NC State playmaker Lorenzo Brown to undergo knee surgery

Raleigh, NC, United States (4E Sports) – North Carolina State announced Sunday that junior guard Lorenzo Brown will undergo exploratory surgery to determine cause of discomfort in his right knee.

The university does not have a timetable for Brown’s return but his status for the team’s pre-season trip to Spain in August and the start of the 2012-13 season in November will be reevaluated after the surgery.

A 6-5 point guard, Brown emerged as a team leader and one of the best all-around guards in the ACC as a sophomore.

In his first full season as team’s point guard, Brown averaged 12.7 points, team-best 6.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds while leading the ACC with 1.8 steals per game.

He led the team to 24 wins and into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in March in coach Mark Gottfried’s first season.

Brown played his best basketball at the end of the 2011-12 season, scoring in double-figures in each of the final 14 games of the season.

He nearly had a triple-double in the Wolfpack’s opening NCAA tournament win over San Diego State with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

In his first year with the Wolfpack, Brown averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals

Freshman back-up guard Tyler Lewis will step up as starter if Brown misses any significant amount of time.

A 5-10 guard from Statesville, Lewis led Oak Hill Academy (VA.) to a perfect 44-0 season and the No. 1 national prep ranking by USA Today.

Lewis earned McDonald’s All-American honors as a senior at Oak Hill and averaged 12.8 points and 8.1 assists per game.

Before Gottfried’s second season starts, the Wolfpack will travel to Spain, from Aug. 5 through 15, for a five-game exhibition tour.

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