Monday night confirmed what Tar Heel fans pretty much already knew.
Will Wade has already fallen into the trap of being obsessed with Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program.
After barely (and we mean, BARELY) knocking off VCU, a game that the Rams had multiple chances to tie over the final minutes but couldn't knock down any shots, Wade took to the podium to talk about his team's performance.
Of COURSE, Wade had to throw some ridiculous shots at Hubert Davis and North Carolina regarding Ven-Allen Lubin's early foul trouble.
NC State head coach Will Wade postgame on Ven-Allen Lubin: "Second game he's picked up a foul before the first media. That's made him more timid cause he's not used to playing for a coach that won't foul him out by sitting him on the bench. Thought he was great tonight."
— Charlie Gribble (@Charlie_Grib) November 18, 2025
Let's discuss it.
"Second game he's picked up a foul before the first media. That's made him more timid cause he's not used to playing for a coach that won't foul him out by sitting him on the bench. Thought he was great tonight."
Will Wade clearly lacks strategic planning
Every team is different. Last year's UNC squad was tremendously undersized, the main reason why Lubin was the team's starting center to begin with.
If Lubin got into early foul trouble, Hubert Davis did the right thing by going to the bench. Why would you risk Lubin, a guy you'd want to have in the game when it matters down the stretch, stuck to the bench due to fouling out?
Regardless of how you spin it, Wade, the Tar Heels were mindful of his foul situation and made an effort to avoid him getting deeper into that issue.
For Wade, maybe he's ok with playing a small lineup. Eventually, it will come back to haunt him when Lubin picks up two early fouls against a much-bigger team, forcing him to the bench. Then, it will be Wade "fouling him out by sitting on the bench."
Remember this quote, Will?
Fortunately, we keep receipts.
Before the season even began, Wade took some more shots at North Carolina, basically making it seem like UNC was dumb for how they utilized him during his lone season in Chapel Hill.
In case you forgot what Wade had to say, here's the exact quote:
“The other school was too dumb to play him. When [Lubin] plays 28+ minutes — he’s done that in 23 games — he averages 15 and 8. I don’t know why the hell they didn’t play him but we’re gonna play him, so he’s gonna average 15 and 8."
Just two weeks into the season, Will Wade is already proving to be a liar!
Through four games, all of which were against essentially lower-level competition, Lubin has averaged... drum roll please...
19.3 minutes per-game.
Not only is that lower than what he averaged a season ago at North Carolina, BUT is essentially 10 minutes per-game lower than Wade promised to play him.
Additionally, that 15 and 8 average he was talking about, yeah, that's non-existent too.
Lubin's scoring output is essentially identical to what we saw last season, and his rebounding totals (5.5 per game) are exact. Guess Wade didn't figure out that Lubin has been consistently this type of player for three years now, what makes him think that will change now?
Words of advice
When he took over this offseason as the head coach of NC State, Wade talked about how the program needs to stop obsessing over the likes of Duke and North Carolina. However, how could they when the man in charge thinks about the Tar Heels 24/7?
It's easy to run your mouth and take unnecessary digs at others, but the facts are facts pal. Of course, if my team struggled to barely pull out a win against a non-conference foe, I don't think that I would be talking smack toward one of my in-state "rivals."
For now, how about you keep up your end of the bargain and play Lubin 28+ minutes per-night. Let's see how that goes for ya.