University of North Carolina Athletics
Men's Basketball Set to Play Purdue
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
November 24, 1998
QUICK FACTS
NORTH CAROLINA (4-0, 0-0 ACC)
Carolina Coach: Bill Guthridge
Alma Mater: Kansas State '60
Guthridge's Record at UNC: 38-4 (2nd year)
Guthridge's Overall Record: same
Assistant Coaches: Phil Ford, Dave Hanners
PURDUE (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Gene Keady
Alma Mater: Kansas State '58
Keady's Record at Purdue: 398-168 (19th year)
Keady's Overall Record: 436-187 (21st year)
Assistant Coaches: Frank Kendrick, Jim Thrash, Pat Sullivan, Jay Price
ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (Woody Durham, Mick Mixon)
TOP 25 RANKINGS
AP: North Carolina 9th, Purdue 14th
USA Today/ESPN: North Carolina 8th, Purdue 11th
SERIES INFORMATION
Carolina vs. Purdue: Carolina leads, 6-2
Last Meeting: Carolina 73, Purdue 69 on Nov. 29, 1997 in the finals of the Carrs Great Alaska Shootout
CAROLINA TRAVELS TO NEW YORK
No. 8 North Carolina (4-0) travels to New York City to meet undefeated and No. 11-ranked Purdue (4-0) in the semifinals of the Chase Preseason NIT on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 8:30 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN. The winner advances to the championship game on Nov. 27 at 9:35 p.m. to meet the winner of the Stanford vs. St. John's game. The loser will compete in the consolation game on Nov. 27 at 7 p.m.
The Tar Heels improved to 4-0 with an 86-75 victory at Hampton on Monday evening. The Tar Heels advanced to the semifinals of the Preseason NIT by defeating Georgia, 65-58, on Wednesday, Nov. 18 in the Smith Center. Purdue advanced to meet the Tar Heels by beating Gonzaga, 83-68.
TAR HEELS IN NEW YORK
Carolina returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time since the 1993 Preseason NIT when the Tar Heels lost to Massachusetts in the semifinals and defeated Minnesota in the consolation game.
Carolina's most recent trip to the State of New York was in March 1997 when the Tar Heels defeated California and Louisville in the NCAA East Regional semifinal and final in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
Carolina is 20-6 in games played in the current Madison Square Garden. The Tar Heels have played in two previous Preseason NITs (1988-89 and 1993-94), three postseason NITs (1969-70, 1970-71 and 1972-73), two ECAC Holiday Festivals (1968-69 and 1983-84) and regular-season contests against Notre Dame, Florida State, Seton Hall, Rutgers and Fordham.
The Tar Heels were also 4-2 in the old Madison Square Garden. In 1946, Carolina beat NYU and Ohio State in the NCAA Eastern Regional in the Garden, but lost to Oklahoma State in the championship game that was also played in the Garden.
CAROLINA VS. PURDUE
Wednesday night's game against Purdue is Carolina's ninth meeting with the Boilermakers. The Tar Heels lead the series, 6-2, including a tightly contested, 73-69 win in the championship game of the Carrs Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage on Nov. 29, 1997.
Purdue won the first two games played between the schools, but Carolina has won six straight beginning with a win in the 1977 NCAA Eastern Regionals.
This is the seventh neutral site meeting between UNC and Purdue. Purdue beat Carolina in the 1969 Final Four in Louisville and the 1974 NIT in Madison Square Garden. The Tar Heels beat the Boilermakers in the 1977 NCAA Eastern Regionals in Raleigh, N.C., in 1985 in the Great Alaska Shootout, in December 1986 in Dallas, and in November 1997 in the Great Alaska Shootout. The Tar Heels also swept a home-and-home series in 1990-91 and 1991-92.
Only four UNC players and 17 of the 73 points scored by the Tar Heels last year against Purdue in Alaska return this season. Ed Cota scored 12 points and had two assists. Other returnees include Ademola Okulaja (three points, five rebounds, 1 for 11 from the floor), Brendan Haywood (two points, one rebound and Brad Frederick (no points).
In last year's game, Purdue led by eight (33-25) at halftime. The game was tied at 67 with 1:25 remaining when Shammond Williams hit a long three-pointer to give Carolina the lead for good. Williams added a pair of late free throws to seal the win. Tournament MVP Antawn Jamison had 23 points and nine rebounds, Williams had 23 and Cota 12.
CAROLINA VS. STANFORD
The Tar Heels have won all seven meetings with the Cardinal. The teams met most recently on Dec. 5, 1996, in Charlotte, N.C., in the Diet Pepsi Tournament of Champions. Carolina won that game, 87-63. Freshman forward Antawn Jamison recorded his first career 20-point game. Jamison was 7 for 9 from the field and scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Point guard Jeff McInnis had 20 points and four assists.
The teams first met on Dec. 28, 1967 in Portland, Ore., in the Far West Classic (87-78, UNC). Carolina defeated the Cardinal, 74-57, on Dec. 30, 1977, in the championship game of the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii. Carolina also defeated Stanford, 88-75, in the finals of the Stanford Invitational on Dec. 3, 1983. The Tar Heels also beat Stanford, 71-60, in the finals of the Red Lobster Classic in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 30, 1990.
CAROLINA VS. ST. JOHN'S
St. John's leads the series, 2-1, although the Tar Heels won the most recent meeting.
Carolina beat St. John's, 64-51, in Madison Square Garden on Dec. 29, 1983. St. John's led at the half by two behind 16 first-half points by Chris Mullin. Carolina limited the All-America to just two points in the second half and Sam Perkins scored 19 of his game-high 31 after intermission to lead Carolina to the win. Junior guard Michael Jordan scored 11 points and added three blocked shots and two steals.
St. John's beat Carolina in 1968 in the ECAC Holiday Festival in Madison Square Garden and in November 1982 in Springfield, Mass., in the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic.
TAR HEELS ADVANCE IN NIT ACTION
Carolina advanced to the semifinals of the Preseason NIT with a 65-58 victory over Georgia on Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the Smith Center. The Tar Heels led by 14 early in the second half, but the Bulldogs tied the game at 55 with 4:09 remaining. Carolina then went on a 10-3 run to close the game. The victory put Carolina in the NIT semifinals where it will face Purdue, an 83-68 winner over Gonzaga.
Carolina is playing in the preseason NIT for the first time since the 1993-94 season and the third time overall. In 1993, Carolina played the first two rounds at home and beat Western Kentucky, 101-87, in the first round and Cincinnati, 90-63, in the second round. In the semifinals in Madison Square Garden, Carolina dropped a 91-86 overtime decision to Massachusetts, but came back to defeat Minnesota, 90-76, in the consolation game to finish third.
Carolina also participated in the preseason NIT in 1988-89, finishing third. The Tar Heels beat UT-Chattanooga and Georgia in the first two rounds at the Smith Center, dropped a 91-81 decision to Missouri in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden and beat Indiana, 106-92, in the consolation game.
GOOD STARTS
Carolina is off to a 4-0 start for the second-consecutive season and fifth time since 1987-88. Last season, Carolina rattled off 17 straight victories before falling at Maryland.
Since 1980, the Tar Heels have opened the season with five consecutive wins on nine occasions, including the following seasons: 1997-98 (17 in a row), 1994-95 (9), 1992-93 (8), 1991-92 (6), 1985-86 (21), 1984-85 (8), 1983-84 (21), 1981-82 (13), 1980-81 (5)
A LOT OF GAMES EARLY
y advancing to New York for the Preseason NIT, Carolina is guaranteed to play a record 14 games before the Christmas Holidays. The most games Carolina had played prior to Christmas before the season was 12 games last year.
For the first time since 1953-54, Carolina played its first three games of the season at home, posting wins over Appalachian State, Florida International and Georgia.
REGULAR-SEASON TOURNAMENT TITLES
The Tar Heels are attempting to win their third consecutive regular-season title in the Preseason NIT. Carolina won the Carrs Great Alaska Shootout last season with wins over UCLA, Seton Hall and Purdue and captured the Diet Pepsi Tournament of Champions in 1995 with victories over Tulane and Stanford.
Carolina has won a total of 34 regular-season titles, including six in the 1990s. The Tar Heels won the Red Lobster Classic in 1990, Tournament of Champions in Charlotte in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995.
CAROLINA SLIPS BY HAMPTON
Ed Cota dished out 13 assists, scored eight points and had just one turnover to lead the Tar Heels to an 86-75 victory at Hampton. Cota just missed matching his career high in assists by one. He had 14 on two occasions last season.
Ademola Okulaja scored 18 points, just one off his career high, to lead the Tar Heels. He was one of three Tar Heels, along with Jason Capel (13) and Max Owens (10) to score in double figures. Okulaja also pulled down eight rebounds. It was the fourth straight game this season he has had at least seven rebounds.
Brian Bersticker, playing in his homecoming game, started and had eight points on 4 of 5 shooting.
The Tar Heels shot 54.5 percent from the field, their second-highest percentage of the season. Hampton shot 47.5 percent from the floor. That is the highest percentage by a Tar Heel opponent this season. Carolina enjoyed a huge advantage at the free throw line, connecting on 21 of 29 while Hampton was 6 of 6.
TAR HEELS GET PAST GEORGIA
Freshman Kris Lang scored a career-high 21 points, including six in the final six minutes to help Carolina to a 65-58 victory. Lang scored one of the game's biggest buckets when he dunked an Ed Cota pass with 40 seconds remaining to put the Tar Heels up by four.
Carolina led by 10 at the half and increased that lead to 14 early in the second half, but Georgia tied the game at 55 with 4:09 to play. After Georgia missed a dunk that would have tied the game at 60, Carolina scored the final five points.
Carolina shot over 50 percent (.556) from the field for the first time this season.
Carolina had an advantage in the frontcourt, outscoring the Bulldogs 46-24. Ademola Okulaja had 14 points, Lang had 21 and Brendan Haywood chipped in 11. The trio combined to shoot 18 for 29 (.621) from the field.
The Tar Heels held Georgia to just 39.3 percent shooting. UGA's Jumaine Jones entered the game averaging over 25 points, but Carolina limited the sophomore forward to 5 of 16 shooting and just 12 points. Jones was 0 for 6 in the first half.
Ed Cota recorded his seventh career double-double with 14 points and 11 assists. It was the 15th time Cota has recorded at least 10 assists.
COTA RETURNS TO NEW YORK
rooklyn, N.Y., native Ed Cota returns to New York City when the Tar Heels visit Madison Square Garden, Nov. 25 and 27, in the Chase Preseason NIT. Cota played his first two years of high school at Tilden before transferring to St. Thomas More Academy in Oakdale, Conn. At Tilden, he averaged 31.5 points, 11 assists and six steals and led his team to the semifinals of the New York Public School Athletic League.
COTA AT IT AGAIN
Junior point guard Ed Cota leads the ACC with 9.5 assists per game and is on pace to break Kenny Smith's school record of 768 career assists in just three seasons.
Cota had a season-high 13 assists (just one off his career high) and just one turnover in 37 minutes in Carolina's 86-75 victory at Hampton on Monday. 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, who now has 546 career assists, moved past Jimmy Black into sixth place on UNC's career assist chart. Jeff Lebo (1985-89) is fifth at UNC with 580 assists.
Cota is now tied with former UNC standout Phil Ford for the most double-figure assist games in UNC history with 16. Cota posted double-figure assist games six times as a freshman, eight times as a sophomore and twice this year.
Last year, Cota set the single-season school record with 274 assists, passing Smith's record of 235 in 1984-85.
Cota is scoring more this season while at the same time keeping his assist average high. After averaging 8.0 and 8.1 points per game in the last two seasons, Cota is scoring 11.5 points per game.
In 75 career games, Cota is averaging 7.28 assists per game. That is the third-highest averaging in ACC history behind N.C. State's Chris Corchiani (8.37 from 1988-91) and Duke's 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 also ranks sixth in the ACC with 2.5 steals per game.
COTA EARNS PRESEASON RECOGNITION
Point guard Ed Cota was named to the 1998 preseason All-ACC team along with Duke's Elton Brand and Trajan Langdon, Maryland's Laron Profit and Clemson's Terrell McIntyre. UNC forward Ademola Okulaja was named honorable mention all-conference.
Cota is a preseason candidate for the John Wooden Award, which is presented to the nation's best collegiate player and was won last season by UNC forward Antawn Jamison.
The Sporting News named Cota the ACC's Best Playmaker in their 1998-99 preseason publication.
FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTIONS
Tar Heel freshmen Kris Lang and Jason Capel have contributed significantly in Carolina's 4-0 start. Capel is shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and averaging 9.8 points and 6.0 rebounds. Lang is shooting 66.7 percent and is second on the team with an average of 12.5 points per game. Both Capel and Curry have scored in double figures in two of the first four games.
A native of Gastonia, N.C., Lang scored 21 points in Carolina's 65-58 win over Georgia. With just 40 seconds remaining in the game vs. UGA, Ed Cota found Lang cutting to the basket for an easy dunk to put UNC up by four.
Capel grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds in the Tar Heels' 87-64 win over Appalachian and scored 14 points three nights later in UNC's 65-44 victory vs. Florida International.
Another freshman, Ronald Curry, will join the basketball team full-time following the football season. Curry is playing quarterback for the UNC football team. Curry did play one minute at Hampton on Monday. He will not be with the team in New York.
OKULAJA'S GREAT START
Forward Ademola Okulaja has scored in double figures in three of the first four games this season and leads the team with 13.5 points per game. He is averaging a double-double with 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds.
In the last three games, Okulaja is 19 of 33 from the floor (.575). He had 15 points (6 of 12) vs. Florida International, 14 points (6 of 9) vs. Georgia and 18 points (7 of 12) vs. Hampton. He is ranked ninth in the ACC with a .512 shooting percentage.
In Carolina's 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 to post his sixth career rebound.
Okulaja had 18 points on Monday at Hampton, just one shy of his career high.
HAYWOOD IMPRESSIVE EARLY
Sophomore center Brendan Haywood has been impressive in helping Carolina to a 4-0 start. The Greensboro, N.C., native is second on the team in points (12.8) and rebounds (7.0) and leads the team with 10 blocked shots. Last year as the seventh man off the bench, Haywood averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds.
In the Tar Heels' 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.
TAR HEEL TRENDS
Carolina has won its first four games by an average of 15.5 points. The Tar Heels won their first game by 23 points over Appalachian State, followed that with a 21-point win over Florida International, then scored a seven point victory over Georgia and an 11-point win at Hampton.
In four games this season, Carolina is holding opponents to just 36.4 percent field goal shooting (91 of 250). Last year, the Tar Heels led the ACC in field goal percentage defense (.384). Over the last 42 games dating back to the start of the 1997-98 season, only one team has shot over 50 percent against UNC. Maryland shot 51.5 percent from the field in an 89-83 overtime victory at Cole Field House on Jan. 14, 1998.
With three players at least 6-10, Carolina hopes to continue its dominance on the boards. Carolina outrebounded its first three opponents by an average of 9.0 rebounds per game.
Carolina is averaging 6.3 blocked shots per game this season. That is the Tar Heels highest average blocks per game since swatting 219 shots in 35 games in 1993-94. Tar Heel opponents have blocked just eight shots.
After averaging 81.9 points per game last season, Carolina is averaging 75.8 points this year. The Tar Heels are allowing just 60.2 points per game which ranks as the lowest opponents' per game average since 55.4 in 1981-82.
Carolina is shooting 40.0 percent from behind the three-point arc. Ed Cota leads the team with a 45.5 percentage (5 of 11) and Jason Capel and Michael Brooker are shooting 42.7 from 3-point range. Opponents are shooting just 32.6 percent from behind the three-point arc.
EVTIMOV OUT FOR A TOTAL OF 16 GAMES
North Carolina sophomore forward Vasco Evtimov must sit out a total of 16 games as a result of playing in 16 games in the French National A League as the tryout for the French National Team, it was determined by the NCAA Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. However, one matter still pending with the NCAA could potentially lessen the number of games Evtimov must miss.
Evtimov played at Carolina in 1996-97, but spent 10 months in the French Military beginning in July 1997 to fulfill a mandatory stint in the armed forces. While in France, Evtimov played for a club team near his base. The NCAA said it was a violation of the NCAA Bylaw which states student-athletes are not allowed to play with a professional team, even if the student-athlete is not getting any compensation, which Evtimov was not.
Evtimov would be eligible to return to action Wednesday, Jan. 6 at Florida State.
CAROLINA OPENS SEASON WITH VICTORY
North Carolina opened the 1998-99 season at home with an 87-64 victory over Appalachian State on Nov. 13, improving to 84-5 alltime in season openers.
Eight Tar Heels played at least 12 minutes and two freshmen, forward Kris Lang and shooting guard Jason Capel, started the game. They became the 12th and 13th Carolina freshmen to start their first career game as a Tar Heel.
Center Brendan Haywood led the Tar Heels with a career-high 19 points on 6 of 11 shooting and added nine rebounds. His previous career-high was eight points three times last season. He was 6 of 6 from the floor in the first half and scored 11 of the Tar Heels' first 13 points in just over five minutes. Haywood was one of four Tar Heels in double figure scoring along with Lang (15 points), Ed Cota (17), and Michael Brooker (10).
Freshman Jason Capel had an impressive debut, scoring seven points, grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds and dishing out five assists.
Carolina shot 49.2 percent from the floor and held Appalachian State to just 33.8 percent. Carolina had an assist on 24 of its 31 baskets, a percentage of 77.4.
52 CONSECUTIVE OVER NON-CONFERENCE FOES AT HOME
Carolina has won 52 consecutive home games vs. non-conference opponents, including a 65-58 win over Georgia on Nov. 18. The Tar Heels' non-conference record in the Smith Center is 67-2. Carolina's only losses came to Temple in 1988 (83-66) and Iowa in 1989 (98-97).
The Tar Heels have non-conference home games remaining this season with Buffalo, UNC Charlotte and Louisville.
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. Duke's Corey Magette and Georgia Tech's Tony Atkins tied for second with eight votes.
HEAD COACH BILL GUTHRIDGE
Guthridge is 38-4 as the Tar Heels' head coach. 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 Smith's retirement.
Guthridge, the 1998 National Coach of the Year, has won a total of 824 games 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 918 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.
CAROLINA HAS WON 54 OF 59
Carolina has won 54 of its last 59 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 five losses were to Arizona in the 1997 Final Four, Maryland on Jan. 14, 1998, N.C. State on Feb. 21, 1998, Duke on Feb. 28, 1998 and Utah in the 1998 Final Four.
Carolina has won 27 of its last 30 ACC games, including the 1997 and 1998 Tournaments.
IN THE POLLS
Carolina is ranked 9th in the Associated Press poll and 8th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
The Tar Heels have been ranked by the Associated Press in 146 consecutive polls. That is the longest active streak in the country and is the fourth-longest overall streak. Marquette had the third-longest poll streak with 166 weeks in the AP rankings.
CAROLINA'S RECORD WHEN...
Leading at the half: 4-0
Trailing at the half: 0-0
Tied at the half: 0-0
Leading with five minutes remaining: 4-0
Trailing with five minutes remaining: 0-0
In overtime: 0-0
Scoring less than 70 points: 2-0
Scoring between 70-79 points: 0-0
Scoring between 80-89 points: 2-0
Scoring between 90-100 points: 0-0
Scoring over 100 points: 0-0
Opponents score less than 70 points: 3-0
Opponents score between 70-79 points: 1-0
Opponents score between 80-89 points: 0-0
Opponents score between 90-100 points: 0-0
Opponents score over 100 points: 0-0
UNC shoots 50 percent or better: 2-0
UNC shoots under 50 percent: 2-0
Opponent shoots 50 percent or better: 0-0
Opponent shoots under 50 percent: 4-0
UNC attempts more free throws: 4-0
Opponent attempts more free throws: 0-0
UNC attempts more three-pointers: 0-0
Opponent attempts more three-pointers: 4-0
UNC outrebounds opponent: 4-0
Opponent outrebounds opponent: 0-0
Rebounds are even: 0-0
UNC commits more turnovers: 3-0
Opponent commits more turnovers: 1-0
UNC has less than 15 turnovers: 2-0
UNC has more assists: 4-0
Opponent has more assists: 0-0
