Analyst claims Will Wade's comments about Hubert Davis' UNC are "certainly bulletin board material" 

New NC State coach Will Wade was appointed as Kevin Keatts' replacement in April after a stellar season with the McNeese State Cowboys. Wade has moved quickly in the transfer portal to bolster his roster ahead of next season.

One of the transfers acquired by Wade is former North Carolina Tar Heels forward Ven-Allen Lubin who played for the Wolfpacks' bitter Tobacco Road rivals for a year before entering the transfer portal. While introducing his team at an event on Tuesday, Wade aimed a jab at polarizing Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis for underutilizing Lubin last season (19.5 minutes per game).

During Wednesday's segment of the "Big East Energy" podcast, analyst Mark Zanetto speculated that Wade's jab aimed at Davis and UNC was a way to get closer to the fans rather than an expectation of the forward becoming a superstar at NC State.

"I mean, it's sort of a silly way to both, you know, continue to vibe and connect with the fan base and maybe, you know, put a little confidence into the sales of Ven-Allen Lubin," Zanetto said. "Maybe there are going to be some games where he plays 28 minutes or more, but my guess is he's going to end up playing more in the 20–25 range.

"But even as someone who's liked Lubin since his freshman season at Notre Dame, I'm not sure there's a superstar hiding in plain sight here. This is certainly bulletin board material if you're a UNC fan, or it's just more of the same—more good vibes, I guess—between the new coaching staff and an excited fan base here. That's the way I looked at it," he added.

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Will Wade's comments cause a storm

The comments by Will Wade aimed at North Carolina Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis' use of new NC State Wolfpack forward Ven-Allen Lubin have caused a storm among fans.

Lubin averaged 8.7 points on 68.4% shooting from the floor, 5.5 rebounds and 0.3 assists for the Tar Heels last season, but he was mainly a bench option even as North Carolina struggled to make it into the NCAA Tournament.

In his speech to fans on Tuesday, Wade pointed out Lubin's efficacy when he played more and aimed a brutal dig at Davis for not recognizing the forward's value:

“The other school was too dumb to play him. When [Lubin] plays 28-plus minutes — he's done that in 23 games — he averages 15 [points] and eight [rebounds]. 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 eight. We're very excited about Ven.”

Will Wade has ensured that next season's Tobacco Road clash between the NC State Wolfpack and NC Tar Heels in Raleigh will have an added spice to it.