Will Wade, the new head coach at NC State, was recently in the news for his comments regarding former UNC forward Ven-Allen Lubin. Lubin recently transferred to NC State, and Wade said UNC was “too dumb to play him.”
The controversial statement reignited the fierce ACC rivalry between NC State and North Carolina, with ESPN analyst Jay Bilas weighing in on Wade’s fearless coaching approach.
Jay Bilas Explains Will Wade’s Bold Coaching Philosophy
During an exclusive conversation with the PFSN team, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas offered insight into Will Wade’s uncompromising coaching style, particularly referencing Wade’s remarkable turnaround at McNeese State.
“Well, Will Wade is an outstanding coach, and he’s proven that at different stops he’s made along the way, at you know, VCU, LSU, McNeese, and now he’ll do the same at NC State,” Bilas explained.
“He is not afraid to shake things up. When he had his opening press conference at McNeese, they had lost 25 games the year before, and he said, ‘we’re gonna win 25 games this year’ and then did it.”
Wade’s bold prediction at McNeese proved prophetic. He led the Cowboys to a remarkable 30-4 record in his first season and 28-7 in his second year, culminating in back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
The transformation from a program that hadn’t won 20 games since 2011 to consecutive 25-win seasons exemplified Wade’s fearless approach to coaching.
Regarding the Lubin controversy, Bilas noted the stark differences between Wade and UNC coach Hubert Davis while respecting both coaches’ abilities. “He and Hubert Davis are different people. They’re different personalities, but Hubert Davis is a great coach,” Bilas said. “It just is exciting to have that kind of competitive drama.”
Lubin, who averaged 8.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game at UNC, became the center of Wade’s criticism. Wade claimed that when Lubin played 28-plus minutes in games throughout his career, he averaged 15 points and eight rebounds, suggesting UNC underutilized the talented forward.
NEW: Will Wade takes shot at UNC, Hubert Davis over Ven Allen Lubin:
“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… pic.twitter.com/5wswfDkSNY
— On3 (@On3sports) June 15, 2025
Bilas clarified that the NC State versus UNC rivalry is different from Duke-Carolina, but it is truly “a blood rivalry, ” making college basketball a better game for fans to watch. He also discussed generally that there is a trend in college basketball that coaches feel that they can have more fun with their comments as college basketball moves to resemble more of a professional league with players being compensated.
“I think we’re seeing coaches here and there step out a little bit more and be a little bit more vocal,” Bilas observed. “I always like it when people say what they’re thinking rather than act in a guarded fashion. That’s just more fun that way.”
KEEP READING: Will Wade’s Blunt Approach Winning Hearts With NC State Youth Even as UNC Fume at Ven-Allen Lubin Jibe
Wade’s hiring at NC State on a six-year contract represents another opportunity for him to prove his coaching prowess after rebuilding his career following his controversial departure from LSU.
