Degand to transfer to N.C. State
Posted: 1 day ago
Farnold Degand will go down in history as Sidney Lowe's first recruit. Degand was a virtual unknown coming out of O'Bryant High (Mass.) in Boston, but now the 6-foot-3, 170-pound combo guard finally has his chance to play big-time basketball. Degand, who redshirted last season as a freshman at Iowa State, committed to N.C. State after taking visits to Oregon, UMass, Maryland and Rutgers. He will sit out this season and be eligible in the fall of 2007.
"Being his first recruit is an honor," Degand said. "He's going to start off his coaching career with me. He told me that the team's going to revolve around the point guard and he's going to try and play to my strength and let me push the ball." "I made the decision that was best for me," he added. "I was comfortable with the staff and I just felt that N.C. State had what I need."
Degand is a guy who wasn't recruited all that heavily coming out of high school. Part of the reason was because of his slender frame, but it also didn't help that he played in the Boston public school system — which is notorious for not getting a lot of exposure from college coaches. Degand wound up choosing Iowa State and the plan all along was for him to redshirt. According to former Cyclones guards Will Blalock and Curtis Stinson, whom Degand went up against each day in practice, he improved more than any other player in the program last season. Degand will give the Wolfpack a guy who can really get the ball up the floor. He's lightning quick and has toned down the flash in his game. The next year off will also allow Degand to add another 10 pounds to his frame.
"I think the talent was always there, but Will and Curtis brought it out the right way," Degand said. "They showed me how to do it. I just sat back and watched and became a student." "I don't make the home run pass and just try and make things simple," Degand said. "I don't play out of control and have learned to calm down."