NC State’s exhibition win over Lenoir-Rhyne was about more than the scoreboard. The Wolfpack’s 29 assists told the bigger story, and afterward Kingston Whitty, Ven-Allen Lubin and Darius Adams made it clear the focus was on movement, connection and bringing a harder edge.
For Lubin, the night carried the simple satisfaction of playing at home with his teammates and feeling the crowd behind them.
“We were really excited to play together as a team and compete against another team in our arena. We appreciate our fans for coming out and supporting us.
They brought great energy. We want to create that energy for ourselves as well-come out, compete and continue to get better.”
The ball movement that stood out in the exhibition wasn’t accidental. Whitty said the message after the Mississippi State game was direct: share it more and make the extra pass. NC State answered with that same approach against Lenoir-Rhyne.
“After that Mississippi State game, we talked about making the extra pass and sharing the ball as a team. Today, we came out and did that.
We had 29 assists. That was really the biggest thing for us: sharing the ball.”
Adams was central to that. He and Preston finished with 17 assists combined, and Adams said the way Lenoir-Rhyne packed the paint opened up the floor for drive-and-kick action. He also pointed to work he has already been putting in.
“That’s definitely something we talked about before this game. It’s something I’ve been focusing on in the offseason-getting people open and making the right plays.
I just think they were so heavy in the paint that it was easy to drive and kick. With me and Preston being aggressive as guards and attacking downhill, it was easy to make the right play.”
That inside pressure also fed into what Lubin wants this team to become. For him, the frontcourt’s identity starts with force.
“We want to bring toughness. It’s a mindset and a level of physicality we want to bring into the game.
We want to continue to compete and battle down low because we know we’re going to see that against every team. They’re going to have physical guys down low, and we have to match that physicality or exceed it.
Our message to each other is that we want to dominate and bring that physicality first. We want to punch first every time and make sure they feel us.”
Adams said that kind of cohesion is already visible because of how comfortable the group is with one another.
“I would say our connection as players. I’ve already said that I think we’re the most connected team in the country.
We all love each other, and we’re all playing for one thing. It shows naturally on the court.
We’re always talking because we’re comfortable with each other. It just shows.”
The chemistry showed up in the little things, too. When the conversation turned to Robert Djurkovic and the drop-off passes he’s been receiving, Adams had praise ready. Lubin added another nod to Mikey, while Whitty said the chance to finally get on the floor meant a lot to him.
“Robert is amazing. He knows how to play, and he does all the little things.
I love playing with him. We have that connection.”
“Definitely have to shout out Mikey again. He brings it every day, and Coach really appreciates what he does for us.
He comes in and competes, pays attention and wants to make a big impact on this team. It showed today.
He came off the bench, brought great energy and physicality, and finished around the rim. That’s big for us.
We want to continue to push him and keep him going.”
“For me, it was really exciting to play today because I wanted to show that I can make an impact, whatever that looks like-with energy, defending or getting my teammates involved.”
“Today was exciting because I felt like I had an opportunity to do that. From here, we just keep growing and getting better as the season goes on.”
Lubin also drew a comparison between Adams and Quadir Copeland, but he made clear the similarities stop at the role. His point was simpler: Adams does a little bit of everything.
“Obviously, they’re both point guards, and they have completely different physical attributes. But Darius can do it all.
He can pass, shoot, score, facilitate and manage the offense and defense. We want to continue to encourage him to keep doing that because it’s a big help for our team.
He’s a little smaller than Quadir, but he’s still effective wherever he is on the court. Whether he’s playing the one or the two, he does it all.
We want to keep him going and keep encouraging him to do what he does.”
Even with the lopsided result, Lubin said there are still areas to clean up before the regular season. Defense is the obvious one, especially discipline.
“We have to touch up a few things defensively. We have to do a better job of being physical but also being smart and staying out of foul trouble. We had E.Y., Preston and Mikey in foul trouble.
We have to be smart when we play defense and make sure we guard without fouling. We want to protect the paint, help in our gaps and help our brothers out. The guy with the ball needs to know he’s not just going against the guy in front of him-he’s going against all five.
We have to clean up a few things defensively because I believe offensively we have the talent, the skill, the structure and the flow with our guys and coaches to build around. Once we fix a few things defensively, I think we’re going to be really good.”
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Ven-Allen Lubin was a force inside, while Paul McNeil gave the perimeter attack a needed spark and Robert Jurkovi added efficient production of his own. For a team trying to settle into its identity, the exhibition offered a useful snapshot of what this group can look like when the offense is flowing, with the season opener against Campbell now the next chance to see whether that rhythm carries over. [Read more 🡒]