The North Carolina Tar Heels found a way to make the NCAA Tournament despite a bumpy regular season.
Thanks in large part to forward Ven-Allen Lubin, who is expected to return to Chapel Hill for another season, the Tar Heels had a chance to battle in each game they played.

Ven-Allen Lubin Is Likely To Return to North Carolina
According to an inside source close to the Tar Heels program, while nothing is official yet, Lubin is expected to play his senior season in Chapel Hill next year.
View this post on Instagram
The 6’8″, 230-pound forward proved to be a vital piece of the puzzle for head coach Hubert Davis and Co. this season.
He averaged 8.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while owning a field-goal percentage of 68.4%. The Orlando native ended up playing in every single game for the Tar Heels. Now, the odds are in favor of him returning to Chapel Hill for another collegiate season.
North Carolina Needs To Improve
While it is a success when any team makes the NCAA Tournament, North Carolina is not a program that is simply happy with just making it. A sixth-place finish in the ACC is not something that the folks in Chapel Hill will necessarily throw a party for, either. Where the Tar Heels need to improve is in big games.
They almost missed the NCAA Tournament because they did not have enough quality wins. They didn’t have any ranked wins and were handled by their biggest rivals, the Duke Blue Devils, on three separate occasions.
In today’s world of college basketball, you have to find a way to get a couple of key wins here or there. In the majority of those key wins, the most experienced and useful players tend to shine. This is why Lubin coming back to play for Davis could be very key.
KEEP READING: Top 10 Players to Watch in the Sweet 16 of 2025 Men’s March Madness
In arguably the toughest conference in the country, experience matters a great deal for many reasons.
If the reports of him returning to the school are true, look for Lubin to have a big hand in the outcome of North Carolina’s 2025-2026 season.
Don’t miss a moment of March Madness! Download your 2025 NCAA Tournament printable bracket and stay on top of every game, matchup, and Cinderella story. Get yours now!