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When Javi Gonzalez was growing up in Puerto Rico, he hung around with a rough crowd and got into his share of fights.
He was about 10 years old when a tough guy named Elliott beat him up.
“I said, ‘You got me that one time,' ” said Gonzalez, N.C. State's sophomore point guard. “But I came back and beat him up two more times. That's the kind of person I am. I'm going to come back at you.”
That's what coach Sidney Lowe loves about Gonzalez, who is looking to improve on a frustrating freshman season. Gonzalez is one of the lead players in N.C. State's rotation at point guard, where he will share time with Farnold Degand.
That position was a huge problem last season as N.C. State struggled to a 15-16 record, a 4-12 mark in the ACC and the No. 12 seed in the ACC tournament.
Degand, last season's starter, tore a knee ligament in the 10th game of the season and is just now approaching full strength. He showed Tuesday that he still has plenty of speed while scoring a team-high 15 points against Catawba in N.C. State's final exhibition game.
Last season Gonzalez shot 33 percent from the field and had almost as many assists (54) as turnovers (65). But his determined, fighting instinct impressed Lowe.
“It never failed,” Lowe said. “Whenever he didn't play well, the next day in practice, he was a terror.” Lowe has seen Gonzalez bounce back from a poor season the same way he bounced back from a poor game.
Degand also will play an important role and hopes his minutes will increase as he becomes more comfortable on his reconstructed knee. He expects his speed to be an asset as Lowe looks to fast break more.
“I've definitely been able to get used to doing some of the things I've always been able to do, which is push it, go to the hoop and basically create havoc on the defense,” Degand said.
Julius Mays, a freshman from Marion, Ind., also will play. Degand said Mays is a good shooter who makes good decisions and gives N.C. State three solid options at point guard.
Even if all those options work out well, N.C. State still has question marks heading into the season. Its top two scorers, early draft entry J.J. Hickson and 2007-08 senior Gavin Grant, are gone.
Chemistry and lack of teamwork were problems last season. But Lowe said he won't put up with any malcontents this season, and he does have some solid pieces.
Courtney Fells, who moves from shooting guard to small forward, is one of the best 3-point shooters in the ACC and has added muscle to compete at his new position.
Forward Brandon Costner appears improved after a disappointing sophomore season, and center Ben McCauley's passing ability should create a more egalitarian offense now that Hickson is gone.
The point guards, including Gonzalez, will try to mold those pieces into a successful unit. Lowe is optimistic.
“If anything positive came out of last year, it was Javi Gonzalez,” Lowe said. “Because right now he's playing well. He's playing with confidence.”
Ken Tysiac: ktysiac@charlotteobserver.com or 919-829-8942
