University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 13 Tar Heels Host No. 25 Bruins
January 14, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2000
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina, which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday night at Wake Forest, steps outside the Atlantic Coast Conference Saturday afternoon to face No. 25 UCLA in the Smith Center.
Junior center Brendan Haywood has connected on 43 of his last 52 field goal attempts (82.7 percent) over the last eight games. Haywood leads Carolina and the nation in field goal percentage at 74.5 percent this season. He is the alltime leader in Carolina history with a career field goal percentage of 65.4 percent. Haywood has averaged 13.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots over the last eight games.
The Tar Heels lead the ACC in field goal percentage, hitting 50.6 percent of their field goals. Virginia is second in the conference at 48.2 percent.
UNC has held its opponents to under 40.0 percent field goal shooting in nine of 16 games this season while hitting better than 50.0 percent of its own field goal attempts eight times.
Carolina is ranked 15th in the latest RPI rankings (as of Jan. 13) against the nation's eighth-toughest schedule.
Since returning to the starting lineup on Jan. 2 versus Howard, Kris Lang has scored in double figures in four straight games (10 versus Howard, 12 versus Clemson, 10 vs. NC State and 14 vs. Wake Forest), hitting 54.2 percent of his field goals (13-for-21) in the process.
Senior point guard Ed Cota leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.80 (137-to-49).
Cota has recorded the two highest single-game assist totals in the ACC this season, dishing out 17 against UNLV and 12 against Howard. Cota is third in the conference in minutes played, averaging 34.6 per game, which trails Clemson's Will Solomon (35.7) and Duke's Chris Carrawell (35.0).
In the latest NCAA statistics (as of Jan. 10), Brendan Haywood led the nation in field goal percentage. Ed Cota was third in the nation in assists per game. As a team, UNC led the nation in field goal percentage and was 22nd in scoring offense.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Carolina is ranked No. 13 by the Associated Press and No. 14 by ESPN/USA Today this week. The Tar Heels have been ranked in the AP poll for 171 consecutive weeks, dating back to the 1990-91 preseason poll. That is the longest active streak in the country and tied for the third-longest streak overall. Carolina also holds the second-longest streak alltime, having been ranked for 171 consecutive weeks from Dec. 5, 1972, to Dec. 14, 1982. UCLA holds the alltime record with 221 consecutive weeks in the AP poll.
Carolina has been ranked in 627 Associated Press polls since the poll's inception in 1949, more than any other school in the nation. Kentucky is second with 616.
TAR HEELS AND BRUINS
Carolina holds a 5-2 advantage in its alltime series with UCLA and has won four straight over the Bruins.
The two teams met in the 1968 NCAA title game at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, with the Lew Alcindor-led Bruins prevailing, 78-55, on their way to the second of seven consecutive NCAA championships. The Tar Heels were making their second of three consecutive Final Four appearances.
The two teams then played five times in a four-season span in the late 1980s, with Carolina winning four of those games. Carolina defeated the Bruins, 107-70, in the 1985-86 season opener in Carmichael Auditorium in Chapel Hill. Brad Daugherty set a school record and tied an NCAA record by making every one of his field goal attempts in the contest, going 13-for-13 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the free throw line to finish with 31 points and six rebounds. Joe Wolf added 15 points and Warren Martin had 13 as the Tar Heels pushed the ball inside to its frontcourt players and shot 66.2 percent for the game (43-for-65).
The next season, the Bruins downed the Heels, 89-84, in Los Angeles, behind Reggie Miller's 32 points on 10-of-16 field goal shooting. Kenny Smith led Carolina with 18 points and seven assists, while Dave Popson added 16 points.
On January 2, 1988, Carolina gained a little revenge in Pauley Pavilion, downing the Bruins, 80-73, on their home court. J.R. Reid had 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Ranzino Smith had 18 points, including four three-pointers.
Carolina and UCLA played twice during the 1988-89 season. The Tar Heels defeated the Bruins, 104-78, on Dec. 17, 1988, getting double-figure scoring efforts from all five starters ' Jeff Lebo (18), Kevin Madden (16), Scott Williams (15), Steve Bucknall (14) and Pete Chilcutt (10). In the NCAA Tournament's Southeast Regional Second Round later that season at the Omni in Atlanta, Carolina defeated UCLA again, 88-81, to advance to the Sweet 16. J.R. Reid missed the game while serving a one-game suspension for missing curfew, but Madden picked up the slack, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds to lead UNC. Four other Heels also scored in double figures in the game ' Bucknall (19), Rick Fox (18), Williams (14) and Lebo (12).
The two teams did not meet again until the 1997-98 season, when Carolina downed UCLA, 109-68, in the first round of the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska. Antawn Jamison, who would go on to win unanimous National Player-of-the-Year honors at the end of the season, tallied 23 points and 11 rebounds, while future NBA Rookie of the Year Vince Carter finished with 22 points and four boards. Ed Cota (14 points, seven assists), Makhtar Ndiaye (12 points, six rebounds) and Ademola Okulaja (12 points) all tallied double-figure scoring efforts and Shammond Williams had eight points, 10 assists and five rebounds.
WAKE FOREST DEALS HEELS FIRST ACC LOSS, 66-57
Wake Forest held Carolina to a season-low shooting percentage of .382 and forced 18 Tar Heel turnoveres as UNC lost its first Atlantic Coast Conference game of the year, 66-57, on Jan. 13 at Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem. Wake went on a 28-9 run to overcome a 10-point second-half deficit and earn the victory.
Carolina out-rebounded the Demon Deacons, 45-32, marking the third contest this season in which UNC has grabbed more rebounds than its opponent and lost the game (joining Indiana and Louisville). In those three games, Carolina has committed 53 turnovers, including a season-high 21 at Louisville, 18 at Wake Forest and 14 versus Indiana.
Kris Lang led Carolina with 14 points and 11 rebounds as UNC followed up a 71.1 percent shooting performance in its previous game (NC State) with a 38.2 percent effort against Wake.
The Tar Heel defense held Wake Forest's leading scorer, Robert O'Kelley, to 0-for-8 shooting in the first half, but O'Kelley exploded for 18 second-half points to lead all scorers.
CAROLINA HAS ITS BEST SHOOTING GAME IN SEVEN YEARS VS. NC STATE
Carolina shot 71.1 percent from the floor, including a blistering 78.9 percent clip in the second half, in an 83-75 win over NC State on Jan. 8 in Chapel Hill. The last time Carolina shot 70 percent or better in a game was on Dec. 1, 1992, versus Old Dominion, when it hit 43 of 57 shots (75.4 percent).
Carolina went on a 10-0 run to close the first half and a 22-9 run to start the second half.
Senior point guard Ed Cota hit all eight of his field goal attempts and scored a career-high 23 points for Carolina. Freshman guard Joseph Forte scored 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting that included 2-of-3 three-pointers. Brendan Haywood went 7-for-7 from the floor and finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
HEELS EXTEND HOME WINNING STREAK VS. CLEMSON
Carolina improved its alltime record against Clemson in Chapel Hill to 46-0 with a 65-45 win over the Tigers in the Smith Center on Jan. 6. UNC is now 18-2 alltime against Clemson in ACC openers and 15-0 against the Tigers in the Smith Center. Carolina has won 19 of the last 22 games between the two schools.
Freshman Joseph Forte led the Heels with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Forte also added five rebounds. Junior center Brendan Haywood just missed his third consecutive double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds. Redshirt freshman Julius Peppers had six points and a career-high 13 rebounds, and senior point guard Ed Cota had eight points, seven assists and just one turnover.
Carolina held Clemson to just 31.7 percent shooting from the floor, and outrebounded the ACC's top rebounding team by a 43-34 margin. The Tar Heels limited Tiger guard Will Solomon, the ACC's leading scorer entering the game at 21.8 ppg, to 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting.
COTA'S CAREER NUMBERS IN EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
Senior point guard Ed Cota has 1,074 points, 883 assists and 420 rebounds in his career. He is just the fourth player in Carolina history to score 1,000 points and have 500 assists (joining Phil Ford, Kenny Smith and Jeff Lebo).
Cota is the first player in ACC history to compile 1,000 points, 800 assists and 400 rebounds in a career.
Cota ranks third in ACC history with 883 career assists. Bobby Hurley of Duke is first in conference history with 1,076 career assists and Chris Corchiani of NC State is second with 1,038.
Cota led the ACC in assists in each of his first three collegiate seasons and is vying to become the only player in conference history to lead the ACC in assists four times. Virginia's Ralph Sampson and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan both led the ACC in blocked shots four times and are the only players in ACC history to lead the league in a statistical category four times.
OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
In the latest ACC statistics (as of Jan. 13) Carolina leads the ACC in field goal percentage (.506) and is third in three-point field goal percentage (.361) and third in scoring (79.6 points per game).
Carolina is averaging 79.6 points per game thus far in 1999-2000 and has scored more than 80 in nine of 16 games. Last year, Carolina averaged 71.4 points per game and scored 80 points or more just six times all season. UNC's 102 points versus UNLV were the most in a single game since scoring 107 in a double-overtime win at Georgia Tech on Feb. 8, 1998.
BERSTICKER UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL SURGERY
Director of Sports Medicine Dr. Tim Taft said surgery on Dec. 6 on center/forward Brian Bersticker was "successful." Taft inserted a screw and performed a bone graft on Bersticker's left foot as a result of a fracture he suffered in Carolina's Dec. 3 victory over the College of Charleston in the Charlotte Coliseum. Bersticker should be out of action for approximately 10 weeks, putting a possible return in mid- to late-February.
The Virginia Beach, Va., native was averaging better than five points and three rebounds per game in the four games before he was injured. Bersticker had four points in five minutes against the College of Charleston before his injury.
TAR HEELS WIN MAUI INVITATIONAL TITLE
North Carolina outscored Purdue, 56-26, in the second half and defeated the Boilermakers, 90-75, to win the 1999 Maui Invitational on Nov. 24 in Lahaina, Hawaii. The Tar Heels earlier had defeated Southern California, 82-65, and Georgetown, 85-79, to advance to the finals.
Ed Cota had 15 points and seven assists in the Purdue game and broke the UNC record for career assists in the contest. Cota now has 770 career assists, topping the old school record of 768 previously held by Kenny Smith (1984-87), and ranks fifth in Atlantic Coast Conference history. Tyrone Bogues of Wake Forest is fourth in ACC history with 781 career assists. Cota averaged 16.7 points, 8.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds in Maui and was named to the all-tournament team.
Freshman guard Joseph Forte was named MVP of the Maui Invitational and to the all-tournament team after averaging 20.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in the three Tar Heel wins, hitting 22 of 39 field goals (.564) and 7 of 10 three-pointers (.700) in the tournament. Forte led Carolina in scoring against Southern California (24 points) and Purdue (21 points) and scored 17 in the semifinal win over Georgetown. His 24 points in his collegiate debut against USC were the most ever by a UNC freshman in his first college game and the most by any Tar Heel in his first game since Lennie Rosenbluth scored 30 in the first game of his sophomore year in 1954-55 before the days of freshman eligibility.
Junior center Brendan Haywood was named to the Maui Invitational all-tournament team, averaging 14.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in three Tar Heel wins. Haywood had 15 points and five rebounds against USC, 20 points and seven rebounds versus Georgetown, and eight points and six rebounds in the win over Purdue.
TAR HEELS PICKED TO WIN ACC IN 1999-2000
Carolina received 74 of the 90 first-place votes and 792 points overall as it was picked to win the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1999-2000 in a vote of ACC media. Duke finished second with 16 first place votes and 712 points. Wake Forest (577 points) was picked third, followed by Maryland (481), NC State (442), Georgia Tech (396), Virginia (358), Florida State (179) and Clemson (113).
HEAD COACH BILL GUTHRIDGE
Guthridge is 69-19 as the Tar Heels' head coach. He is in his third year as head coach, but 33rd as part of the UNC program. He was an assistant coach for Dean Smith for 30 seasons before taking over in 1997-98 following Smith's retirement.
Guthridge won more games (58) in his first two seasons than any coach in NCAA history and reached 50 wins faster than any coach in UNC history.
In 1997-98, Guthridge set the NCAA record for most wins by a first-year head coach with 34.
TAR HEELS ON TV
North Carolina annually is one of the top draws on college basketball television broadcasts. This season, all but one of the Tar Heels' 30 regular-season games will be televised. All of UNC's Atlantic Coast Conference games will be broadcast. Only the Howard game (Jan. 2) was not televised this season.
BRENDAN HAYWOOD (7-0, JR., C, GREENSBORO, N.C.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSCarolina's alltime leader in field goal percentage. Has made 65.4 percent of his shot attempts from the floor (274 for 419). Second-best is Carolina's Rasheed Wallace at 63.5 percent.
Is eighth alltime at UNC in blocked shots with 137. Brad Daugherty is seventh with 146.
Averaging 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in his 88-game career. Over the last two seasons as a starter, he is averaging 12.32points and 6.6 rebounds per contest.
Has scored in double figures 33 times in his career with a high of 24 at California on Dec. 27, 1998.
Has 11 career double-doubles (points and rebounds).
Has scored 20 or more points six times, most recently in consecutive games against Louisville (20) and Howard (21).
Has made 50 percent or more of his field goal attempts in 43 of 50 games over the last two seasons as a starter.
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Leads the nation in field goal percentage at .745 and is second in the ACC in blocked shots at 2.8 per game.
Has converted 79 of 106 field goal attempts.
Scored in double figures in 10 games with a high of 21 against Howard. Also had 20 against Georgetown and Louisville.
Blocked a career-high seven shots vs. the College of Charleston.
Grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds vs. Howard.
Scored 10 of his 14 points against top-ranked Cincinnati in the second half.
Posted consecutive double-doubles against Louisville and Howard. It was the third time in his career he had back-to-back double-doubles.
Has made 40 of 47 field goal attempts in the last six games (.851).
Has taken a season-high 12 field goal attempts twice this year (5 for 12 vs. Cincinnati and 8 for 12 vs. Howard).
Was 7 for 7 from the floor and finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in the win over NC State.
Averaging 9.8 rebounds over the last four games.
ED COTA (6-1, SR., G, BROOKLYN, N.Y.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSIs the first player in ACC history to score 1,000 points, have 800 assists and 400 rebounds in his career.
Carolina's alltime assist leader with 883. Is third in ACC history in assists.
Is third in ACC history with 7.42 assists per game behind NC State's Chris Corchiani (8.37) and Duke's Bobby Hurley (7.68).
Is third in ACC history in assists with 883. Hurley (1,076) is the NCAA leader and Corchiani (1,038) is second in the ACC.
Scored 15 points against Tennessee Tech to become the 49th 1,000-point scorer in UNC history. Has 1,067 points entering the Wake Forest game.
Has led the ACC in assists three straight seasons. No one has ever done it four years in a row.
Has 25 career double-digit assist games, a UNC record.
Has scored in double figures 51 times. Career scoring high is 23 points against NC State on Jan. 8, 2000.
Has 12 career double-doubles (11 points and assists, one points and rebounds).
Has played in three ACC Tournament championship games (winning two) and two Final Fours.
The Tar Heels are 97-26 in his four-year career.
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Leads the ACC with a career-high 8.6 assists per game. Florida State's Delvon Arrington is second (6.7).
Tied the UNC single-game assists record when he dished out 17 against UNLV. Equalled Jeff Lebo's mark against Chattanooga in 1988. Cota had just two turnovers to go with his 17 assists.
Has scored in double figures in eight games and had double-doubles in two contests.
Was named to the All-Tournament Team after leading UNC to the Maui Invitational title. Had 15 points and 10 assists vs. USC, 20 points and 7 assists vs. Georgetown and 15 points and 7 assists vs. Purdue.
Shooting a career-high 53.0 percent from the floor (62 for 117).
Has an assist-turnover ratio this year of 2.8 to 1 (137 assists/49 turnovers). That is the best ratio in the ACC.
Has seven or more assists in 14 of the 16 games.
Was 8 for 8 from the field and finished with a career-high 23 points in the win over NC State on Jan. 8. He had scored 24 points in the four previous games combined. It was the fifth time in his career he scored 20 or more points in a game.
MAX OWENS (6-5, JR., G/F, MACON, GA.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSEarned All-Tournament honors at the 1999 ACC Tournament after he scored 23 points in a win over No. 5 Maryland 22 points in championship game against No. 1 Duke.
Has made 82.1 percent from the free throw line.
Has scored in double figures 16 times, including a career-high 23 against Maryland on March 6, 1999 and 23 against UNLV on Dec. 4, 1999.
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
One of four Tar Heels averaging in double figures in scoring. Is third on the team with 12.2 points per contest.
Has scored in double figures eight times with highs of 23 against UNLV, 22 against Louisville and 18 against #7 Michigan State and #1 Cincinnati.
Was 5 for 9 from the floor, 2 for 3 in 3FG and 6 for 6 from the free throw line against the Spartans.
Made 8 of 13 shots from the floor and was 5 for 5 from the line against UNLV.
Made a career-high four three-point baskets against Cincinnati and Louisville.
Has scored 20-plus points four times in his career, three times in the Charlotte Coliseum.
Shooting 52.6 percent from the floor. Also is shooting 83.3 percent >from the charity stripe.
Had 17 points and six rebounds in the win at Miami. Made 6 of 10 from the field, including an acrobatic, left-handed reverse layup, and was 5 for 5 from the free throw line.
JASON CAPEL (6-8, SO., F/G, CHESAPEAKE, VA.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSCarolina's most versatile player. Can play any of four positions. Playing mainly at the small and big forward spots this year after playing mostly off guard as a freshman.
Had off-season back surgery to repair two disks and is playing pain free for the first time several years.
Has scored in double figures 22 times in his career with highs of 23 against UNLV on Dec. 4, 1999, and 20 at Miami on Dec. 18, 1999.
Has made 82.6 percent from the free throw line. Was second in the ACC in free throw percentage last season.
Has improved his points, rebounds and shooting percentage this season.
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Has scored in double figures in 10 contests.
Leads the team and is 10th in the ACC in rebounds at 6.7 per contest.
Had 14 points and nine rebounds against Michigan State.
Was outstanding in the two games in Charlotte. Scored 16 points in the opener against Charleston and had a career-high 23 points and nine boards vs. UNLV in the championship game.
Had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a block and a steal against Tennessee Tech.
Was named MVP of the Orange Bowl Classic after leading Carolina to a 78-68 win over Miami. He scored 20 points (only his second career 20-point game, but his second in five outings), had a career-high 14 rebounds, had five assists and two steals.
Has led the Tar Heels in rebounding in eight games.
Has made 18 of his last 20 free throw attempts over the last seven games.
Is second in the ACC shooting 78.8 percent from the free throw line.
JOSEPH FORTE (6-4, FR., G, GREENBELT, MD.)
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTSCarolina's leading scorer at 15.8 points per game. Was named Most Valuable Player of the Maui Invitational after he helped leda the Tar Heels to three wins and the title.
Has scored in double figures in all but two games and topped 20 points twice. Had 24 in his collegiate debut against Southern California and had 21 in the Maui championship game vs. Purdue.
Is shooting 46.8 percent from the floor, 41.4 percent from three-point range and 73.2 percent from the line.
Second in the ACC in three-point percentage, seventh in scoring and sixth in field goal percentage.
Averaging 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Scored more points in a his freshman debut than any Tar Heel in history.
Is third on the team in rebounds. Has six or more boards in eight games with a season-high eight against Georgetown.
Has 41 assists and 37 turnovers. Had a season-high six assists against top-ranked Cincinnati.
Has connected on at least one three-point field goal in 12 of the 16 games with a high of four in the opener against USC.
Connected on a big three-point field goal late in the game at Miami after the Hurricanes had cut UNC's 16-point lead down to six.
Led the Tar Heels with 15 points on 7 of 12 shooting against Clemson in the ACC opener.
Scored 18 points against NC State (Jan. 8) on 6 of 9 shooting from the floor. Hit a pair of 3FGs, was 4 for 4 from the FT line and added 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
KRIS LANG (6-11, SO., F/C, GASTONIA, N.C.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSAveraged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Shooting 56.9 percent from the floor in his career.
Averaging 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Has scored in double figures 25 times and has three double-doubles.
Career scoring high of 21 against Georgia in 1998 Preseason NIT.
Was in the hospital for almost a week in late summer with a virus.
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Summer virus and shin splints severely hampered his playing time and effectiveness in the first semester.
Also suffered a sprained right knee in the first half of the Cincinnati game and was held out of the Tennessee Tech contest for precautionary reasons.
Earned Tournament MVP honors at the Food Lion MVP Classic in Charlotte on December 3-4. Had 15 points and three rebounds against College of Charleston and 16 points and four rebounds in the finals against UNLV. Made 12 of 16 shots from the floor and 7 of 8 free throws in the two games. Played 35 combined minutes in the two games.
Had seven points and six rebounds in Maui title game against Purdue.
Grabbed seven rebounds in the season opener against USC.
Averaging 10.8 points over the last six contests. Scored 11 points vs. Indiana, 8 vs. Louisville, 10 vs. Howard, 12 vs. Clemson, 10 vs NC State and 14 vs. Wake Forest. Made 22 of 37 shots from the floor in those four games (59.5 percent).
Was 10 for 10 from the free throw line against NC State (Jan. 8). Shooting 69.6 percent from the line this year.
Led Carolina in scoring (14) and rebounding (11) at Wake Forest, recording the third double-double of his career.
BRIAN BERSTICKER (6-10, JR., F/C, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSShooting 54.9 percent from the floor (78 for 142) and 77.4 percent >from the free throw line.
Has scored in double figures five times in his career, including three times in his last 10 games.
Had an ACC high of 12 points in the Tournament last year against Georgia Tech.
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Suffered a fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot early in the game against the College of Charleston on December 3rd. Had surgery to repair the fracture on December 6th. Should be out of action for approximately 10 weeks. Had a similar fracture in the same bone in August.
Averaged 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in the first five games. Had 12 points against Purdue in the Maui in the championship game and seven against USC in the season opener.
Had a season-high seven boards against the Trojans.
Shooting 70.6 percent from the floor (12 for 17).
JULIUS PEPPERS (6-7, FR.-REDSHIRT, F, BAILEY, N.C.)
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTSJoined the basketball team on Nov. 29 after the Tar Heels returned from the Maui Invitational.
Averaging 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Ripped down 13 rebounds (five on the offensive glass) against Clemson on Jan. 6. Added six points, a blocked shot, an assist and two steals in a season-high 24 minutes against the Tigers.
Had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocked shots against Howard, 7 points and 4 rebounds vs. Tennessee Tech, 6 points at Buffalo (including a spectacular breakway dunk that was featured on ESPN) and 5 points at Louisville.
Started all 11 football games this year at defensive end. He had 50 tackles and led the team in tackles for losses with 10 for 47 yards and in quarterback sacks with six for 36 yards. He also intercepted a pass (at Clemson), caused and recovered one fumble and blocked one kick. He was sixth in the ACC in sacks. The Sporting News named him first team Freshman All-America.
The NCHSAA Male Athlete of the Year as a high school senior at Southern Nash High School in Bailey, N.C., in 1997-98. Peppers was recruited by several Division I programs to play basketball. He played on the same AAU team with Tar Heel teammates Brendan Haywood and Kris Lang.
