Before Lorenzo Brown left for Spain, the junior point guard assured N.C. State fans he was fine, despite needing knee surgery in June.
To his point, Brown has been the Wolfpack's best player in its first two exhibition games. Brown had 17 points and 10 assists in State's 80-57 win over CB Torrejon on Wednesday in Madrid.
N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried wanted to be overly cautious with his point guard, who was second in the ACC last year in assists and first in steals, but the team doctors cleared Brown, who had the meniscus in his left knee repaired on June 26, before Tuesday's closer call against Torrejon.
"He just looks really healthy," Gottfried said on the team's radio broadcast after Wednesday's win. "We've talked with our doctors a ton of times and they said, 'Turn him loose, he's ready to go.'
"I've tried to temper his minutes but I think all in all, he's looked good."
Brown had 25 points in Tuesday's win and was more of a facilitator on Wednesday setting up guard Scott Wood (15 points) and forward C.J. Leslie (11). Forward Thomas de Thaey added 11 and freshman forward T.J. Warren, making his second straight start, had 10.
Gottfried went with his four returning starters, plus Warren, for Wednesday's game, and the Pack jumped out to an early lead over the Spanish pro club. The Pack led 25-14 at the end of the first quarter and 42-27 at the half.
State won 83-76 on Tuesday against the same club but was lax defensively and somewhat lacking energy, Gottfried said.
The second-year coach, who led the Pack to a 24-13 record a year ago, was happier with the team's effort in the second of five games.
"Our defense, early in the game, was so much better than (Tuesday)," Gottfried said. "(Wednesday) we just seemed to be fresher, even though we played last night."
The coach was in midseason form, working in his favorite pet phrase in the post-game.
"We still have a long way to go," Gottfried said, "but I liked our approach and our energy a lot more today than yesterday."
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Gottfried's post-game comments, off of the team's radio broadcast:
On the difference between Wednesday's game and Tuesday's game (an 83-76 win over Torrejon):
"Our defense, early in the game, was so much better than yesterday. We got a little bit better. Today we just seemed to be fresher, even though we played last night."
"We contained the dribble better, really gave us trouble yesterday, and today our guys got down and really moved their feet and contained the ball."
"We struggled to score the ball around the rim a lot. We had 80 we could have had a 100, if we had just made some shots around the rim."
"From yesterday to today, there was a lot of improvement. We got a little bit better. We still have a long way to go but I liked our approach and our energy a lot more today than yesterday."
On sophomore forward Thomas de Thaey:
"Thomas did a good job. He rebounded well and defended better. He did a much better job in containing the ball."
On junior guard Lorenzo Brown, and his recovery from offseason knee surgery:
"It's nice to see Zo, he just looks really healthy. We've talked with our doctors a ton of times and they said, Turn him loose, he's ready to go.'
"I've tried to temper his minutes but I think all in all, he's looked good."
On freshman point guard Tyler Lewis:
"Tyler was a lot better today. Yesterday defending some of these guys, a little older, bigger stronger. It seemed like he was much more in tuned defensively. I thought he took command of the offense a little bit better."
On junior forward C.J. Leslie:
"He is learning how to bring the ball up the floor, under control, make a two-foot jumpstop and let the game open up and not try to make a hard, difficult pass. He's actually made two or three plays like that."
"Overall, he's just continues to daily get a little bit better. He was pretty good today. He rebounded the ball well."
