University of North Carolina Athletics
Men's Hoops Squares off with Florida State
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
January 5, 1999
North Carolina at Florida State
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 1999 * 7 p.m. * Tallahassee, Fla.
QUICK FACTS
NORTH CAROLINA (13-3, 1-1 ACC) Florida State (7-5, 1-0 ACC)
Carolina Coach: Bill Guthridge Head Coach: Steve Robinson
Alma Mater: Kansas State '60 Alma Mater: Radford '81
Guthridgecs Record at UNC: 47-7 (2nd year) Robinsoncs Record at FSU: 25-19 (2nd year)
Guthridgecs Overall Record: same Robinsoncs Overall Record: 71-37 (4th year)
Assistant Coaches: Phil Ford, Dave Hanners Assistant Coaches: Coleman Crawford, Pat Sullivan
Jim Platt, Tim Juhlin
ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (Woody Durham, Mick Mixon)
TOP 25 RANKINGS (as of Jan. 4)
USA Today/ESPN: North Carolina 10th
SERIES INFORMATION
Carolina vs. Florida State: Carolina leads, 22-5
Last Meeting: Carolina 103, Florida State 55 on Jan. 24, 1998 in Chapel
Hill, N.C.
NOTING THE TAR HEELS
* After ending a two-game losing streak with a win over Clemson on Saturday,
Carolina travels to Tallahassee for a key road game against Florida State on
Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. The Tar Heels are 13-3 overall and 1-1 in ACC
play, while FSU enters the contest 7-5 overall and 1-0 in the league.
* The Tar Heels earned their first ACC win of the season and evened their
league record at 1-1 with a 69-53 victory over Clemson on Jan. 2 in the
Smith Center. Ademola Okulaja scored 19 points and had seven rebounds. Ed
Cota and Jason Capel each chipped in 13 points and Kris Lang scored eight
points and grabbed eight rebounds.
* The Tar Heels are 47-7 in the last two seasons.
* In the ACC stats, Carolina is fifth in scoring (72.0), third in scoring
defense (61.1), fourth in field goal percentage (.486), third in three-point
field goal percentage (.405), third in field goal percentage defense (.378),
second in free throw percentage (.727) and fifth in blocked shots (5.6)
* Ademola Okulaja is fourth in the ACC in rebounding and 14th in scoring.
He leads the Tar Heels in scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg) and
has made 9 of his last 14 three-point field goal attempts.
* Point guard Ed Cota leads the ACC with 7.6 assists per game. Cota has 622
career assists and needs eight assists to move past former UNC guard King
Rice into 15th place (629) in ACC history and fourth in UNC history on the
ACC career assist chart.
* Cota ended a three-game skid of not scoring in double figures with 13
points in the win vs. Clemson. He was 4 of 7 from the field against the
Tigers and 3 of 6 from three-point range. It was the second time in his
career he made three three-pointers. He had a career-high four three-point
field goals earlier this year in the Tar Heelsc overtime win vs. UNC
Charlotte.
* Cota was one of 30 players named by the Los Angeles Athletic Club as
midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award as the National Player of
the Year. UNC forward Antawn Jamison won the award a year ago.
CAROLINA-FLORIDA STATE SERIES NOTES
* The Tar Heels lead the series, 22-5, including a 5-2 record at the
Tallahasee-Leon County Civic Center.
* Carolina also won a pair of 1995 NCAA Tournament games in the Leon County
Civic Center. The Tar Heels defeated Murray State and Iowa State in
Tallahassee en route to the Final Four.
* Since Florida State joined the ACC in 1991-92, Carolina has won 12 of the
16 games between the two schools.
* Carolina has won three straight in the series since dropping back-to-back
games to the Seminoles on Feb. 24, 1996 and Jan. 22, 1997.
* Carolinacs only loss to FSU outside ACC competition came in the 1972 Final
Four. The Tar Heels dropped a 79-75 decision to the Seminoles in the
national semifinals.
LAST YEAR VS. FLORIDA STATE
* Carolina began last yearcs ACC regular-season with an 81-73 victory in
Tallahassee on Dec. 20, 1997. Shammond Williams sealed the victory with
four crucial free throws in the final 1:28 after FSU had closed to within
two points. Vince Carter was spectacular, hitting 10 of 12 field goal
attempts and scoring 22 points. Antawn Jamison also had 22 points and nine
rebounds. Ed Cota had a double-double with 17 points and 12 assists.
* Last yearcs 103-55 win in Chapel Hill on Jan. 24, 1998, was described by
some observers as the Tar Heelsc best all-around game of the year. Carolina
shot 77.4 percent in the first half (24 of 31) and led by 30 at the break.
The 48-point margin of victory was Carolinacs largest ever in an ACC game
and it was the sixth-biggest victory in ACC history, regardless of the teams
involved. The league record is 64. Antawn Jamison scored 24 points and
grabbed nine rebounds. Vince Carter had 19 points and scored his 1,000th
career point. Ed Cota tied his career high with 14 assists.
CAROLINA PULLS AWAY FOR WIN OVER CLEMSON
* Carolina won its first ACC game of the season with a 69-53 victory vs.
Clemson in the Smith Center on Jan. 2. The Tar Heels trailed 28-27 at
halftime and were down by four points with 9:12 remaining, but closed the
game with a 28-7 run. Down 46-42, Carolina scored 13 straight points in
just over three minutes to pull away from the Tigers.
* The win improved the Tar Heels to 45-0 against Clemson in Chapel Hill.
* Carolina was outrebounded 38-26. It was the largest rebounding margin for
an opponent since Georgia Tech grabbed 17 more rebounds (46-29) than
Carolina last year in Atlanta on Feb. 8. The 26 rebounds were the fewest by
a Tar Heel team since grabbing 24 boards at Princeton on Dec. 22, 1996.
* In the first half, Clemson had as many offensive rebounds (eight) as
Carolina had total rebounds. Clemson grabbed 12 offensive rebounds on its
first 23 missed shots, but Carolina had eight defensive rebounds on the
Tigersc final 10 shots.
* Carolina committed a season-low seven turnovers one game after turning the
ball over 24 times in a loss at California. The seven turnovers were the
fewest by a Carolina team since committing seven in last yearcs
season-opening win vs. Middle Tennessee State.
CALIFORNIA RALLIES TO TRIP TAR HEELS
* The Tar Heels led 59-49 with 13:28 left in the second half, but scored
just 12 points the rest of the game as California rallied for a 78-71 win in
Oakland at the Pete Newell Challenge on Dec. 29.
* The game was played in a front of a sellout crowd of 19,657, the largest
crowd to ever see a college basketball game in the state of California.
* Center Brendan Haywood led the Tar Heels with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
He was 9 of 11 from the field and 6 of 10 from the line.
* Ademola Okulaja had 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Freshman
Kris Lang had 12 points, 10 in the second half, and eight rebounds despite
twisting his right ankle in the first half.
* The Tar Heels committed a season-high 24 turnovers. Thatcs the most
turnovers committed by UNC since it had 25 at Duke on Jan. 29, 1997. Last
year, California also forced the Tar Heels into a season-high 22 turnovers.
* The Bears scored 26 points off UNCcs turnovers. By contrast, the Tar Heels
scored four points off Calcs seven turnovers.
* Guards Geno Carlisle (29 points) and Thomas Kilgore (21 points) combined
to score 50 of Calcs 78 points. Carlisle made just 11 of 26 shots >from the
floor, but Cal netted 16 second-chance points.
* California shot just 39.2 percent from the floor (29 of 74 attempts). The
last time an opponent shot less than 40 percent from the field and beat
Carolina was Arizona in the 1997 national semifinals (.333).
HAYWOODcS CAREER HIGHS
* Sophomore center Brendan Haywood posted career-highs with 24 points and 12
rebounds in the loss to California on December 29th. His previous highs were
21 points against Purdue and 11 rebounds against the Boilermakers and
Dartmouth.
* Haywood scored 20 or more points in a game for the third time in his
collegiate career (all this season). He had 21 against Purdue and 20 against
uffalo earlier this year.
* It was the fourth double-double of the year for Haywood.
* The 24-point career scoring high came one game after he netted a
season-low four points in the loss at Georgia Tech.
OKULAJAcS BEST SEASON
* Okulaja is having his finest statistical season as a Tar Heel. His numbers
this year are better than his statistics in his first three seasons.
Ademola Okulaja Category 1998-99 First 3 Years Points 13.7 7.4 Rebounds 8.6 5.8 Field Goal Pct. .481 .437 3FG Pct. .409 .343 Free Throw Pct. .729 .642
* Okulaja has made 9 of his last 14 three-point field goal attempts and is
shooting 40.9 percent from three-point range this season. Okulaja was 3 for
7 from three-point range in Carolinacs victory over Clemson on Jan. 2 and 3
for 3 from three-point range against California on Dec. 29.
* He has scored in double figures in 12 of the 16 games this season,
including each of the last five games. Last year he scored 10 or more points
16 times in 38 games. The five-game streak in double figures ties the
longest streak of his career. He netted 10 or more points in each of the
first five games in 1997-98. He averaged 12.2 points in that five-game
stretch. Okulaja has scored 16.6 points per game in the last five UNC
contests.
* Okulaja is scoring more, but not at the expense of decent shot selection.
He has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in each of the last five
games in which he has averaged 16.6 points. He has made at least half his
shots from the floor in 11 of the 17 games this year. Take out a 1 for 7
performance against Purdue and a 2 for 9 effort against UNC Charlotte and
his percentage would be over 50 percent for the year. Last year he made 50
percent or better just four times in the last 12 games.
* Okulaja leads the team in scoring (13.7 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg) and
steals (21).
* Five times this year Okulaja has had double figures in rebounds. He had
had a career-high 17 against Florida International, 13 vs. Old Dominion, 14
vs. Buffalo, 15 vs. Louisville and 11 at Georgia Tech. He came into the
season with a career-high 12 rebounds on two occasions in his first 105
games.
OKULAJAcS HIGHLIGHTS
* In Carolinacs 69-53 win over Clemson on Jan. 2, Okulaja did a little of
everything as he scored 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had two
assists and one blocked shot. He was 5 of 10 from the field and 3 of 7 from
three-point range.
* Okulaja dished out a career-high eight assists against California on Dec.
29. His previous high was seven on four occasions, the most recent coming
against Seton Hall in November 1997.
* Okulaja was outstanding in Carolinacs 77-72 win vs. Louisville on Dec. 17.
He scored a career-high 23 points on 5 of 10 shooting, grabbed 15 rebounds
(second-most in his career) and was a career-best 12 of 15 from the free
throw line.
* Okulaja played a remarkable game against ODU on Dec. 4, especially when
you consider he was playing despite a stomach illness. Okulaja grabbed 13
rebounds, scored nine points and had two steals in 38 minutes of playing
time.
* Okulaja has never missed a game in his four years as a Tar Heel. He has
played in 121 consecutive games at UNC. The Tar Heels are 96-25 in his
career. With at least 15 games remaining this year, Okulaja has a chance,
depending on postseason play, to break the school record of 140 games played
which is held by five players.
* In Carolinacs 65-44 win vs. Florida International in the first round of
the Preseason NIT, Okulaja grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds. He also added
15 points.
TAR HEEL TRENDS
* The Tar Heels are averaging 72.0 points per game through the first 16
games. That is the lowest season average since the 1981-82 team averaged
66.7 points. Carolina had James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan that
year, went 32-2 and won the national championship. The last two times
Carolina averaged less than 70 points per game were 1982 (66.7) and 1957
(65.5). Both seasons resulted in NCAA titles.
* The Tar Heels are holding their opponents to just 61.1 points per game,
the lowest opponent average on record since 1981-82 when Carolina allowed
55.4 points a game.
* Carolina is shooting just under 50 percent from the field this season
(48.6). The opponents are shooting just 37.8 percent from the field. That
is the lowest opponent field goal shooting percentage for the season since
1959-60 when UNC opponents shot 37.5 percent. Eight of the 16 opponents
have shot less than 40 percent, including FIU who shot a season-low 26.5
percent. Only Hampton (47.5 percent) and College of Charleston (46.6) have
made over 45 percent from the floor.
* In the last 89 games (beginning with the first game of the 1996-97
season), only four opponents have made 50 percent or better from the field
against the UNC defense. The Tar Heels have played 36 games since Maryland
shot 51.5 percent against UNC in College Park, Md., last January. Three
teams (South Carolina, No. 2 Wake Forest and Florida State) shot 50 percent
or better against UNC in 1996-97.
* In the last 89 games, Carolina has limited its opponents to less than 40
percent shooting from the field on 45 occasions.
* Carolina has made 263 of 362 (.727) free throws this year. The opponents
have made 118 of 185 (.638). Carolina has made 78 more free throws than its
opponents have attempted.
* The Tar Heels are averaging 14.9 turnovers per game. Last year, a veteran
UNC squad averaged 13.0 turnovers per game.
CAROLINA HAS WON 63 OF 71
* Carolina has won 63 of its last 71 games dating back to Feb. 1, 1997.
That run includes a 16-game winning streak in 1996-97 and a 17-game win
streak to open the 1997-98 campaign. The only eight losses were to Arizona
in the 1997 Final Four; Maryland on Jan. 14, 1998, NC State on Feb. 21,
1998; Duke on Feb. 28, 1998; Utah in the 1998 Final Four; the College of
Charleston on Dec. 5, 1998; at Georgia Tech on Dec. 22, 1998; and at
California on Dec. 29, 1998.
* Carolina has won 28 of its last 32 ACC games, including the 1997 and 1998
Tournaments.
CAROLINA IN THE 1990s
* Carolina has been one of the nationcs most dominant teams in the decade of
the 1990s, especially when you consider the Tar Heels have been to five
Final Fours this decade and have won one national title. Carolina has been
to more Final Fours (5) than any other school this decade and the most in
any decade in school history.
* In the 1990s, Carolina has won at least 21 games every year, won over 30
games twice, captured four ACC titles, including the last two, and finished
in the top three of the ACC every year. In that same time period, Georgia
Tech has won two conference titles, Wake Forest has two and Duke has one.
HEAD COACH BILL GUTHRIDGE
* Guthridge is 47-7 (.870) as the Tar Heelsc head coach. No other UNC coach
has reached 40 wins faster than Guthridge. He is in his second year as head
coach, but 32nd as part of the UNC program. He was an assistant coach for
Dean Smith for 30 seasons before taking over last year following Smithcs
retirement.
* Guthridge, the 1998 National Coach of the Year, has been a part of 834
wins as a member of the Tar Heel staff. Including 93 wins as an assistant
coach at Kansas State, Guthridge has been on the sidelines for 927
collegiate victories.
* Last year, Guthridge set the NCAA record for most wins by a first-year
head coach with 34 and was named the National Coach of the Year by NABC, the
Atlanta Tipoff Club, CBS/Chevrolet and The Sporting News. He was also
selected the ACC coach of the Year after leading the Tar Heels to a 13-3
regular-season record and the ACC Tournament title.
GUTHRIDGE AFTER 50 GAMES
* Bill Guthridge won more games in his first 50 contests as Carolinacs head
coach than any in UNC history. The Tar Heels were 45-5 (.900) with
Guthridge as head coach in his first 50 games.
* Ben Carnevale posted a 42-8 record beginning in 1944-45. Two other
coaches, Bill Lange (41-9 beginning in 1939-40) and Walter Skidmore (41-9
beginning in 1935-36) won at least 40 games in their first 50 as head coach.
Dean Smith was 31-19 in his first 50 games and Frank McGuire was 30-20.
BALANCED ATTACK
* Five Tar Heels are averaging at least nine points per game and four are
averaging in double figures. Forward Ademola Okulaja leads the team with
13.7 points per game, followed by Brendan Haywood (12.4), Ed Cota (11.0),
Kris Lang (10.2) and Jason Capel (9.5).
* Five Tar Heels are averaging at least five rebounds per game led by
Okulaja (8.6), Haywood (7.1), Cota (5.1), Lang (5.3) and Capel (5.0).
IN THE POLLS
* The Tar Heels have been ranked by the Associated Press in 152 consecutive
polls. That is the longest active streak in the country and is the
fourth-longest overall streak.
POINT-PRODUCTION
* Carolina scored a season-high 98 points against Buffalo on Dec. 8. It was
the Tar Heelsc highest output since a 107-100 double-overtime victory at
Georgia Tech on Feb. 8, 1997.
* The Tar Heels have scored over 80 points just four times this year.
Carolina scored an 87-64 victory against Appalachian State in the season
opener, won 86-75 at Hampton, defeated Buffalo, 98-49, on Dec. 8 and won at
Dartmouth, 82-68, on Dec. 19.
* Carolina played its first nine games of the year without scoring 90
points. The last time the Tar Heels played at least the first nine games of
the season without scoring 90 points was in 1984-85. In that season, UNC
played the entire 36-game schedule without reaching 90 points. The season
high was 89 against Boston University in the second game of the season.
LOW LEADING SCORER
* Carolinacs leading scorer (Ademola Okulaja) is averaging 13.7 points per
game. UNCcs leading scorer has not averaged less than 14 points since
scoring averages at UNC were first kept in 1951-52. Donald Williams averaged
14.3 points per game in 1993-94, the lowest leading average by a Tar Heel on
record.
55 CONSECUTIVE OVER NON-CONFERENCE FOES AT HOME
* Carolina has won 55 consecutive home games vs. non-conference opponents,
including wins this season over Appalachian State, Florida International,
Georgia, Buffalo, UNC Charlotte and Louisville. The Tar Heelsc
non-conference record in the Smith Center is 70-2. Carolinacs only losses
are against Temple in 1988 (83-66) and Iowa in 1989 (98-97).
* Carolinacs win over Louisville completed a 6-0 non-conference record in
the Smith Center this season. This is the 10th straight year Carolina has
won every non-conference game in the Smith Center.
TAR HEELS WIN NIT IN NEW YORK
* Carolina won its first preseason NIT in its third attempt as the Tar Heels
knocked off No. 11 Purdue, 54-57, and No. 2 Stanford, 57-49, en route to the
Chase Preseason NIT Championship. Point guard and Brooklyn native Ed Cota
was named MVP and Ademola Okulaja and Brendan Haywood earned all-tournament
honors.
* Cota, playing in his first two games in Madison Square Garden, scored 11
points and had eight assists and four rebounds in the Tar Heelsc win over
Purdue. Two days later he netted 17 points and grabbed a career-high 11
rebounds to propel the Tar Heels past Stanford. In the two games, Cota
averaged 14 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists while shooting 50 percent
(8 of 16) from the field.
COTAcS THREE-POINT RANGE
* Against UNC Charlotte, Cota was 4 of 6 from three-point range, including a
clutch three-point basket with 27.8 seconds remaining in overtime which gave
Carolina a 73-70 lead. His four three-point field goals were a career high.
His previous high was two on several occasions.
* Cota entered the season shooting just 31.0 percent (18 of 58) from behind
the three-point arc, but this year he is shooting 44.9 percent (22 of 49).
He has already made more three-point shots (22) this season than he did in
his first two seasons (18).
* Cota has made at least one three-point basket in six consecutive games.
In the last six games, he is 12 of 26 from behind the three-point arc
(.462).
COTAcS ASSISTS
* Junior point guard Ed Cota leads the ACC with 7.6 assists per game.
* Cota is third on the team in points (11.0), first in assists (7.6), fourth
in rebounding (5.1) and leads the team with 22 three-pointers.
* Cota has 622 career assists, 16th-best alltime in ACC history. He recently
passed Virginiacs Jeff Jones, who had 598 assists from 1979-82. UNCcs King
Rice is 15th in the ACC and fourth at Carolina with 629 assists.
* In 86 career games, Cota is averaging 7.23 assists per game. That is the
third-highest averaging in ACC history behind N.C. Statecs Chris Corchiani
(8.37 from 1988-91) and Dukecs Bobby Hurley (7.68 from 1990-93). The
previous career assist per game high by a Carolina player was 6.1 by Phil
Ford.
* Cota set a UNC record in the Georgia Tech game when he handed out 12
assists. It was his 17th career game with 10 or more assists. He went into
the Tech game sharing the record at 16 with Phil Ford. Cota posted
double-figure assist games six times as a freshman, eight times as a
sophomore and three this year.
* Last year, Cota set the single-season school record with 274 assists,
passing Kenny Smithcs record of 235 in 1984-85.
COTA HIGHLIGHTS
* Cota was sensational in UNCcs 63-61 win over Old Dominion. He hit the
game-winning basket on a left-handed drive with 1.5 seconds to play. Cota
scored a career-high 20 points, had six assists, six rebounds and three
steals. He made 7 of 12 shots from the floor, including both of his
three-point attempts) and was 4 of 4 from the free throw line in 39 minutes
of action.
* Cotacs 20-point game topped his previous career scoring high of 17 he
accomplished three times. He had 17 at Florida State last year and 17
against Appalachian State and Stanford earlier this year. He has scored in
double figures in six games this year.
* Cota averaged 14 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists to earn MVP honors
and lead North Carolina to the NIT Championship with wins over Purdue and
Stanford. Cota scored 11 points and had eight assists to help Carolina
overcome a 7-point halftime deficit to Purdue. He then posted his eighth
career double-double with 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against
No. 2 Stanford. It was the first time Cota had ever posted a
points-rebounds double-double. He has seven career double-doubles of points
and assists.
* Cota had a season-high 13 assists (just one off his career high) and just
one turnover in 37 minutes in Carolinacs 86-75 victory at Hampton on Nov.
23. Cota also had eight points and was 5 of 6 from the free throw line.
* Against Georgia, Cota recorded his seventh career double-double with 14
points and 11 assists.
COTA EARNS RECOGNITION
* Point guard Ed Cota was named to the 1998 preseason All-ACC team along
with Dukecs Elton Brand and Trajan Langdon, Marylandcs Laron Profit and
Clemsoncs Terrell McIntyre. UNC forward Ademola Okulaja was named honorable
mention all-conference.
o Cota was a preseason candidate for the John Wooden Award, which is
presented to the nationcs best collegiate player.
* The Sporting News named Cota the ACCcs Best Playmaker in its 1998-99
preseason publication.
HAYWOOD IMPRESSIVE
* Haywood is shooting 64.1 percent from the field this season. In the last
eight games, Haywood is 41 of 54 (.759) from the field. He was 6 of 8 vs.
College of Charleston, 8 of 9 vs. Buffalo, 5 of 6 vs. UNC Charlotte, 3 of 5
vs. Louisville, 6 of 8 at Dartmouth, 2 for 4 at Georgia Tech, 9 for 11 at
California and 2 of 3 vs. Clemson. He has made at least half his field goal
attempts in the last eight games.
* He posted career highs with 24 points and 12 rebounds on December 29th at
California.
* Haywood scored a team-high 20 points against Buffalo on 8 of 9 shooting.
He was also 4 of 5 from the free throw line and grabbed five rebounds.
* Haywood scored a then-career-high 21 points and pulled down a career-best
11 rebounds in Carolinacs 54-47 win over Purdue in the NIT semifinal.
Haywood made 8 of 10 shots from the field and was five of seven from the
free throw line against the Boilermakers. He also blocked two shots, one of
which was a critical block at the end of the game that resulted in a shot
clock violation by Purdue with 1:19 to play.
* In the NIT final victory over Stanford, Haywood had six blocked shots and
seven points. He helped hold Stanfordcs starting frontcourt to 7 of 27 from
the field.
* In the Tar Heelsc opening win vs. Appalachian State, Haywood was 6 of 11
>from the floor and had a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds. He
followed that performance with his first career double-double, registering
12 points and 10 rebounds against Florida International. He was held under
double figures for the first time this season with nine points at Hampton.
KRIS LANG
* Tar Heel freshmen Kris Lang is shooting 54.5 percent from the field. He
is averaging 10.2 points per game and 5.3 rebounds. He has scored in double
figures seven times this year.
* Lang had increased his rebounding numbers recently, grabbing at least
eight rebounds in four of the last five games. In those five games, he is
averaging 7.8 rebounds. Through the first 11 games, Langcs rebounding high
was seven on two occasions.
* Lang posted his first career double-double with 20 points and a
career-high 10 rebounds in Carolinacs 82-68 win at Dartmouth. Lang made a
career-best nine field goals in 12 attempts blocked a career-high three
shots.
* A native of Gastonia, N.C., Lang scored 21 points in Carolinacs 65-58 win
over Georgia in the Preseason NIT quarterfinal. With just 40 seconds
remaining in the game vs. UGA, Lang scored one of the gamecs biggest buckets
dunking Ed Cotacs perfect pass for a four-point UNC lead. Lang played great
defense and had seven rebounds in the Tar Heelsc 57-49 victory over Stanford
in the Preseason NIT final.
* Lang converted two important three-point plays late in regulation and in
overtime of Carolinacs win over UNC Charlotte. With 1:17 remaining in
regulation and Carolina trailing by three, Okulaja fed Lang a perfect
baseline bounce pass which Lang converted into a layup. Lang was fouled on
the play and completed the traditional three-point play to tie the game at
64. In overtime, Lang put the Tar Heels up by three with 4:23 left on
another conventional three-point play.
CAPEL CONTRIBUTIONS
* Freshman Jason Capel scored a season-high 16 points in back-to-back games
against Old Dominion and the College of Charleston and was named the MVP of
the Food Lion MVP Classic. The Chesapeake, Va., native was 6 of 7 from the
field against ODU, where his father, Jeff, is the head coach, and 4 of 5
against College of Charleston.
* Capel leads the team and is third in the ACC in free throw shooting. He
is shooting 85.7 percent from the charity stripe and has converted 48 of 56
attempts. He has missed just two free throws in the last five games.
* Capel scored 11 points, including several crucial free throws, in
Carolinacs 77-72 win vs. Louisville. In fact, Capel was 9 of 10 from the
free throw line against the Cardinals.
* He missed the Dartmouth game to be in Chesapeake, Va., to be with his
ailing grandmother.
CAPEL NAMED ACC PRESEASON ACC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
* Freshman swing man Jason Capel led all balloting for the 1998-99 Preseason
ACC Rookie of the Year with 48 votes. Dukecs Corey Magette and Georgia
Techcs Tony Atkins tied for second with eight votes.
CURRY FULLTIME WITH HOOPS
* Freshman guard Ronald Curry has played in eight games. Curry has scored 13
points, handed out six assists, pulled down seven rebounds and made two
steals in limited action.
* Curry was the Offensive Most Valuable Player in Carolinacs 20-13 win over
San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 19th. He rushed for 93
yards, including a game-winning 48-yard touchdown. The following day, he
joined the basketball team in Atlanta and played four minutes against the
Yellow Jackets on the 22nd of December.
* Curry set UNC football single-season freshman records for passing yards
(975), touchdowns (6) and completions (66).
EVTIMOV BACK IN JANUARY
* Sophomore forward Vasco Evtimov will be eligible to join the Tar Heels
after three more games. The NCAA suspended Evtimov for a total of 18 games
because he played on a club team in France while serving a mandatory
one-year stint in the French military a year ago. Evtimov will be able to
return to the lineup on January 16th against NC State.
