February 17th, 2025, was a date I had been looking forward to. The 16th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels were set to face NC State in a “rivalry” that many usually dismissed by calling the Heels “Big Brother” and the Wolfpack “Little Brother.” However, this specific matchup felt different on both sides than the usual script.
To paint the picture, since the year 2000, the Heels had dominated the series, winning 44 out of the previous 55 matchups. But the shifts this season were major. NC State entered with a first-year head coach and one of the best point guards in the nation, Quadir Copeland. The only familiar thread was State’s habit of rostering a UNC transfer for the second straight season—this time it was Ven-Allen Lubin, who had been the Tar Heels’ starting center just a year ago.
The Tar Heels, meanwhile, were limping into the arena. They were without their two best players due to injury: Caleb Wilson with a broken hand and Henri Veesaar with a lower-extremity issue. Veesaar was also battling a flu outbreak from the previous Saturday. With only six players available to rotate at Power Forward or Center, and two others on the injury report, Hubert Davis was forced to rely heavily on redshirt sophomore Zaden High and Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson.
As the game began, Lubin made his presence known immediately despite a gritty defensive effort from Zaden High. Lubin managed to score on a fading shot that looked like a hybrid of a floater and a sky-hook; it was the start of a solid 12-point performance for the former Heel. But he was just one part of the problem. Quadir Copeland, the McNeese State transfer, had a career day with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Between Copeland, Matt Able’s 19 points, and Lubin’s interior presence, the Heels simply had no answer.
The Tar Heels’ rebuttal to this metaphorical punch to the face never found its footing. The team shot a pitiful 31% from the field and a memory-worst 15% from deep, going just 5-of-33 from three-point range. Seth Trimble and Luca Bogavac struggled to find any rhythm, combining for only 13 points and 6 rebounds. The primary contributions came from Johnathan Powell, who had 9 points and 5 rebounds, along with Zaden High and Jarin Stevenson, who each put up 13 points. High notably finished with a double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds in the effort.
By the end of the night, the Tar Heels fell 58-82. It was a season-defining win for Coach Will Wade and NC State. Now, the hope is that the Heels can heal up and close out the season strong, starting with their upcoming game against Syracuse this Saturday. Go Heels!
