WRAL Sports Fan

North Carolina State University

Farnold Degand sets the record straight

By Ken Medlin

Jan 8, 2009

It was a moment that changed N.C. State's season. Farnold Degand's torn ACL last year sent the Wolfpack into a tailspin, and it put Degand's career on hold.

Fast forward to this season and 13 months later, a healthy DeGand looks like he's playing in fast forward.

"I feel a lot better, especially with the brace off,” said Degand. “I feel like I'm more mobile. I feel like I can slide better on defense. I feel that I can get by my defender like I used to, and I feel that if I am doing that I can help my teammates get open and get better shots."

A healthy DeGand gives N.C. State the speed at point guard it has needed.

"I'm coming from a city,” he said. “The game we play is a lot faster and more aggressive. There's not a lot of Princeton offense going on in the neighborhood."

Just to set the record straight, his name is pronounced FAR-nuld Duh-GAND.

"I get a different pronunciation everytime I meet somebody new,” he said. “Ever since I've been young, ever since elementary [school], it's been a horror story as far as what I've gotten with my name."

Not everyone gets it right, last name or first.

"My first name, I've had all types of letters added. I had Inferno before, Fernaldo, Ferdinand. People would look at my name and actually say that. I couldn't understand it but I would just laugh."