"I've been ready for two years," Degand said.

Tonight, Degand will take the floor at Reynolds Coliseum with the Pack. State's men's and women's basketball teams will practice, have a hot-shot competition and a 3-point shooting competition in a free-admission event set to begin at 9 p.m.

For Degand, it's a new beginning. Signed by Iowa State in 2005, he was redshirted his freshman year. After Iowa State coach Wayne Morgan was fired in 2006, Degand soon was at N.C. State, sitting out last season under the NCAA transfer rule.

Degand calls his year in Iowa a "fun experience." A city kid from Boston, he joked about seeing "a lot of corn and cows."

Degand didn't come to N.C. State for the scenery and isn't hoping to just make it into coach Sidney Lowe's rotation this season. The 6-foot-4 sophomore should begin the season as the starter at point guard, handed the responsibility of running a team oozing with potential.

A year ago, that was Engin Atsur's job. Atsur's graduation left Lowe with Degand, freshman Javi Gonzalez and Marques Johnson, a transfer from Tennessee, as his point guards.

Average age: 19.

College games played: four, by Johnson with the Vols. A total of 45 minutes.

A thumb injury will keep Gonzalez out of practice until early November, and Johnson will be eligible after the first semester. Lowe said he will keep junior Courtney Fells at shooting guard, and senior Gavin Grant, who played the point at times last season, will stay at forward.

So Degand's the guy.

Degand said he has heard the not-so-quiet whispers -- that the Pack could be an ACC contender but still is lacking a point guard.

"If I'm going to be the point guard, I'm going to have to learn to sort of let things slide and not pay attention to what people are saying, and just focus on helping the team win," he said.

"So when I hear that, it's like, 'OK, you can believe that all you want, but I'm going to help the team win no matter what. Therefore, whatever you're saying goes right over my head.' "

Lowe grinned when asked if, as an old Pack point guard himself, he was worried about going into a season without any meaningful experience at the position.

"To death. To death," he said, his eyes wide in mock horror.

"It depends. Certainly you like to have some experience at that position. But if your guys understand what you're doing and what you want from them and more importantly what we need from them, it makes it a lot easier.

"If I'm a point guard and see I have a lot of scorers around me, I don't have to try to do too much. The key for us is to take care of the basketball."

Degand has quickness and prefers a 94-foot game.

"I like to run," he said. "I like to get things moving, get in the fast break, have a topsy-turvy game."

State forward Brandon Costner compares him to North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson, another blurry type.

"Farnold is a speed-it-up, push-it-and-kick-it guy," Costner said. "He can get it done."

Lowe said Degand made the most of his transfer year, pushing the others in practice, learning the offense. And competing against Atsur.

"He had to play against him every day," Lowe said. "He watched him run the offense.

"We're going to ask Farnold to do a few different things in the offense than he's used to doing. He's north-south and likes to get the ball up and down the floor. We'll allow him to do that, but at the same time he's got to be able to run the show ... and execute the play, because he's got some pretty good pieces around him."