the team desperately needed: consistency and a reliable scoring option on the block.

Wade was vocal about his expectation for Lubin, saying he was misused at UNC, would get almost all of NC State’s minutes at the 5, and would produce almost exactly what he ended up producing.

Year-Over-Year Stats

Minutes Per Game
Last year at UNC: 20
This year at NC State: 28 🟢

Points Per Game
Last year at UNC: 9
This year at NC State: 13.6 🟢

Assists Per Game
Last year at UNC: .03
This year at NC State: .09 🟢

Rebounds Per Game
Last year at UNC: 3.6
This year at NC State: 4.1 🟢

Steals Per Game
Last year at UNC: 0.4
This year at NC State: 0.5

Field Goal %
Last year at UNC: 68%
This year at NC State: 68%

3pt Field Goal % 
Last year at UNC: 0%
This year at NC State: 27% 🟢

Usage 
Last year at UNC: 18%
This year at NC State: 19.3%
(Not rated better or worse – subjective stat)

Outcome:

NC State has become heavily reliant on the jump shot, and when those shots stop falling, the offense often runs through Lubin. He has been an absolute machine in the paint and one of the most dependable pieces on the roster all year.

Without Lubin, NC State would be in real trouble offensively.

He has been the one player the Wolfpack can consistently lean on when possessions start to break down. When the perimeter shots aren’t falling and the offense gets stagnant, Lubin gives them a way to settle. You can dump the ball inside, let him go to work, and at worst he’s forcing the defense to collapse and creating second-chance opportunities.

That reliability has been huge for a roster that has had trouble figuring out its identity.

For a team that has often lived and died by the perimeter this season, having a steady interior presence like Lubin has quietly been one of the most important parts of keeping the offense afloat.

And if NC State is going to make any kind of run late in the season, chances are Lubin will be right in the middle of it.

Was Ven-Allen Lubin’s ROI good for the Wolfpack? No matter what they paid, the answer is yes.