RALEIGH -- As N.C. State sparked a rally that failed to produce a win Tuesday against Northwestern, point guard Javi Gonzalez looked up the floor and fired a baseball pass ahead to Tracy Smith for a dunk.
Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe is looking for more of those kinds of plays with N.C. State (5-1) visiting Marquette (6-1) at 3 p.m. today (WRAL-101.5). The Wolfpack is averaging just 63.8 points per game and has yet to score more than 69 in any game.
Lowe said he would like to see N.C. State scoring in the mid-70s at least, and easy baskets on the fast break would improve the Wolfpack.
"We want to push it up the floor," Lowe said Friday. "We want those wings to run down the floor and hit that baseline and come on back up and get that opportunity to get an easy basket and get something quick. I just don't want us to be a halfcourt grind team."
N.C. State has won five of its first six games by relying on its veteran big men for scoring. Junior center Tracy Smith (17.3 ppg) and senior forward Dennis Horner (13.8 ppg) have combined to score almost half of State's points.
In terms of field-goal percentage, Horner (.558) and Smith (.494) also lead the Wolfpack, so Lowe has been pleased with the team's production in the halfcourt. The responsibility for generating fast-break points will fall mostly to Gonzalez, a junior who has pleased Lowe with his improvement this season.
Gonzalez's scoring (9.7), assist (6.5), and rebounding (5.2 rpg) averages have increased over last season.
N.C. State's tempo could pick up when speedy senior point guard Farnold Degand returns to the court. Degand has missed all six games on a suspension for running afoul of unspecified team rules, but Lowe said Degand is getting closer to returning.
"He's doing everything he's supposed to do," Lowe said, "and I think he understands the importance of everything he's doing and needs to do."
