Ven-Allen Lubin displays consistency in UNC men's basketball's win over Miami

Ven-Allen Lubin listens to Gospel music before every game. 

After eating with the team, taking his scheduled 45-minute nap and receiving his treatment regimen in the training room, the junior forward slips on his headphones and queues his playlist. He rotates through his songs from gospel artists like Kirk Franklin and Elevation Worship. He says the music eases his mind. 

On Saturday, the song of the day was "Firm Foundation" by Maverick City Music. Lyrics about trusting his faith through difficult times filled his ears. It soothed him. 

“This season and just for the future, it’s been really [about] installing peace in me,” Lubin said. “And being comfortable to go out there and play.”

Then, he got to work. All of which led to his fourth-straight double-digit scoring performance. North Carolina crushed Miami, 92-73, on Saturday afternoon in the Dean E. Smith Center. Lubin led the offense for the first time with a season-high 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting en route to UNC’s fifth consecutive win.

But Lubin’s consistency has been a work in progress. 

In North Carolina’s first 23 games, Lubin averaged just over six points and 17 minutes. After appearing in the starting lineup for four games in December, he rotated off the bench for almost a month. 

Junior guard Seth Trimble said there was a stretch in the middle of the season where Lubin struggled to catch the ball when the guards would pass it inside. He struggled to execute around the rim. 

“I was trying to find myself, my identity and my role here,” Lubin said. “It was pretty challenging.”

Throughout one-on-one meetings with Lubin this year, head coach Hubert Davis reiterated his belief in the junior forward and worked to instill confidence in him. He told Lubin to be proud. As long as he gives max effort, Lubin gets the “green light” to do whatever he can do. 

Finding open areas for Lubin has been an emphasis in recent film sessions. The Tar Heels work to read the defense to figure out how Lubin can attack the basket. 

In practice, UNC has hammered on continuing to expose mismatches the Tar Heels often face in games. Whenever a smaller guard switches to Lubin, the junior forward will roll and get open for an easy layup or dunk. 

When asked to describe Lubin in practice over the last month, graduate forward Jae’Lyn Withers chuckled. 

“Dominance.”

It's a rhythm that has translated to game day. Over the last seven games — starting with February’s win against Pitt where he recorded a then season-high 17 points — Lubin has averaged over 12.5 points and 22 minutes an outing. 

He has limited his turnovers. He’s shooting an efficient 69 percent. It’s become a focal point of North Carolina’s game plan to get him touches. 

In the opening minutes of the second half against Miami, UNC led 46-31. Lubin rolled off a screen on the wing. Sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau threw it over the top. In one fluid motion, Lubin jumped, caught the ball and laid it in over the head of a Miami guard. 

He repeated the route on the next trip, slamming in a two-handed dunk. Two plays later, he exploited a scrambling Hurricane defense and found an open spot for another layup. On the next one, he made Miami pay on a post-up. 

One spin-move around his defender later, and UNC jumped out to a 58-37 lead. In only the first five minutes of the second half, Lubin had already scored 10 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting. 

Trimble joked to junior forward Jalen Washington that he has come to expect Lubin to make a personal scoring run to start the half. 

"It's never too much," Trimble said. "We're not expecting him to take four dribbles in the post and make a crazy play. He's super quick and efficient. It's exactly what we need." 

Ten games ago, Lubin re-entered the starting lineup.

He hasn’t looked back.

“Rain came, wind blew,” echoed through Lubin’s headphones on Saturday morning. 

“I’m gonna make it through.”

@carolinewills03

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com

---