University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Hope To Rebound Against Terps
January 27, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2000
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina looks to end a four-game losing streak when it hosts Atlantic Coast Conference foe Maryland, currently ranked No. 21 in the nation in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll and No. 22 in the Associated Press poll, on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Smith Center. The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday evening but was postponed due to snow in the Chapel Hill area.
The Tar Heels won their first two ACC games this season, but have dropped four straight games, including three in a row against ACC teams.
Carolina has held its opponents to a 41.6 percent field goal percentage this season. In 1997-98 and 1998-99, head coach Bill Guthridge's first two years as the UNC head coach, the Tar Heels held their opponents to under 40 percent shooting, the first time Carolina opponents shot under 40 percent in consecutive seasons since 1959-60 and 1960-61. UNC's opponents shot 38.4 percent from the floor in 1997-98 (leading the ACC) and 39.3 percent in 1998-99 (ranking third in the ACC).
Freshman point guard Jonathan Holmes saw his most extensive action of his career last Saturday against Florida State, scoring five points and dishing out six assists with just two turnovers.
Senior point guard Ed Cota leads the ACC with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.82.
Cota missed last Saturday's game with Florida State with a respiratory virus and Kris Lang missed much of the game with a stomach virus. Lang lost seven pounds on Saturday as a result of his illness. Both players returned to practice on Monday and are expected to play against Maryland.
Carolina has committed 294 turnovers this season (15.5 per game) while forcing 238 (12.5 per game). In their eight losses, the Tar Heels have committed 137 turnovers (17.1 per game).
Carolina has lost four consecutive games for the first time since the 1991-92 season. The last time UNC lost five straight games was the final five games of the 1951-52 season. The longest losing streak in school history is eight games (1950-51).
The Tar Heels have lost two straight games in the Smith Center for the first time since losing to Maryland and Georgia Tech during the 1995-96 season. Carolina has never lost three straight games in the Smith Center.
The Tar Heels have lost three home games this season. The school record for home losses in a season is five (1929-30 and 1943-44). The last time Carolina lost four home games in a season was in 1951-52.
UNC has lost three straight games to ACC teams. The longest losing streak to ACC teams in school history is four games (five times, most recently in 1996-97, when Carolina lost in the 1996 ACC Tournament quarterfinals to Clemson and lost its first three conference games of the 1996-97 season).
The Tar Heels are unranked in both national polls this week. Prior to this week, UNC had been ranked in the Associated Press poll for 172 consecutive weeks (dating back to the 1990-91 preseason). That was the second-longest streak in NCAA history. Carolina has been ranked in 628 Associated Press polls since the poll's inception in 1949, more than any other school in the nation. Kentucky is second with 618.
TAR HEELS AND TERRAPINS
The Tar Heels lead the series, 104-47. Last year, Maryland won both regular-season meetings and Carolina earned an 86-79 victory in the ACC seminfinals.
Maryland has beaten Carolina five times in the Smith Center, the most of any ACC school. Carolina is 48-14 in Chapel Hill against Maryland and 9-5 in the Smith Center. The Terps have won three of their last four games with UNC in the Smith Center.
The two teams have split the last 10 meetings.
Ed Cota is averaging 7.9 assists in eight career games with Maryland, including a pair of 11-assist performances (on 1/8/97 and 1/13/99).
Brendan Haywood averaged 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in three games versus the Terps last season, including two double-doubles (18 points and 11 rebounds in Chapel Hill and 10 points and 10 rebounds in the ACC Tournament semifinals).
LAST YEAR AGAINST MARYLAND
Maryland defeated Carolina, 89-76, in the Smith Center on Jan. 13, 1999. Maryland shot 53.6 percent from the floor, the first time a UNC opponent had shot over 50 percent since Jan. 14, 1998, at Maryland. The win was Maryland's fifth at the Smith Center, the most of any opponent. Brendan Haywood led Carolina with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Ed Cota had 17 points and 11 assists.
The Terps defeated Carolina, 81-64, on Feb. 13, 1999, in College Park. The Terps shot 50 percent from the floor and scored 35 points off 25 Carolina turnovers. Maryland blocked 14 shots to Carolina's zero in the game. Ademola Okulaja led the Heels with 15 points.
In the 1999 ACC Tournament semifinals, the Tar Heels played one of their best games of the season and defeated the No. 5-ranked Terrapins, 86-79, to advance to the ACC championship game for the eighth time in nine years. Carolina had a 23-point lead in the second half, but the Terps closed to within four with under a minute to play. Max Owens scored a career-high 23 points (since matched on Dec. 4, 1999, vs. UNLV) and hit 11 of 12 free throws, including six in a row with less than 36 seconds remaining. Ademola Okulaja had 19 points, including four three-pointers, for UNC.
IN THE NCAA STATISTICS
In the latest NCAA rankings (as of Jan. 24), the Tar Heels lead the nation in field goal percentage (.510). Among UNC's top seven players, Brendan Haywood (.709), Kris Lang (.514), Ed Cota (.527) and Max Owens (.531) and Julius Peppers (.511) shoot better than 50 percent. Joseph Forte (.474) and Jason Capel (.463) also shoot better than 45 percent >from the floor.
Brendan Haywood leads the nation in field goal percentage (.709) and Ed Cota ranks third in the national rankings in assists per game (8.6). Cota's 17 assists against UNLV on Dec. 4 are the most by any player in America in a single game this season.
TAR HEELS LOSE FOURTH STRAIGHT, 76-71 AT HOME TO FLORIDA STATE
Florida State connected on 10 of 18 three-point field goals and shot 50.9 percent from the floor overall in sending Carolina to its fourth consecutive defeat.
Brendan Haywood had 15 points and nine rebounds for UNC, while Joseph Forte had 15 points and Jason Capel had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Carolina shot 50.0 percent from the floor and out-rebounded the Seminoles, 33-27.
The loss was UNC's fourth in a row, the first time Carolina has lost four straight since the 1991-92 season.
CAROLINA DROPS THIRD STRAIGHT GAME, 87-85 AT VIRGINIA
Carolina shot 58.6 percent for the game and outrebounded Virginia, 43-30, but committed 21 turnovers and lost to the Cavaliers, 87-85, on Jan. 18 in Charlottesville.
Joseph Forte tallied season highs with 27 points and 11 rebounds while also dishing out five assists in the game. Forte shot 11-for-16 >from the floor in posting his first career double-double. His 27 points were the most by any Carolina player since Shammond Williams scored 32 against UNC Charlotte on March 14, 1998, in the Tar Heels' 93-83 overtime win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Hartford, Conn.
Brendan Haywood recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, including six offensive boards. Jason Capel scored 17 points before fouling out with 42.2 seconds left.
Ed Cota had nine points, five rebounds, 10 assists and just two turnovers. Cota now has 901 career assists, moving him into ninth place in NCAA history. San Francisco's Orlando Smart is eighth with 902 and Oregon State's Gary Payton is seventh with 939.
The 172 combined points Carolina and Virginia scored in the game made it the highest-scoring game between the two schools since an 89-86, double-overtime UNC win at Virginia in 1990-91.
Virginia's 87 points are the most the Cavaliers have scored against Carolina since scoring 92 in an overtime win in the 1990 ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
TAR HEELS RALLY, BUT FALL SHORT AGAINST UCLA
Carolina shot 59.3 percent from the floor in the first half, but UCLA grabbed 19 offensive rebounds in the game as the Bruins outlasted the Tar Heels, 71-68. UCLA led 24-12 eight minutes into the contest, but Carolina went on a 19-9 run late in the half and trailed by just a point at intermission. UCLA re-established an 11-point margin midway through the second half before the Tar Heels again rallied. Trailing 60-49, UNC fought back to within 69-68 with 21.7 seconds to play. UCLA guard Ryan Bailey banked in two free throws with 14.9 seconds left and Carolina was unable to connect on a pair of three-point tries in the final seconds.
Jason Capel, playing on his 20th birthday, scored a game-high 21 points. He was 7 for 12 from the floor, including 3 of 6 from three-point range.
UCLA had 19 offensive boards, while the Tar Heels grabbed 20 defensive rebounds.
COTA'S CAREER NUMBERS IN EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
Senior point guard Ed Cota has 1,091 points, 901 assists and 426 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 only player in ACC history to compile 1,000 points, 800 assists and 400 rebounds in a career.
Cota ranks third in ACC history and ninth in NCAA history with 901 career assists. Bobby Hurley of Duke is first in NCAA and ACC history with 1,076 career assists and Chris Corchiani of NC State is second in both categories with 1,038. Cota moved into ninth place in NCAA history with 10 assists against Virginia. He needs only two assists to pass San Francisco's Orlando Smart (902). Gary Payton of Oregon State is seventh (939).
Cota led the ACC in assists in each of his first three 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.
COTA A WOODEN AWARD CANDIDATE
Senior point guard Ed Cota, who ranks third in the nation in assists this season, has been named to the John Wooden Award Midseason All-America Team. The team includes the top 30 candidates for the Wooden Award, which is given in the postseason to the National Player of the Year. Cota is one of five Atlantic Coast Conference players to survive the cut down from 50 preseason candidates to 30 at midseason. The other ACC honorees include Shane Battier (Duke), Chris Carrawell (Duke), Jason Collier (Georgia Tech) and Terence Morris (Maryland).
SCORING IS UP
Carolina is averaging 78.8 points per game in 1999-2000 and has scored more than 80 in 10 of 19 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.
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.
HEAD COACH BILL GUTHRIDGE
Guthridge is 69-22 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.
BRENDAN HAYWOOD (7-0, JR., C, GREENSBORO, N.C.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSCarolina's alltime leader in field goal percentage. Has made 64.9 percent of his shot attempts from the floor (290 for 447). Second-best is Carolina's Rasheed Wallace at 63.5 percent.
Is eighth alltime at UNC in blocked shots with 142. Brad Daugherty is seventh with 146.
Averaging 8.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in his 91-game career. Over the last two seasons as a starter, he is averaging 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.
Has scored in double figures 35 times in his career with a high of 24 at California on Dec. 27, 1998.
Has 12 career double-doubles (points and rebounds).
Has scored 20 or more points seven times, most recently at Virginia on Jan. 18.
Has made 50 percent or more of his field goal attempts in 45 of 53 games over the last two seasons as a starter.
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Leads the nation in field goal percentage at .709. Has converted 95 of 134 field goal attempts.
Third in the ACC in blocked shots with 2.6 per game. Has blocked 49 shots in 19 contests.
Leads Carolina in rebounding with 6.5 per game.
Scored in double figures in 12 games with a high of 21 against Howard. Also had 20 against Georgetown, Louisville and Virginia.
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 55 of 73 field goal attempts in the last 10 games (.753).
Was 7 for 7 from the floor and finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in the win over NC State.
Had 20 points and 12 rebounds in the loss at Virginia.
Has grabbed 69 rebounds in the last eight games, an average of 8.6 per game.
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 901. Is third in ACC history and ninth in NCAA history in assists. Needs two assists to become eighth in NCAA history and 39 for seventh place.
Is third in ACC history with 7.45 assists per game behind NC State's Chris Corchiani (8.37) and Duke's Bobby Hurley (7.68). 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 1,091 points entering the Florida State game.
Has led the ACC in assists three straight seasons. No one has ever done it four years in a row.
Has 26 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.
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Leads the ACC and is third in the nation with a career-high 8.6 assists per game. Florida State's Delvon Arrington is second at 7.1 per game.
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. No other player in America this season has had as many as 17 assists in a game.
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 52.7 percent from the floor (68 for 129).
Has an assist-turnover ratio this year of 2.8 to 1 (155 assists/55 turnovers). That is the best ratio in the ACC.
Has seven or more assists in 16 of the 18 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.
Career 81.2 percent free throw shooter.
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 five Tar Heels averaging in double figures in scoring. Is fourth on the team with 11.0 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 53.1 percent from the floor. Also is shooting 81.4 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.
Scored in double figures in 9 of the first 14 games, but has scored a total of 26 points in the last five games. Has attempted only 18 shots >from the floor in the last five contests (making 10).
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 23 times in his career with highs of 23 against UNLV on Dec. 4, 1999, 21 against UCLA on Jan. 15, 2000, and 20 at Miami on Dec. 18, 1999.
Has made 82.0 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 13 contests, including four in a row, and 20 or more points four times.
Second on the team in rebounds at 6.4 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.
Led all scorers with 21 points in the loss to UCLA (on his birthday). Was 7 for 12 from the field (including 3 of 6 from three-point range) and had two steals. Scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half. Hit two free throws in the final minute to cut UCLA's lead to 69-68.
Is fifth in the ACC shooting 78.2 percent from the free throw line.
Was all over the court with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals on Jan. 22 vs. Florida State.
Averaging 15.7 points per game over the last four games (11 at Wake Forest, 21 versus UCLA, 17 at Virginia and 14 versus Florida State).
JOSEPH FORTE (6-4, FR., G, GREENBELT, MD.)
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTSCarolina's leading scorer at 16.2 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.
Sixth in the ACC in scoring average and tops among freshmen. Is eighth in the league in field goal percentage and eighth in steals.
Has scored in double figures in all but two games and topped 20 points three times. Had 24 in his collegiate debut against Southern California, 21 in the Maui championship game vs. Purdue and a season-high 27 at Virginia.
Is shooting 47.4 percent from the floor, 37.8 percent from three-point range and 69.8 percent from the free throw line.
Scored more points in a his freshman debut than any Tar Heel in history.
Is third on the team in rebounds at 5.6 per game. Has six or more boards in nine games with a season-high 11 at Virginia.
Has 54 assists and 48 turnovers. Ranks second on the team in assists and had a season-high six assists against top-ranked Cincinnati.
Has connected on at least one three-point field goal in 15 of the 19 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.
Had 13 points, five assists and four steals in the UCLA game. Steal and dunk and three-pointer brought UNC back from an 11-point second-half deficit to within 62-60.
Had a season-high 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting at Virginia. Recorded his first career double-double against the Cavaliers, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals. The 27 points were the most by a UNC freshman since Antawn Jamison had 31 at Maryland in 1995-96.
Tied for the team lead with 15 points on Jan. 22 vs. Florida State despite missing much of the second half with foul trouble.
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 55.9 percent from the floor in his career.
Averaging 9.7 points and 4.9 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.
Has scored 67 points in the last seven games (9.6 ppg) since he joined the starting lineup for the Howard game.
Was 10 for 10 from the free throw line against NC State (Jan. 8). Shooting 75.6 percent from the line this year. Has made 13 for 13 from the line in the last four games.
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 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
In just 18 minutes of action against UCLA, he had five points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Grabbed three offensive rebounds.
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.
Played crucial minutes in the second half and had five points, four rebounds, two blocked shots and three steals against Florida State on Jan. 22. Had a three-point play as UNC attempted its second-half comeback.
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.
