With its top trio gone, N.C. State is aiming to surprise the skeptics

BY STEVE HANF

shanf@hpe.com; 336-888-3526

RALEIGH -- In 18 home games last season, N.C. State sold out the RBC Center just once.

And quite a few of the crowd of 19,700 that day showed up in Tar Heel gear.

As the Wolfpack struggled to a 16-14 overall record, posted a 6-10 mark in the ACC and missed the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season, discontent grew among the N.C. State faithful. The doom and gloom only increased this summer when Brandon Costner opted for the NBA draft instead of returning for his senior season.

He's now playing in Belgium after averaging a team-high 13.3 points during the 2008-09 season in Raleigh to go along with big numbers in blocks and assists.

Toss in the graduation of seniors Ben McCauley (No. 2 in scoring at 12.4) and Courtney Fells (No. 3 at 11.3), and it's easy to see why N.C. State landed last in the preseason ACC poll.

So are people sleeping on the Pack this year?

Perhaps, offered senior guard Farnold Degand.

"I don't mind that," he said. "Once we start beating a few guys, I think they'll wake up. I think we're ready for the challenge."

The 100th season of basketball at the school begins Thursday against Georgia State, with Degand promising fans a new level of energy on the floor as the Pack seeks to defy the low expectations.

"The intangibles -- in the ACC there's a lot of talent and the difference between one game might be the loose ball you don't get, the free throw you might miss," Degand said. "Things like that are the things we're focusing on to make sure we can put ourselves in positions to win games.

"If we want to surprise anybody, we're gong to have to put in the time and work we need to to prepare ourselves to play the high-caliber teams. It's been a lot of work, a lot of running, a lot of lifting, but I believe it's going to all be worth it and I believe we will surprise a few teams this year."

To do that, N.C. State will need better play from the point guard position after recording nearly as many turnovers (435) as assists (458) a year ago. That's a figure that pains Sidney Lowe after his standout career at the point with the Wolfpack.

Degand shifts to shooting guard this season, paving the way for junior Javi Gonzalez and sophomore Julius Mays to win the spot. Gonzalez started the final 10 games of '09 at the point and finished the year with a team-high 72 assists, while Mays had a typical up-and-down freshman campaign -- three starts at the point, just one minute of action in the final eight ACC games, then a season-high 18 points against Maryland in a 74-69 ACC Tournament loss.

Lowe, entering his fourth season, said neither guard emerged as a clear-cut favorite early in preseason workouts.

"I need to see it consistently," he said. "When one player takes control and he's better for sure pretty much every day, then that's the way it goes. Now, one pulls away and the other comes back. I just hope they both will be great. That'd be fine with me."

The guards' biggest job this season will be getting the ball inside to Tracy Smith, the 6-8 junior forward who started the final 11 ACC games and finished with 10 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

There's plenty of replace in the post, but Lowe expects Smith to carry that load along with freshmen DeShawn Painter and Jordan Vandenberg.

"I think Tracy is going to do a great job," Lowe said. "If they don't double down on him, I feel he'll be able to score for us. He had a tremendous summer, looks good, is in great shape."

Lowe said the progress made by Vandenberg, a 7-1, 238-pounder from Australia, should surprise a lot of people. The play of Raleigh Athens Drive freshman Josh Davis also could catch folks off guard, with Lowe saying the athletic 6-7 forward will be hard to keep off the floor.

Toss in more production from 6-9 senior forward Dennis Horner (6.4 ppg), athletic sophomore C.J. Williams (3.7 ppg) and the addition of highly touted 6-8 freshman forward Richard Howell -- missing in preseason workouts because of a knee injury -- and the Wolfpack may just be ready to delight crowds at the RBC Center again.

"I think we're going to surprise a lot of people, because we have kids that maybe weren't able to show their abilities last year," Horner said. "We had Brandon, Ben and Courtney who played very well. Now it'll be time for other guys to step up."