By R.L. Bynum
Ven-Allen Lubin’s dominant second half helped N.C. State avoid an upset, Elliot Cadeau orchestrated another masterful floor game, Cade Tyson powered a Big Ten opening-game shocker and Ian Jackson continued to search for consistency.
Lubin scored 19 of his game-high 23 points after halftime, sparking the Wolfpack (6–2) to a 75–63 home win Saturday over UNC Asheville after only leading by two at halftime. He added 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and threw down an emphatic second-half dunk in the face of a Bulldogs defender, electrifying the Lenovo Center crowd.
“I think just trying to run a great flow on offense and the way the guys found me was a reason why I got those quick points,” Lubin, who has 12 career double-doubles, told The Wolfpacker. “They’ve done a great job finding me, getting me involved and getting others involved. I think that’s what it took for us to get going.”
Lubin’s scoring total was two shy of his career high, and he was one rebound short of matching his best. He made all nine free throw attempts — a career-high total at the line — and accounted for 47.5% of N.C. State’s second-half scoring.
“It was a byproduct of what the Bulldogs’ defense gave us,” Lubin said. “I just slipped behind the back line and stayed aggressive.”
The Wolfpack bounced back from Wednesday’s 83–73 loss at No. 20 Auburn in the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge, when Lubin had 12 points and two rebounds.
Cadeau delivered another elite floor game as No. 3 Michigan (8–0) crushed Rutgers 101–60 in its Big Ten opener. He collected 11 points and nine assists and, for the second time in three games, had zero turnovers.
“My job is to make sure everyone gets involved, and the offense flows,” Cadeau said. “When we move the ball like that, we’re hard to stop. I just try to make the right reads and keep the pace up.”
It was the third-best assist-to-turnover ratio in his career.
Cadeau, with two rebounds and two steals, dished out at least nine assists for the 10th time in his career and the second time this season (13 vs. Gonzaga on Nov. 26). His only better ratios came in Michigan’s 121–78 win over Oakland (14 assists, one turnover) and UNC’s 100–92 victory over Tennessee last season (10 assists, zero turnovers).
“We’ve got so many weapons,” Cadeau said. “It’s easy to rack up assists when guys are hitting shots and cutting hard. This group is unselfish, and that’s what makes us dangerous.”
On Wednesday, Tyson had 17 points, two 3-pointers, a team-leading and season-high eight rebounds, and three assists playing all 40 minutes as host Minnesota (5–4) upset No. 22 Indiana 73–64 in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
He hit a 3-pointer from in front of the Indiana bench with 11 seconds left in the first half to tie it
Jackson, who has come off the bench in every game since starting the opener, scored seven points in 19 minutes during a 63–53 Saturday win for No. 23 St. John’s (5–3) over Ole Miss. He was 2 of 11 from the floor and 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Jackson has scored seven points in two straight games and failed to reach double digits for the fourth time. The 18.1% shooting was his career-worst when taking at least 10 shots, surpassing his 3 of 11 night in UNC’s 68–59 loss on Jan. 21 at Wake Forest.
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In ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge games:
— After not playing in Monday’s 83–70 win over Southern Miss, Paulina Paris scored a season-high 13 points with three rebounds and three assists as SMU (4–5) got one of three ACC wins in the Challenge with a 78–63 victory Thursday over Arkansas.
— Teonni Key collected 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals as No. 17 Kentucky (9–1) won 64–48 at Miami on Wednesday.
— Tray Crisp, who has started all nine games for Mississippi State (8–1), combined for 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in two home victories last week, a 66–54 Sunday win over Louisiana-Monroe and a 79–44 Challenge win over Pittsburgh.
Elsewhere:
—RyLee Grays had one point, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 12 minutes as Tulsa (6–2) earned a 101–54 home victory Thursday over Mississippi Valley State.
—Will Shaver was scoreless in four minutes as Samford (4–6) lost at VCU on Friday, 83–57.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 38 games, 38 starts, 10.2 points, 41.6 FG%, 37.7 3P%, 69.4 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists
Team record: 35–3; Rank: No. 3
Friday: 90–77 win Midwest Regional Sweet 16 in Chicago vs. No. 18 Alabama — Started; 33:37, 17 points, 6–14 FG, 3–8 3FG, 2–5 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block, +15
Sunday: 95–62 win Midwest Regional final in Chicago vs. No. 23 Tennessee — Started; 34:20, 8 points, 3–7 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, 10 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, +30
Next game — 8:49 p.m. Saturday vs. No. 2 Arizona at Final Four in Indianapolis, TBS
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 30 games, 30 starts, 8.7 points, 38.3 FG%, 37.1 3P%, 84.6 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 18–13
Season ended with SEC tournament loss
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.3 points, 43.6 FG%, 4–10 3FG, 69.7 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 8 blocks, 12 steals
Team record: 19–12
Season ended with loss in American Conference tournament
Ian Jackson, St. John’s guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter, sharing time in a point-guard-by-committee mix
Season statistics — 36 games, 19 starts, 9.4 points, 40.9 FG%, 34.3 3P%, 90.0 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 30–7; Rank: No. 13
Friday: 80–75 loss in East Regional Sweet 16 in Washington vs. No. 1 Duke — Didn’t start; 16 minutes, 5 points, 2–8 FG, 1–7 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 2 assists
Season ended with loss to Duke
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 21–13
Season statistics — 9 games, 1 start, 2.3 points, 33.3 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 6–9 FT, 1.1 rebounds
Season ended with first-round NCAA tournament loss to TCU
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 28 games, 28 starts, 11.4 points, 51.2 FG%, 2–15 3FG, 69.8 FT%, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Team record: 25–11; Rank: No. 17
Saturday: 76–54 loss in Fort Worth Regional 1 Sweet 16 vs. No. 3 Texas — Started; 31:31, 10 points, 2–8 FG, 0–1 3FG, 6–6 FT, 9 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, -17
Season ended with loss to Texas
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 34 games, 34 starts, 13.6 points, ACC-leading 66.8 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 73.3 FT%, 7.1 rebounds
Team record: 20–14
Season ended with NCAA First Four loss to Texas
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 36 games, 36 starts, 13.5 points, 44.4 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 84.7 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Team record: 27–9: Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Season statistics — 20 games, 12 starts, 9.6 points, 39.9 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 9–21, 2–16 ACC
Season ended with left foot injury in February
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.6 points, 47.6 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 59.3 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 17 blocks, 7 steals
Team record: 18–14
Season ended with loss in Southern Conference tournament
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 31 games, 32 starts, team-leading 19.6 points, 50.0 FG%, 42.2 3P%, 82.6 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Team record: 15–17
Next game — 10:30 Wednesday at College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas vs. Baylor, FS1 (first game since March 11)
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 36 games, 9 starts, 8.9 points, 56.3 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 74.1 FT%, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 27–9; Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament
Photo via @PackMensBball
