‘It’s a good rush’: Ven-Allen Lubin feeds off crowd, ‘LUUUUB’ chants to lead UNC basketball
Ven-Allen Lubin comes across as a mild-mannered young man who speaks in a calm, measured tone and may have one of the lowest heart rates on the North Carolina basketball team.
Off the court.
But put on that head band and it’s like he prepared for battle. No. 22 in the UNC lineup has shown some fire, battling in the paint, banging bodies, slamming down two-handed dunks.
In the Smith Center, his dunks produce a “L-UUUB” chant from UNC fans, which always brings smile to his face.
How’s that for a rush?
“It’s a good rush, yeah,” Lubin said Saturday. “I love it. I love it when the fans do that. It definitely gives me energy, that love.”
Lubin heard it a few times as the Tar Heels punched out an 81-66 win over Virginia, bolting to a 21-2 lead that ended much of the suspense. The 6-8 junior did his part in the Heels’ third consecutive ACC win, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and six rebounds in 28 minutes.
Lubin was in the starting lineup again as UNC coach Hubert Davis went with Lubin and 6-9 Jae’Lyn Withers along with wing forward Drake Powell and guards R.J. Davis and Elliot Cadeau.
That the head coach is starting Lubin and not Jalen Washington shows the level of trust he has in the transfer from Vanderbilt. Lubin believes that and said he has accepted the challenge.
“Absolutely,” Lubin said. “I know it’s my responsibility to do the job that needs to be done. So whatever job I can do, whether I’m starting or not, I’m just doing what I’m expected to do.”
Mostly, that’s to fill the lane on both ends of the court, rebound, set good screens, be a threat offensively and be smart and tough defensively.
Lubin twice scored on lob dunks Saturday as first Cadeau and later R.J. Davis dribbled down the right side of the lane and lifted the ball to Lubin breaking down the middle.
Wham. “L-UUUUB.”
“Elliott’s always saying it’s there and I tell him, ‘Just throw it up and I’ll go get it,’ ” Lubin said. “Those can be electric plays to get us going.”
That Lubin has taken on a bigger role with the regular season in the final stretch shows the value of staying patient, continuing to learn the system, waiting for the opportunity.
There were games early in the season when Lubin had eight minutes of playing time. Against Louisville it was seven minutes.
Lubin has now been in double figures in three of the past five games, scoring a season-high 17 points in UNC’s 67-66 win over Pittsburgh, and has averaged about 22 minutes a game.
“It’s a big transition,” Hubert Davis said at a Friday press conference. “The reason I say that is I was traded three times in the NBA. It is an adjustment. There’s new personalities, new relationships, new coaching, new terminology. Now you throw in new surroundings and a new school. …
“I think Ven has done a real good job of adjusting to coming here. Specifically, just the last couple of games, (it’s) his consistency in terms of finishing around the basket (and) rebounding the ball. He’s a real good on-the-ball defender.”
Lubin began his college career at Notre Dame. A native of Orlando, Florida, he transferred to Vanderbilt after the 2022-23 season and started 26 games last season, averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds and leading the Commodores in offensive boards.
Now, he’s at UNC.
“I came here for a purpose,” Lubin said. “I wanted to experience a winning season. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that the past two years but I knew it was possible here. It has been a little rocky but we have a lot of confidence we can turn this thing around and have a remarkable season.
“Right now, we’re having so much joy in winning and we want to keep it that way. We’re in the mindset there is no other option than to win. We want to experience March Madness.”
This story was originally published February 23, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
