• Senior Ben McCauley looked more like Ben McCauley the sophomore Saturday night at Reynolds Coliseum.
And that’s a positive sign for N.C. State’s basketball team. After experiencing a demise last season, the 6-9 center/forward was battling on the boards, setting screens, and aggressively posting up, his hands hungry for the ball.
He got it often enough to score a game-high 17 points and help his Red team edge the White 47-44 in a 32-minute intra-squad duel.
“Ben was working; that’s what he does,’’ coach Sidney Lowe said. “He’s got another chance and is making the best of it.”
While the 3,500 Wolfpack fans at Reynolds wants McCauley to be McCauley, they didn’t get a chance to examine the game of a slimmed-down Brandon Costner, who also is trying to bounce back after slipping last season. He was sidelined with a sprained ankle, but is expected to return soon.
Point guard Farnold Degand, returning after knee surgery last year, was back wearing a brace, directing the Red team and also logging time on the wing. He didn’t seem tentative, driving hard to the basket several times. But he hit the floor with 5;15 left in the game, took a trip to the locker room, then returned to the bench and didn’t play again.
Before departing, Degand — who played just 10 games last season — had four points, three assists and two turnovers.
“He’s still trying to get things down, his game, his reads,’’ said Lowe, adding that he didn’t think Degand suffered further injury on his fall. “It’s important he take his time.”
Meanwhile, Javier Gonzalez ran the White squad with confidence, scored seven points and dished out four assists with just two turnovers. His down moment came in the final seconds when he air-balled a potential, game-tying three pointer, then hobbled to the sidelines.
Gonzalez and the White team had pushed the ball the way Lowe liked, particularly in the first half, when it built a 21-14 lead. The Pack wants to run more, get easy baskets, and Courtney Fells (12 points) moving to shooting guard can help, Lowe reasons.
So might playing Degand and Gonzalez together, both solid ball handlers who can accelerate the tempo. Freshman Julius Mays, who worked the Red’s point position and hit two pressure free throws with seven seconds left, could get in the backcourt mix as well.
“Both teams executed the offense,’’ said Lowe, who watched Tracy Smith lead the Whites with 13 points. “And they were aggressive on the offensive boards.”
The Pack will need to shoot better, however. The Red hit 45 percent, 2-for-9 from three-point range. The White connected on 37.8 percent with 7 treys that included a perfect 3-for-3 from Trevor Ferguson.
Playing in Reynolds always stirs memories of State’s glory days, days the Pack wants to regain.
They’ve got work to do to recapture moments of that magnitude.
Lowe’s fire is lit after last season’s disappointing 15-16 season. Before the game, he took the microcophone, punctured the air with his fist, and told the Wolfpack fans, “I promise to put a product on the floor you willl be proud of this year.”
Staff photo by Jason Arthurs
