University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina Men's Basketball Gears Up For Sweet 16 Matchup Against Tennessee
March 21, 2000 | Men's Basketball
March 21, 2000
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QUICK FACTS
No. 8 seed North Carolina
(20-13, 9-7 ACC/tied third place)
Head Coach: Bill Guthridge (Kansas State '60)
Guthridge's Record as Head Coach: 78-27 (.743), 3rd year
Guthridge's Record at UNC: same
No. 4 seed TENNESSEE
(26-6, 12-4 SEC/tied first place-East)
Head Coach: Jerry Green (Appalachian State '68)
Green's Record as Head Coach: 289-202, 17th year
Green's Record at Tennessee: 67-24, 3rd year
ON THE AIR
Television: CBS
Radio: Learfield Communications (Woody Durham, Mick Mixon)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: Carolina leads, 5-1
Last Meeting: 1/31/49 - Tennessee 84, Carolina 56, in Knoxville, Tenn.
CAROLINA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Record in the NCAA Tournament: 78-33
Appearances: 34th, 26th consecutive (NCAA record)
NCAA Titles: 1957, 1982, 1993
CAROLINA ADVANCES TO SWEET 16 FOR 17TH TIME IN LAST 20 SEASONS
No. 8 seed North Carolina defeated No. 9 seed Missouri and No. 1 seed Stanford last weekend in Birmingham, Ala., to advance to this weekend's NCAA South Regional in Austin, Texas. The Tar Heels will face No. 4 seed Tennessee at approximately 9:30 p.m. Central Time on Friday night.
The winner of Friday's regional semifinal will play on Sunday at 1:40 p.m. CT against the winner of the game between No. 6 seed Miami (Fla.) and No. 7 seed Tulsa.
Carolina is making its NCAA-record 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and is playing in the postseason for the 34th straight year. The Tar Heels have earned an NCAA bid every year since the tournament field expanded to accept more than one team from each conference in 1975. Carolina is 78-33 alltime in the NCAA Tournament and has advanced to the Final Four 14 times.
GUTHRIDGE IN EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
With wins over Missouri and Stanford last weekend, UNC head coach Bill Guthridge now has the second-most wins by a third-year coach in NCAA history (see chart below).
NCAA Alltime Best Coaching Starts after Three Seasons (by wins)
| Coach | Record | |
| 1. | Everett Case, NC State (1947-49) | 80-16 |
| 2. | Bill Guthridge, North Carolina (1998-2000) | 78-27 |
| 3. | Roy Williams, Kansas (1989-91) | 76-25 |
| 4. | Jim Boeheim, Syracuse (1977-79) | 74-14 |
| 5. | Bill Carmody, Princeton (1997-99) | 73-14 |
CAROLINA'S NCAA TOURNAMENT RECORD
Carolina is making a record 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 34th overall. Only Kentucky (41) and UCLA (35) have been in the NCAA field more than UNC. The current streak of 26 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament began in 1975.
Carolina has appeared in 111 NCAA Tournament games prior to its regional semifinal with Tennessee. Only Kentucky (121) has played in more NCAA Tournament games.
The Tar Heels are 78-33 in NCAA Tournament games. Kentucky is first alltime in NCAA wins with 85, Carolina is second with 78, UCLA is third with 76, Duke is fourth with 67 and Kansas is fifth with 59.
Carolina has advanced to the Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) an amazing 17 times in the last 20 years. The only years UNC did not reach the Sweet 16 were in 1994 (lost to Boston College in the second round), 1996 (lost to Texas Tech in the second round) and 1999 (lost to Weber State in the first round).
The Tar Heels have won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament in 19 of the last 20 years. Carolina lost in the first round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament to Weber State.
20 WINS, AGAIN
Carolina's victory over Stanford in the NCAA South Regional Second Round ensured the continuance of one of the most remarkable streaks in college basketball. The win was UNC's 20th of the season, marking the 30th year in a row that Carolina has won at least 20 games. That is an NCAA record for most consecutive 20-win seasons.
In fact, in each of the previous 29 seasons the Tar Heels have won at least 21 games, so a win over Tennessee would mean that UNC had won 21 games or more in each of the last 30 years.
CAROLINA'S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
UNC won the NCAA Tournament in 1957, 1982 and 1993 and finished second in 1946, 1968, 1977 and 1981.
FIVE FINAL FOURS IN THE LAST NINE YEARS
Carolina has played in five Final Fours in the last nine seasons. In 1993, George Lynch, Eric Montross, Derrick Phelps and Donald Williams led Carolina to the NCAA title with a 77-71 victory over Michigan in New Orleans, La. The Tar Heels defeated Cincinnati in the East Regional final in the Meadowlands to reach the Final Four.
The Tar Heels also reached the Final Four in 1991 by defeating Temple in the Meadowlands, in 1995 by defeating Kentucky in the Southeast Regional final in Birmingham, Ala., in 1997 by defeating Louisville in Syracuse, N.Y., and in 1998 by defeating Connecticut in Greensboro, N.C.
CAROLINA'S RECORD IN THE SWEET 16
Carolina is 17-6 in 23 previous appearances in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinal (Sweet 16) games.
The Tar Heels have reached the Sweet 16 in 17 of the last 20 seasons. UNC has gone 11-5 in regional semifinal games during that span (prior to Friday's game with Tennessee).
Bill Guthridge is 1-0 in regional semifinals as Carolina's head coach (a 73-58 win over Michigan State in the 1998 East Regional).
The Tar Heels have won four straight regional semifinal games (victories in 1993, '95, '97 and '98). UNC reached the NCAA Final Four in each of those four seasons and won the 1993 national championship.
SWEET 16 APPEARANCES IN THE LAST 20 YEARS BY ACTIVE NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS (1981-2000)
| 1. | North Carolina | 17 |
| 2. | Duke | 11 |
| 3. | Syracuse | 8 |
| 4. | UCLA | 6 |
| 5. | Michigan State | 5 |
| Purdue | 5 | |
| 7. | Florida | 4 |
| LSU | 4 | |
| Oklahoma State | 4 | |
| Seton Hall | 4 | |
| 11. | Iowa State | 3 |
| Tulsa | 3 | |
| 13. | Gonzaga | 2 |
| Tennessee | 2 | |
| 15. | Miami | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | |
CAROLINA AS A NO. 8 SEED
- Carolina is the No. 8 seed in the South Regional in Birmingham, Ala. The No. 8 seed ties the lowest seed in school history (1990).
- UNC is now 4-1 as a No. 8 seed. The Tar Heels went 2-1 as a No. 8 seed in the 1990 Midwest Regional.
- Carolina has been a No. 8 seed just once prior to this season. The Tar Heels were the No. 8 seed at the 1990 NCAA Midwest Regional in Austin Texas. That season, UNC defeated Southwest Missouri State in the first round and upset No. 1-ranked Oklahoma in the second round in Austin, Texas, before losing to Arkansas in the Sweet 16 in Dallas.
- Since the NCAA began seeding teams for the Tournament in 1979, Carolina has been lower than a No. 4 seed just two times prior to this season: in 1990 (No. 8 seed in the Midwest) and in 1996 (No. 6 seed in the East).
UNC VS. THE 2000 NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD
Carolina went 4-8 during the 1999-2000 regular season versus teams in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels defeated Purdue (No. 6 seed in the West), UNLV (No. 10 seed in the South), Miami (Fla.) (No. 5 seed in the South) and Maryland (No. 3 seed in the Midwest).
The Tar Heels lost to Michigan State (No. 1 seed in the Midwest), Cincinnati (No. 2 seed in the South), Indiana (No. 6 seed in the East), Louisville (No. 7 seed in the West), UCLA (No. 6 seed in the Midwest), Maryland and Duke (No. 1 seed in the East) this season.
TAR HEELS AND TENNESSEE SERIES NOTES
- Carolina leads the alltime series with Tennessee, 5-1, but the two teams have not played each other since 1948-49.
- UNC won the first five games of the series, picking up victories in 1910-11, 1926-27, 1928-29, 1931-32 and 1947-48.
- Tennessee defeated Carolina, 84-56, in the most recent meeting on Jan. 31, 1949.
- The last time Carolina faced a Southeastern Conference team was on Nov. 18, 1998, when the Tar Heels defeated Georgia, 65-58, on their way to winning the Preseason NIT.
TAR HEELS AND MIAMI (FLA.) SERIES NOTES
- Carolina leads the series, 5-0, including a 78-68 Tar Heel win this season on Dec. 18 in Sunrise, Fla.
- Prior to this season, the teams had played just twice since 1950. The Tar Heels won, 87-74, in Chapel Hill on Feb. 5, 1990. Carolina also defeated the Hurricanes in Chapel Hill, 122-77, on Dec. 6, 1986. The teams played on back-to-back nights in Coral Gables in January 1950. UNC prevailed in both games, 55-53 and 65-51.
- Senior center Scott Williams had 20 points and 11 rebounds and was one of five Tar Heels in double figures (four of whom are still active in the NBA) as UNC won, 87-74, on Feb. 5, 1990. The Tar Heels led by as many as 17 points in the first half and had a 12-point advantage at halftime. The Hurricanes opened the second half with a 16-4 run to even the game at 50. Rick Fox (17 points), Pete Chilcutt (15) and Hubert Davis (13) helped Carolina pull away down the stretch.
- Carolina is 56-7 against teams from the state of Florida. That includes the following records: 2-0 vs. Bethune-Cookman, 2-0 vs. Central Florida, 3-1 vs. Florida, 1-0 vs. Florida Southern, 25-6 vs. Florida State, 6-0 vs. Jacksonville, 5-0 vs. Miami, 3-0 vs. St. Thomas, 6-0 vs. South Florida and 3-0 vs. Stetson.
- The Tar Heels have gone 2-0 this season against Big East opponents. Carolina defeated Georgetown, 85-79, in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational and beat Miami (Fla.), 78-68, earlier this season in Sunrise, Fla.
TAR HEELS AND TULSA SERIES NOTES
- Carolina and Tulsa have played each other just twice, splitting the two games.
- The Tar Heels defeated Tulsa, 78-70, on Dec. 3, 1981, in Carmichael Auditorium. Freshman Michael Jordan hit 11 of 15 shots and led UNC with 22 points. Matt Doherty had 18 points and James Worthy had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Carolina went on to win the NCAA championship that season.
- A season later, Tulsa downed the Tar Heels, 84-74, in the Oil City Classic in Tulsa, Okla. on Dec. 17, 1982. In that game, Jordan led UNC with 28 points and eight rebounds. Sam Perkins added 15 points.
CAROLINA IN AUSTIN
- Carolina is 2-1 alltime in Austin, Texas, including a 2-0 mark in NCAA Tournament games.
- Carolina is 2-0 in NCAA Tournament games played in Austin, winning a pair of games in 1990 as the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Regional. The Tar Heels advanced to the Sweet 16 that season with wins over SW Missouri State in the first round and No. 1-seeded and ranked Oklahoma in the second round before losing in the Sweet 16 to Arkansas.
- UNC also has played the University of Texas once in Austin, losing a 74-72 decision on Dec. 30, 1995, to the Longhorns. In that game, Texas surged to a 17-point first half lead before holding off a furious Tar Heel rally late. UNC trailed by 15 with 10:15 to play but outscored the Longhorns, 28-15, the rest of the way. Freshman Antawn Jamison had 14 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, while senior Dante Calabria added 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Shammond Williams had 10 second-half points for the Tar Heels. Texas was led by Sonny Alvarado's 20 points and 14 rebounds.
UNC DEFENSE KEY TO FIRST- AND SECOND-ROUND VICTORIES
North Carolina's strong defensive performances were crucial in NCAA Tournament first- and second-round wins over Missouri and Stanford, respectively. Missouri hit just 40.9 percent from the floor and Stanford hit just 34.5 percent. Brendan Haywood and Jason Capel were rated Carolina's top defenders in the two games, based on coaches' film evaluations.
Missouri hit just two of 17 three-pointers in the second half and eight of 31 overall. Stanford's starting frontcourt combined for just seven of 29 shooting and 18 points.
Carolina has held its opponents to under 50 percent shooting in each of the last 14 games dating back to a home loss to Florida State on Jan. 22. Tar Heel opponents have hit 50 percent from the floor just four times this season and UNC is 0-4 in those games (Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville and Florida State).
The Tar Heels have held 15 opponents to under 40 percent field goal shooting, and UNC is 14-1 in those games.
TAR HEELS UPSET NO. 1 SEED STANFORD TO REACH SWEET 16
- No. 8 seed Carolina limited No. 1 seed Stanford to 34.5 percent field goal shooting and a 27.3 percent three-point field goal percentage to earn a 60-53 win over the Cardinal on March 19. The victory over the No. 3-ranked Stanford team sent UNC to an amazing 17th NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance in the last 20 years.
- Carolina tied its season low with eight turnovers (the Tar Heels also had eight turnovers against Howard on Jan. 2).
- UNC's 60 points tied its fewest ever in an NCAA Tournament win (UNC beat Notre Dame, 60-58, in the Southeast Regional Second Round in 1985 in South Bend, Ind.).
- No. 3-ranked Stanford was the highest-ranked team Carolina has defeated since it beat No. 3 Stanford in the Preaseason NIT on Nov. 27, 1998.
- The Tar Heel defense held Stanford's starting frontcourt of Casey Jacobsen, Mark Madsen and Jarron Collins to 7-for-29 shooting in the game.
- After Stanford led, 47-43, the Carolina defense limited the Cardinal to just six points in the final 8:20 of the game. UNC outscored Stanford, 17-6, in that final 8:20. Carolina held the Cardinal scoreless from the 8:20 mark until 2:25.
- Freshman Joseph Forte scored eight straight points in a span of 1:44 late in the game to help clinch the victory. Forte buried back-to-back three-pointers in a 45-second span to break a 47-47 tie and give Carolina a 53-47 lead it would never relinquish.
- Sophomore Jason Capel held Stanford's leading scorer, Casey Jacobsen, to 2-for-12 shooting and five points in the game.
- Senior point guard Ed Cota finished with seven points, seven rebounds and 10 assists, his 12th double-figure assist game of the season. It was Cota's third straight 10-assist game in NCAA action (Weber State, Missouri, Stanford).
- With the win, Carolina improved to 6-2 alltime against No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament and 9-0 alltime against Stanford.
- Bill Guthridge is now 6-2 in NCAA Tournament games as Carolina's head coach.
CAROLINA TOPS MISSOURI IN NCAA FIRST ROUND
- Junior center Brendan Haywood set new career highs for points (28), field goals (11), field goal attempts (15) and offensive rebounds (nine) as Carolina defeated Missouri, 84-70, to advance to the NCAA Tournament South Regional second round. Haywood's 28 points were the most by a Tar Heel in NCAA Tournament action since Shammond Williams scored 32 in an overtime win over UNC Charlotte in the 1998 East Regional second round.
- Haywood had 15 rebounds against Missouri, the most by a Tar Heel in an NCAA Tournament game since Antawn Jamison had 16 against Colorado in the 1997 East Regional second round.
- Haywood's 28 points were the most by a Tar Heel this season. The previous high was 27 by freshman guard Joseph Forte in a loss at Virginia.
- Senior point guard Ed Cota tallied 10 assists to become the third player in ACC and NCAA history to pass the 1,000-assist mark in his career.
- Sophomore forward Jason Capel finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season. He scored in double figures for the eighth straight game and 16th time in 17 games.
- Carolina out-rebounded the Tigers, 55-30, and out-rebounded Missouri on the offensive glass, 26-11. The +25 rebound margin was the largest of the season for the Tar Heels (the previous high was +18 at Buffalo) and UNC's largest ever in an NCAA Tournament game.
- Missouri hit just 2 of 17 three-point field goals in the second half and 8 of 31 in the game.
- Carolina scored 44 points in the first half, matching its highest first-half scoring output of the season. The Tar Heels also scored 44 points in a 102-78 win over UNLV in December.
- With the win, UNC has won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament in 19 of the last 20 seasons (the only exception was 1998-99).
CAROLINA NOW 5-1 IN BIRMINGHAM
After defeating Missouri and Stanford in the South Regional first and second rounds, Carolina has gone 5-1 in games at the Birmingham-Jefferson Coliseum in Birmingham. All of those games were contested in the NCAA Tournament.
Carolina reached the finals of the 1985 NCAA Southeast Regional in Birmingham before falling to eventual national champion Villanova, 56-44, in the Final 8.
Carolina advanced to the 1995 Final Four with wins at the Birmingham-Jefferson Coliseum over Georgetown and Kentucky in the NCAA Southeast Regional. In the 74-64 win over Allen Iverson and the Hoyas, Rasheed Wallace led the Tar Heels with 22 points and 12 rebounds while Donald Williams hit four three-pointers and added 20 points. In the regional final against the Wildcats, Jerry Stackhouse led the Heels with 18 points and 12 rebounds and Williams also added 18.
COTA PASSES 1,000-ASSIST PLATEAU
- Senior point guard Ed Cota became just the third player in ACC and NCAA history to tally 1,000 career assists when he dished out 10 assists versus Missouri on March 17. Cota now has 1,013 career assists, behind only Duke's Bobby Hurley (1,076) and NC State's Chris Corchiani (1,038) in college basketball history.
- Cota also had 10 assists versus No. 1 seed Stanford and now has tallied double figures in assists in 12 games this season and 32 games in his career. He has had 10 or more assists in four of the last five games, including 11 against Georgia Tech, 13 against Duke, 10 against Missouri and 10 against Stanford.
- Cota is the only player in NCAA history to score 1,000 points, dish out 1,000 assists and grab 500 rebounds. He passed the 500-rebound barrier on March 19 vs. Stanford. Cota has scored 1,236 points in addition to his 1,013 assists and 500 rebounds.
- Cota should become the first player in ACC history to lead the league in assists for four consecutive seasons. Three other players (UNC's Phil Ford, Wake Forest's Tyrone Bogues and Georgia Tech's Drew Barry) also led the league three times. Cota will join Virginia's Ralph Sampson and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan as the only players to lead the ACC in a statistical category for four seasons (both Sampson and Duncan led the league four times in blocked shots).
- Ed Cota leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 8.3 assists per game. That is a single-season Carolina record (breaking his own mark of 7.4 assists per game set on two occasions) and the sixth-best figure in ACC history. Cota averages almost two assists more per game than any player in the ACC.
TAR HEEL TRENDS
- The Tar Heels have hit just 24 of 98 three-point attempts (24.5 percent) in their last eight games. UNC's opponents have hit 56 three-pointers during that same span. Prior to those eight games, Carolina made 28 of 66 three-pointers over a four-game span (42.4 percent).
- Brendan Haywood has hit 81 of his last 113 field goal attempts (71.9 percent). Haywood has made at least half his shots from the floor in 31 of 33 games this year and at least 70 percent in 11 of the last 16 games. He leads the nation with a 71.3 field goal percentage this season.
- Joseph Forte (16.2 points per game) has led Carolina and all ACC freshmen in scoring throughout the season. No freshman has ever led Carolina in scoring and just one, current assistant coach Phil Ford, has averaged more points than Forte has so far this season.
- Carolina has turned the ball over more than its opponents in 23 of 32 games and are 12-11 in those contests.
- Carolina has averaged 17.3 turnovers in its 12 losses and 13.3 per game in its 20 victories.
- Carolina leads the ACC in field goal percentage (.496).
- Bill Guthridge is now 6-2 in NCAA Tournament games as Carolina's head coach.
- Brendan Haywood has averaged 15.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in UNC's two NCAA Tournament wins.
- Carolina is 19-2 this season when attempting more free throws than its opponents.
- The Tar Heels are 14-1 when their opponents shoot less than 40 percent from the field.
- Carolina has held its opponents to under 50 percent shooting in each of the last 14 games dating back to a home loss to Florida State on Jan. 22. Tar Heel opponents have hit 50 percent from the floor just four times this season and UNC is 0-4 in those games (Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville and Florida State). Missouri hit just 40.9 percent from the floor and Stanford hit just 34.5 percent.
- UNC is 14-2 this year when leading at halftime.
COTA, FORTE, HAYWOOD EARN ALL-ACC HONORS
- Senior point guard Ed Cota and freshman guard Joseph Forte were named second-team All-ACC on March 7 in a vote of the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Assocation. Junior center Brendan Haywood earned third-team honors. Forte also was a unanimous selection to the ACC's All-Freshman team.
- It was the third consecutive year in which Cota earned second team All-ACC honors. This season, he was the seventh-leading vote-getter for All-ACC, receiving more first-place votes than any other second-team honoree. In 1998, Cota received the seventh-most votes and in 1999 he received the eighth-most votes.
- It was the fourth year in a row that no ACC point guard was named first-team All-ACC.
- Forte tied with Chris Williams of Virginia for the final spot on the second team and was the only freshman named to the first or second team. He also was a unanimous selection to the All-Freshman team. Joining Forte as a unanimous choice to the All-Freshman team was Duke's Jason Williams.
- Haywood earned third-team All-ACC honors as the third-leading vote-getter on the Third Team.
- Junior forward Jason Capel was an Honorable Mention choice.
- Carolina did not have a player on the first team for the first time since 1994.
FORTE NAMED UNC'S FIFTH ACC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
- Freshman guard Joseph Forte, who has led Carolina and all ACC freshmen in scoring throughout the season, was named the ACC's Rookie of the Year on March 15. Forte is the fifth Tar Heel to win the conference rookie-of-the-year award, joining Sam Perkins (1981), Michael Jordan (1982), J.R. Reid (1987) and Ed Cota (1997).
- On the season, Forte ranks sixth in the ACC in scoring, tops among freshmen, and also ranks among the top ten in field goal percentage (10th/.455), three-point field goal percentage (4th/.373) and steals per game (9th/1.6).
- Forte was named ACC Rookie of the Week a league-high four times ? on Nov. 30, Feb. 14, Feb. 28 and March 6.
- Forte has 535 points this season, the second-most by a freshman in UNC history. Sam Perkins scored a freshman-record 550 points in 1980-81.
- Forte almost certainly will lead Carolina in scoring this year, a feat no other freshman in school history has accomplished.
- Forte has had more assists than turnovers in four consecutive games. In the last four games, he has 12 assists and four turnovers. For the season, Forte has 89 assists and 77 turnovers. He is second on the team in assists behind ACC leader Ed Cota.
FORTE NAMED SECOND-TEAM FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA
Freshman guard Joseph Forte has been named second-team Freshman All-America by Basketball Times. He is joined on the second team by Gilbert Arenas (Arizona), Troy Bell (Boston College), Jason Kapono (UCLA) and Joe Johnson (Arkansas).
The first team includes Donnell Harvey (Florida), Jason Gardner (Arizona), Casey Jacobson (Stanford), DerMarr Johnson (Cincinnati) and Jason Williams (Duke).
ACC STREAKS CONTINUE
- Carolina finished 9-7 in the ACC this season, tying Virginia for third place in the final conference regular-season standings. That marked the 36th season in a row Carolina has finished in the top three of the ACC. Carolina has finished first 17 times, second 12 times and third seven times.
- Carolina's 9-7 conference mark this year was its 36th consecutive winning record in the ACC.
- Carolina went 4-4 on the road in ACC play this season, marking the eighth straight season the Heels have won at least half of their ACC road games.
HAYWOOD'S SHOOTING LEADS NATION
- Junior center Brendan Haywood has been dominant at times in the second half of this season, earning third-team All-ACC honors.
- Haywood is now shooting 176 for 247 from the floor this year, a percentage of .713. That is an alltime ACC single-season best and would be the third-highest percentage in NCAA single-season history. Steve Johnson of Oregon State shot 74.6 (235 for 315) in 1980-81. Dwayne Davis of Florida shot 72.2 (179 for 248) in 1988-89 and would rank second.
- In his first 10 games this season, Haywood averaged 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and hit 70.8 percent of his field goals. In the 23 games since, he has averaged 14.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest and hit 71.4 percent of his shots.
- Has hit 72 of 107 free throws (67.3 percent) in the last 23 games as compared to 62.2 percent overall.
- He has made 81 of 113 field goal attempts in the last 14 games (.717).
- In ACC games, Haywood improved his field goal percentage (73.3 to 72.7) scoring average (14.0 vs. 13.3), rebounding average (8.4 vs. 7.3) and free throw percentage (64.9 vs. 62.0) compared to his overall averages. Ranked fourth in the conference in rebounding in ACC games only.
- Haywood has six double-doubles this season. He has recorded double figures in rebounds in five of the last 10 games, including a career-high 17 at Maryland on Feb. 26 and 15 in the NCAA Tournament vs. Missouri.
CAROLINA'S STRONG SECOND HALF PERFORMANCES
In Carolina's 20 wins this season, the Tar Heels have shot 56.7 percent in the second half and 51.6 percent overall. In the Tar Heels' 13 losses, they have shot 45.8 percent in the second half and 46.8 percent overall.
The Tar Heels have shot 50 percent or better from the field in the second half in 19 of their 33 games this season (60 percent eight times and at least 70 percent three times).
Carolina is 15-4 in games in which it shoots 50 percent or better >from the floor in the second half. The losses were at Virginia (UNC made 55 percent from the floor but committed nine second-half turnovers), vs. Duke at home (UNC forced overtime after trailing by 19 in the second half), at Maryland (UNC made 55.9 percent in the second half but the Terps shot 53.6 percent after the break) and at Duke.
CAROLINA'S STRONG DEFENSIVE PLAY
At times maligned this year for its defensive play, the Tar Heels have held their opponents to 40 percent shooting or lower from the floor in 16 of 33 games this season, including seven of the last 14 games. No. 3-ranked and No. 1 seed Stanford shot just 34.5 percent against the Tar Heel defense in the NCAA Second Round on March 19.
Carolina has won 15 of 16 contests when holding its opponents to under 40 percent shooting. The only team to shoot less than 40 percent from the floor to beat UNC was Wake Forest. The Deacons shot 37.9 percent in its win over the Tar Heels in Winston-Salem.
Carolina has allowed its opponents to shoot 45.0 percent or better in just 10 games this season.
Four opponents -- Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville and Florida State -- have shot 50 percent or better from the floor and UNC is 0-4 in those contests.
TRACKING THE TAR HEELS IN THE POLLS
| Week | AP | USA Today/ESPN |
| Preseason | 6 | 5 |
| Nov. 15 | 5 | no poll |
| Nov. 22 | 5 | 6 |
| Nov. 29 | 2 | 2 |
| Dec. 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Dec. 13 | 7 | 9 |
| Dec. 20 | 6 | 7 |
| Dec. 27 | 13 | 14 |
| Jan. 3 | 14 | 14 |
| Jan. 10 | 13 | 14 |
| Jan. 17 | 21 | 21 |
| Jan. 24 | NR | NR |
| Jan. 31 | NR | NR |
| Feb. 7 | NR | NR |
| Feb. 14 | NR | NR |
| Feb. 21 | NR | NR |
| Feb. 28 | NR | NR |
| March 6 | NR | NR |
| March 13 | NR | NR |
The Tar Heels were unranked in both national polls entering the NCAA Tournament. Prior to Jan. 24, 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 625.
COTA'S CAREER NUMBERS IN EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
- Senior point guard Ed Cota has 1,236 points, 1,013 assists and 500 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 NCAA history to compile 1,000 points, 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds in a career.
- Cota ranks third in ACC and NCAA history with 1,013 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 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 was 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 was 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).
IN THE LATEST NCAA STATS (AS OF MARCH 13)
- Brendan Haywood led the nation in individual field goal percentage (.721) and was 30th in blocked shots (2.5 per game).
- Ed Cota ranked fifth nationally in assists (8.2 per game).
- Carolina was second in the nation in field goal percentage (.499).
NCAA Field Goal Percentage Leaders (as of March 13)
| Team | FG Pct. |
| 1. Samford | .503 |
| 2. North Carolina | .499 |
| 3. Long Beach State | .498 |
| 4. Bowling Green | .498 |
| 5. Austin Peay | .493 |
SCORING IS UP
Carolina is averaging 76.5 points per game in 1999-2000 and has scored more than 80 points 13 times. 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 its most in a game since scoring 107 in a double-overtime win at Georgia Tech on 2/8/98.
CAROLINA'S TOUGH SCHEDULE
- The Tar Heels have played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation this season. Nine of the 10 schools that have defeated Carolina this season have at least 16 wins and five of the 10 have 20 or more victories.
- Ten of Carolina's 1999-2000 opponents earned NCAA Tournament bids: Duke, Maryland, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Indiana, UNLV, Miami (Fla.), Louisville, Purdue and UCLA.
- Carolina's top regular-season non-conference wins include: at Miami (19 wins, co-Big East champions), Purdue (21-8, third in the Big 10), College of Charleston (22-5, 2nd in the Southern Conference) and UNLV (20-7, second in the Mountain West).
- Carolina's schedule is the 13th-toughest in the nation, according to the latest RPI (as of March 13).
BERSTICKER UNDERGOES SECOND SURGERY
Junior forward/center Brian Bersticker underwent surgery on March 6 to repair a re-fracture of his fifth left metatarsal. The Virginia Beach, Va., native suffered the original fracture in Carolina's win over the College of Charleston on December 3rd and had surgery three days later.
He returned to practice in early February on a limited basis, but experienced pain in the same area a week later. X-rays at the time did not show a second fracture, but last week team doctors discovered a slight break and opted for surgery. The surgery was performed by Dr. Tim Taft, UNC's Director of Sports Medicine.
"The surgery went as planned and was successful," says athletic trainer Marc Davis. "Brian should be able to fully return to competition next season."
Bersticker is not the first student-athlete to suffer a similar re-fracture. Tisha Venturini had a similar injury in 1993 and returned to earn National Soccer Player-of-the-Year honors in 1994. World champion sprinter Marion Jones broke the fifth metatarsal on two occasions in 1995-96, three years before she won the 100 meters at the world championships.
Bersticker averaged 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in Carolina's first five games. He scored 12 points against Purdue in the Maui Invitational championship game and grabbed seven rebounds in the season opener against Southern California. Bersticker made 12 of 17 field goal attempts this year.
He announced on February 20th that he would not return to action this season and would be requesting a medical redshirt.
CAROLINA AT HOME THIS SEASON
UNC went 7-5 at the Smith Center this season and lost five home games in one season for the first time since moving into the Smith Center in January 1986. Carolina tied the school record for home losses in a season (also set in 1929-30 and 1943-44).
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.
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.
Ed Cota and Brendan Haywood also received All-Tournament honors.
JAMISON'S NO. 33 RETIRED
Former Tar Heel and current Golden State Warrior Antawn Jamison returned to Chapel Hill on March 1 to have his jersey hung in the Smith Center rafters at halftime of the Georgia Tech game. As the unanimous National Player of the Year in 1998, Jamison's number was retired.
"It's a very special moment, not only for me, but for my family and friends and especially for the University," Jamison said prior to the ceremony. "I'm definitely grateful that this happened to me. When you think about whose numbers are up there, that's something special. I'm just very fortunate."
Jamison is the seventh Tar Heel player to have his jersey retired, joining Jack Cobb, George Glamack (#20), Lennie Rosenbluth (#10), Phil Ford (#12), James Worthy (#52) and Michael Jordan (#23).
Jamison graduated from Carolina in December of 1999 with a BA in International Studies.
A three-time first-team All-ACC honoree, Jamison led Carolina to back-to-back Final Four appearances and ACC Tournament championships in 1997 and '98. Despite leaving Carolina after his junior season to be the fourth overall pick in the '98 NBA Draft, Jamison ranks fourth in school history in rebounding (1,027) and seventh in scoring (1,974). He was named the ACC's top male athlete in all sports in 1998.
Vince Carter, Jamison's teammate from 1996-98, will have his jersey honored at some point next season as his schedule permits. Scheduling conflicts have prevented the players from being honored this year. Jamison underwent knee surgery last week and is out for the remainder of the 1999-2000 NBA season.
HEAD COACH BILL GUTHRIDGE
- Guthridge is 78-27 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.
- After the 74-72 overtime win over Georgia Tech on March 1, Guthridge is now 7-2 in overtime games as UNC's head coach.
- Guthridge is 6-2 in NCAA Tournament games.
- With wins over Missouri and Stanford, Guthridge now has the second-most wins by a third-year coach in NCAA history (see chart below).
- 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.
- Guthridge received National Coach-of-the-Year honors and was ACC Coach of the Year in 1997-98. He was named the National Coach of the Year by the NABC, The Sporting News, the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Award) and CBS/Chevrolet.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
BRENDAN HAYWOOD (7-0, JR., C, GREENSBORO, N.C.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- The ACC's and Carolina's alltime leader in field goal percentage. Has made 66.2 percent of his shot attempts from the floor (371 for 560). Second-best is Rasheed Wallace at 63.5 percent.
UNC Career Field Goal Percentage
1. Brendan Haywood (97-active) .662 2. Rasheed Wallace (93-95) .635 3. Brad Daugherty (82-86) .620 4. Bobby Jones (71-74) .608 5. J.R. Reid (86-89) .601 - Is tied with Kevin Salvadori for third in school history in career blocked shots with 174. Warren Martin is second with 190 blocks.
UNC Career Blocked Shots
1. Sam Perkins (80-84) 245 2. Warren Martin (81-86) 190 3. Kevin Salvadori (90-94) 174 Brendan Haywood (97-active) 174 4. Eric Montross (90-94) 169 - Averaging 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in his 105-game career. Over the last two seasons as a starter, he is averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest.
- Has scored in double figures 47 times in his career with a high of 28 vs. Missouri in the NCAA Tournament first round.
- Has 15 career double-doubles (points and rebounds).
- Has scored 20 or more points 10 times, most recently vs. Missouri in the NCAA Tournament first round on March 17.
- Has made 50 percent or more of his field goal attempts in 59 of 67 games over the last two seasons as a starter.
- Grabbed 15 rebounds against Missouri on March 17 to pass 550 for his career (he now has 572).
HAYWOOD'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
- Earned third-team All-ACC honors.
- Leads the nation in field goal percentage at .713. Has converted 176 of 247 field goal attempts. The single-season ACC record is .670 by Clemson's Dale Davis in 1988-89.
1999-2000 NCAA Field Goal Percentage Leaders (as of March 13)
1. Brendan Haywood (North Carolina) .721 2. John Whorton (Kent) .630 3. Joel Przybilla (Minnesota) .613 4. Stromile Swift (LSU) .608 5. Roderick Johnson (Southeast Missouri) .607 1999-2000 ACC Field Goal Percentage Leaders (as of March 20)
1. Brendan Haywood (North Carolina) .713 2. Lonny Baxter (Maryland) .533 3. Damous Anderson (Florida State) .508 4. Chris Williams (Virginia) .507 5. Shane Battier (Duke) .495 NCAA Single-Season Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1. Steve Johnson, Oregon State (80-81) .746 2. Dwayne Davis, Florida (88-89) .722 3. Brendan Haywood, UNC (99-00) .713 Keith Walker, Utica (84-85) .713 5. Steve Johnson, Oregon State (79-80) .710 ACC Single-Season Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1. Brendan Haywood, UNC (99-00) .713 2. Dale Davis, Clemson (88-89) .670 3. Bobby Jones, UNC (71-72) .668 4. Horace Grant, Clemson (86-87) .656 5. Rasheed Wallace, UNC (94-95) .654 - Second in the ACC in blocked shots with 2.5 per game. Has blocked 81 shots in 33 contests.
- Leads the team and seventh in the ACC with 7.5 rebounds per game.
- Has scored in double figures in 24 games with a high of 28 against Missouri in the NCAA Tournament first round.
- Blocked a career-high seven shots vs. the College of Charleston. Also blocked six at Duke on March 4.
- Grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds at Maryland on Feb. 26. Also had 15 against Missouri in the NCAA first round.
- Scored 10 of his 14 points against top-ranked Cincinnati in the second half.
- Posted consecutive double-doubles against Louisville and Howard.
- 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.
- Matched his career scoring high with 24 points in the 75-63 win over Maryland. Was 7 for 9 from the floor and 10 for 11 from free throw line. The 10 free throws made were a career high. Also grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots.
- Scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots in the second half as Carolina broke a 28-28 tie and won 70-53 at Georgia Tech. He picked up his third foul with 12:05 left in the first half and sat the rest of that period. Limited Tech center Alvin Jones to 1 of 11 shooting from the floor.
- Against Wake Forest on Feb. 12, Brendan Haywood matched his career-highs for made field goals and assists for the second consecutive game. He was 9 for 12 from the floor and had 4 assists at NC State on Feb. 9 and was 9 for 10 from the floor and had 4 assists on Feb. 12 against Wake Forest. He previously had made nine field goals in a game one other time (at Cal last year) and had four assists just one other time (Appalachian State last year).
- At Florida State, he hit all seven of his field goal attempts and finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots.
- At Maryland on Feb. 26, grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds.
- Blocked six shots at Duke and finished with 10 points, six rebounds, six blocks and three assists.
- Finished with a career-high 28 points and 15 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament first round win over Missouri. Also set career highs for field goals (11), field goal attempts (15) and offensive rebounds (9).
- Haywood is now shooting 176 for 247 from the floor this year, a percentage of .713. That is an alltime ACC single-season best and would be the third-highest percentage in NCAA single-season history. Steve Johnson of Oregon State shot 74.6 (235 for 315) in 1980-81. Dwayne Davis of Florida shot 72.2 (179 for 248) in 1988-89 and would rank second.
- In his first 10 games this season, Haywood averaged 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and hit 70.8 percent of his field goals. In the 23 games since, he has averaged 14.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest and hit 71.4 percent of his shots.
- Has hit 72 of 107 free throws (67.3 percent) in the last 23 games as compared to 62.2 percent overall.
- He has made 81 of 113 field goal attempts in the last 14 games (.717).
- In ACC games, Haywood improved his field goal percentage (73.3 to 72.7) scoring average (14.0 vs. 13.3), rebounding average (8.4 vs. 7.3) and free throw percentage (64.9 vs. 62.0) compared to his overall averages. Ranked fourth in the conference in rebounding in ACC games only.
- Haywood has six double-doubles this season. He has recorded double figures in rebounds in five of the last 10 games, including a career-high 17 at Maryland on Feb. 26 and 15 in the NCAA Tournament vs. Missouri.
- Before his 28-point effort against Missouri, Haywood had scored a total of seven points in six career NCAA Tournament games.
- Has averaged 15.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in UNC's two NCAA Tournament wins.
ED COTA (6-1, SR., G, BROOKLYN, N.Y.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Is the first player in ACC history to score 1,000 points, have 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds in his career.
- Carolina's alltime assist leader with 1,013. Is third in NCAA and ACC history in assists and one of three player in college basketball history to top 1,000 assists (see chart below).
- Is third in ACC history with 7.50 assists per game behind NC State's Chris Corchiani (8.37) and Duke's Bobby Hurley (7.68).
- Has led the ACC in assists three straight seasons. No one has ever done it four years in a row.
- Has 32 career double-digit assist games, a UNC record. Ranks third in ACC history in 10-assist games.
- Sixth in UNC history with 187 steals. Dudley Bradley is fifth with 190.
- Has scored in double figures 59 times. Career scoring high is 23 points against NC State on Jan. 8, 2000.
- Has 14 career double-doubles (13 points and assists, one points and rebounds).
- Ranks fifth in ACC history in minutes played with 4,514.
- Has played in three ACC Tournament championship games (winning two) and two Final Fours.
UNC Career Assists
| 1. | Ed Cota (1996-present) | 1,013 |
| 2. | Kenny Smith (1983-87) | 768 |
| 3. | Phil Ford (1974-78) | 753 |
| 4. | Derrick Phelps (1990-94) | 637 |
| 5. | King Rice (1987-91) | 629 |
NCAA Career Assists
| 1. | Bobby Hurley, Duke | 1,076 |
| 2. | Chris Corchiani, NC State | 1,038 |
| 3. | Ed Cota, North Carolina | 1,013 |
| 4. | Keith Jennings, East Tennessee State | 983 |
| 5. | Sherman Douglas, Syracuse | 960 |
| 6. | Tony Miller, Marquette | 956 |
| 7. | Greg Anthony, Portland/UNLV | 950 |
| 8. | Gary Payton, Oregon State | 939 |
| 9. | Orlando Smart, San Francisco | 902 |
| 10. | Andre Lafleur, Northeastern | 894 |
ACC Career Assists
| 1. | Bobby Hurley, Duke | 1,076 |
| 2. | Chris Corchiani, NC State | 1,038 |
| 3. | Ed Cota, North Carolina | 1,013 |
| 4. | Grayson Marshall, Clemson | 857 |
| 5. | Tyrone Bogues, Wake Forest | 781 |
| 6. | Kenny Smith, North Carolina | 768 |
| 7. | Sidney Lowe, NC State | 762 |
| 8. | Phil Ford, North Carolina | 753 |
| 9. | Drew Barry, Georgia Tech | 724 |
| 10. | Tommy Amaker, Duke | 708 |
ACC Career Assists Per Game
| 1. | Chris Corchiani, NC State | 8.37 |
| 2. | Bobby Hurley, Duke | 7.68 |
| 3. | Ed Cota, North Carolina | 7.50 |
| 4. | Grayson Marshall, Clemson | 7.02 |
| 5. | Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech | 6.98 |
ACC Career 10-Assist Games
| 1. | Chris Corchiani, NC State | 49 |
| 2. | Bobby Hurley, Duke | 33 |
| 3. | Ed Cota, North Carolina | 32 |
| 4. | Tyrone Bogues, Wake Forest | 28 |
| 5. | Sidney Lowe, NC State | 26 |
Career Assists in NCAA Tournament Games
| 1. | Bobby Hurley, Duke | 145 |
| 2. | Sherman Douglas, Syracuse | 106 |
| 3. | Ed Cota, North Carolina | 101 |
| 4. | Greg Anthony, UNLV | 100 |
| 5. | four players tied | 93 |
UNC Career Steals
| 1. | Derrick Phelps (1990-94) | 247 |
| 2. | George Lynch (1989-93) | 241 |
| 3. | Rick Fox (1987-91) | 197 |
| 4. | Kenny Smith (1983-87) | 195 |
| 5. | Dudley Bradley (1975-79) | 190 |
| 6. | Ed Cota (1996-present) | 187 |
UNC Single-Season Assists
| 1. | Ed Cota (1997-98) | 274 |
| 2. | Ed Cota (1999-00) | 267 |
| 3. | Ed Cota (1998-99) | 238 |
| 4. | Kenny Smith (1984-85) | 235 |
| 5. | Ed Cota (1996-97) | 234 |
COTA'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
- Named second-team All-ACC for the third consecutive year.
- His 267 assists this season are the second-highest single-season total in Carolina history, behind his own total of 274 in 1998. He averages 8.3 assists per game this season, the highest single-season average in school history (he owns four of the top five averages in UNC history, including the top three).
- Leads the ACC and is fifth in the nation with a career-high 8.3 assists per game. Duke's Jason Williams is second in the ACC at 6.5 per game.
- Enters the Tennessee game with 267 assists, his second-highest single-season total. He had a career-high 274 assists in 1998 and recorded 234 in 1997 and 238 in 1999.
1999-2000 NCAA Assist Leaders (as of March 13)
1. Mark Dickel (UNLV) 9.1 2. Doug Gottlieb (Oklahoma St.) 8.6 3. Chico Fletcher (Arkansas St.) 8.3 4. Brandon Granville (Southern California) 8.3 5. Ed Cota (North Carolina) 8.2 - Has an assist-turnover ratio this year of 2.62 to 1 (267 assists/102 turnovers). That is the best ratio in the ACC.
- Leading the ACC in minutes played at over 36 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.
- Has scored in double figures in 16 games and had double-doubles in four 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.
- Second on the team behind Jason Capel with a three-point percentage of 38.6 (32 of 83).
- Has seven or more assists in 25 of his 32 games and more assists than turnovers in 28 of 32 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.
- Had 10 assists and committed just two of UNC's 21 turnovers in the loss at Virginia.
- Scored 11 points and added eight assists in the win over Maryland. Hit a pair of second-half three-point field goals.
- Had a team-high 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists against Duke on Feb. 3. Eighteen of his points came in the second half. His nine field goals and 23 field goal attempts were both career highs.
- Had 17 points, seven assists and six boards at Clemson Feb. 6.
- The 38 points in the Duke and Clemson games are the most Cota has scored in back-to-back games in his career. The previous high was 35 points in the first two games of this season.
- Was brilliant at NC State on Feb. 9, dishing out 11 assists and committing just one turnover (with 1.3 seconds remaining in the game). Hit a three-pointer (as the shot clock expired) with just under a minute to play in the game that gave Carolina an 8-point lead.
- Had 10 points and 13 assists against Wake Forest on Feb. 12, his second double-figure assist game in a row. Combined to post 24 assists and four turnovers in the wins over NCSU and WFU. That is the first time this year and eighth in his career he posted 10-plus assists in back-to-back contests.
- Blocked a Delvon Arrington three-pointer that could've tied the game with 0:54 left in the second half of a 70-67 win at Florida State on Feb. 23. Also grabbed two key defensive rebounds down the stretch to ice the win.
- Tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists at Maryland on Feb. 26.
- Had 11 assists, including 10 after halftime, and seven rebounds in his final home game on March 1 vs. Georgia Tech.
- Despite missing 13 minutes of first-half action after getting five stitches to his left eyelid, still recorded 11 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds on March 4 at Duke.
- Had 10 assists vs. Missouri in the NCAA Tournament first round to become the third player in ACC and NCAA history to accumulate 1,000 career assists. Also had six points, six rebounds and just two turnovers against the Tigers.
- Tallied 10 assists, seven points and seven rebounds in the win over No. 1 seed Stanford in the NCAA second round.
MAX OWENS (6-5, JR., G/F, MACON, GA.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Earned 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 81.0 percent free throw shooter.
- Has scored in double figures 18 times, including a career-high 23 against Maryland on March 6, 1999 and 23 against UNLV on Dec. 4, 1999.
- Scored his 500th career point in the win at NC State on Feb. 9, 2000. Now has 534 points.
OWENS 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
- Sixth on the team in scoring with 8.0 points per contest.
- Has scored in double figures nine 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.
- 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.
- Hit a three-pointer from the left corner that gave Carolina a 52-50 lead with 13:19 to play in the second half of the 75-63 win over Maryland. That gave UNC its first lead since the 11:59 mark of the first half, a lead Carolina would not relinquish the rest of the contest.
- Hit critical, back-to-back three-pointers in a 32-second span in the second half of the Feb. 9 game at NC State. His shots increased Carolina's lead from two points to eight as the Heels took control of the game. Owens also had a huge tip-in off an Ed Cota missed free throw with 33.2 seconds left to play to give UNC a 10-point lead and ice the victory.
- Scored 10 points against Wake Forest on Feb. 12, his first double-figure day since scoring 14 against Clemson on Jan. 2.
- Scored in double figures in 9 of the first 14 games, but then scored a total of just 45 points in the next nine games. However, in a three-game stretch Feb. 9-20, he scored eight (at NC State),10 (Wake Forest) and 10 (Virginia) points, averaging 9.3 ppg.
JASON CAPEL (6-8, SO., F/G, CHESAPEAKE, VA.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Carolina's most versatile player. Playing mainly at the small forward spot this year after playing mostly off guard as a freshman. Also played at power forward early this season.
- Had off-season back surgery to repair two disks and is playing pain free for the first time in several years.
- Has improved his points, rebounds and field goal percentage this season.
- Has scored in double figures 35 times in his career with highs of 23 against UNLV on Dec. 4, 1999, 21 against UCLA on Jan. 15, 2000, 21 vs. Tennessee Tech on Dec. 12, 1999, 20 at Miami on Dec. 18, 1999, and 20 at Georgia Tech on Jan. 29, 2000.
- Has shot 83.9 percent from the free throw line in his career. Was second in the ACC in free throw percentage last season.
1999-2000 ACC Free Throw Pct. Leaders (As of March 20)
| 1. | Darius Songaila, Wake Forest | .844 |
| 2. | Jason Capel, UNC | .828 |
| 3. | Shane Battier, Duke | .819 |
| 4. | Juan Dixon, Maryland | .790 |
| 5. | Chris Carrawell, Duke | .775 |
CAPEL'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
- Honorable mention All-ACC honoree.
- Has scored in double figures in 25 contests, including 16 of the last 18 games. Has scored 20 or more points five times.
- Second on the team behind Brendan Haywood in rebounds at 6.8 per contest. Ranks ninth in the ACC in rebounding.
- Is second in the ACC from the free throw line, shooting 82.8 percent. Converted 86.8 percent from the free throw line in ACC games.
- Has made 55 of his last 61 free throw attempts (90.2 percent).
- 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.
- Was all over the court with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals on Jan. 22 vs. Florida State.
- Had 11 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and five assists in the win over Maryland. That was the third time this year he has grabbed 12 or more rebounds in a contest.
- Led all scorers with 20 points in the win at Georgia Tech. Was 8 for 8 from the free throw line at Tech. Also hit a pair of three-pointers, including a key one in the second half that gave the Tar Heels a 9-point lead for the first time.
- Had 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists despite fouling out versus Duke on Feb. 3.
- Had 12 points and 13 rebounds and five assists against Wake Forest on Feb. 12. Recorded his fourth double-double against Wake, all coming this year (Buffalo 13 pts and 12 rebs, Miami 20 pts and 14 rebs, Maryland 11 pts and 12 rebs, Wake Forest 12 pts and 13 rebs).
- Led Carolina with 17 points and nine rebounds before fouling out on Feb. 20 vs. Virginia.
- Had 15 points and a career-high seven assists on Feb. 23 at Florida State.
- Led Carolina with 14 points and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds in the ACC Tournament versus Wake Forest. Also had five assists against the Demon Deacons.
- Had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the NCAA first-round win over Missouri. It was his fourth double-double of the year.
- Played excellent defense in the win over No. 3 Stanford in the NCAA second round, limiting leading scorer Casey Jacobsen to 2-of-12 shooting and just five points.
JOSEPH FORTE (6-4, FR., G, GREENBELT, MD.)
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
- A second-team All-ACC honoree and unanimous selection to the ACC's All-Freshman team. The 1999-2000 ACC Rookie of the Year.
- Carolina's leading scorer at 16.2 points per game. Was named Most Valuable Player of the Maui Invitational after he helped lead the Tar Heels to three wins and the title.
- Sixth in the ACC in scoring average and tops among freshmen. Tenth in the conference in field goal percentage.
- On pace to become the first UNC freshman to lead the team in scoring since freshmen became eligible to play in 1972-73.
- Has led Carolina in scoring or tied for the team lead in 12 games this season.
- Has 535 points on the season. Sam Perkins holds the UNC freshman scoring record with 550 points in 1980-81.
Alltime UNC Freshmen Scoring (by average)
Player Season Scoring Average 1. Phil Ford 1974-1975 16.4 2. Joseph Forte 1999-2000 16.2 3. Antawn Jamison 1995-1996 15.1 4. Sam Perkins 1980-1981 14.9 5. J.R. Reid 1986-1987 14.7 Alltime UNC Freshmen Scoring (by total points)
Player Season Points 1. Sam Perkins 1980-1981 550 2. Joseph Forte 1999-2000 535 3. J.R. Reid 1986-1987 528 4. Phil Ford 1974-1975 508 - Has scored in double figures in all but four games and topped 20 points seven times. Had 24 in his collegiate debut against Southern California, 21 in the Maui championship game vs. Purdue, a season-high 27 at Virginia, 20 vs. Duke, 24 at home vs. Wake Forest, 26 at Maryland and 24 at Duke.
- Scored more points in his freshman debut than any Tar Heel in history.
- Is third on the team in rebounds at 5.5 per game. Has six or more boards in 15 games with a season-high 11 at Virginia. Also had nine boards (five offensive) against Maryland on Jan. 27.
- Ranks second on the team in assists with 89 and had a season-high six against top-ranked Cincinnati.
- Has connected on at least one three-point field goal in 27 of the 33 games with a high of six at home vs. Wake Forest on Feb. 12.
- 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.
- Hit a key three-pointer to start the second half in the win over Maryland (UNC was down by seven at the break).
- Had 11 second-half points in the 70-53 win at Georgia Tech.
- Hit a three-pointer with 0:05 left in regulation to force overtime on Feb. 3 versus No. 3 Duke. Tallied 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals against Duke.
- Second on the team with 16 points in the win at NC State on Feb. 9, recording 12 of those points in the second half.
- Led all scorers with 24 points against Wake Forest on Feb. 12. Missed his first two three-point attempts but hit six in a row to finish 6 of 8. That was the first time a UNC player hit six three-pointers since Shammond Williams had six vs. UNC Charlotte in the 1998 NCAA Tournament second round.
- Named the ACC's Rookie of the Week for the second time on Feb. 14. Forte averaged 20.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in the Tar Heels' victories over NC State and Wake Forest.
- Had 13 points and six rebounds on Feb. 20 vs. Virginia.
- Scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting on Feb. 26 at Maryland, playing just minutes from his hometown of Greenbelt, Md.
- Named the ACC's Rookie of the Week for the second time in three weeks and third time overall on Feb. 28. He started the week by scoring 14 points and grabbing four rebounds in UNC's 70-67 win at Florida State on Feb. 23. He also tallied four assists, including one on Jason Capel's go-ahead three-point play with under a minute to play. Forte also scored 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting at Maryland on Feb. 26 in a game played just minutes from his hometown of Greenbelt, Md. Forte also recorded two blocks and two steals.
- Led Carolina with 19 points and had a career-high six steals (all in the first half) on March 1 vs. Georgia Tech.
- Led Carolina with 24 points on 11-of-20 shooting at Duke on March 4. Also recorded six rebounds and five assists.
- Had 13 points and eight rebounds in the first NCAA Tournament game of his career, the first-round win over Missouri.
- Led UNC with 17 points in the NCAA second-round upset of No. 1 seed (and No. 3 ranked) Stanford. Broke a 47-47 tie when he hit back-to-back three-pointers with 4:16 and 3:31 to play in the second half, giving Carolina a lead it would not relinquish. Those two three-pointers were part of eight straight points he scored in a span of 1:44 late in the game.
KRIS LANG (6-11, SO., F/C, GASTONIA, N.C.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
- Shooting 55.1 percent from the floor and averaging 9.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in his career.
- Has scored in double figures 32 times and has three double-doubles.
- Career scoring high of 21 vs. Georgia in 1998 Preseason NIT.
- Was in the hospital for almost a week in late summer of 1999 with a virus.
LANG'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
- Summer virus and shin splints severely hampered his playing time and effectiveness in the first semester.
- Sprained his right knee in the first half of the Cincinnati game and was held out of the Tennessee Tech contest for precautionary reasons.
- Fought a stomach bug in late January.
- 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.
- Was 10 for 10 from the free throw line against NC State (Jan. 8).
- Led Carolina in scoring (14) and rebounding (11) at Wake Forest, recording the third double-double of his career.
- Had 13 points and six rebounds in the win over Maryland on Jan. 27. Played despite still feeling the effects of a stomach bug that caused him to miss the final minutes of the game against FSU on Jan. 22.
- Had six rebounds and played outstanding defense in the win at Georgia Tech. Defended Jason Collier for much of the contest and helped limit the Yellow Jacket standout to 6 of 16 shooting.
- Had 15 points (11 in the second half and overtime) and eight rebounds vs. Duke on Feb. 3. Was 7 of 14 from the floor.
- Scored 12 points against Georgia Tech on March 1 despite not playing in overtime after suffering a strained left quadricep late in the game.
- Had 11 points and seven rebounds in the NCAA Tournament win over Missouri (first round).
- Had 11 points and helped limit Stanford senior Mark Madsen to 2-of-7 shooting and five points in the NCAA second round.
- Carolina is 11-3 when Lang scores in double figures this season.
JULIUS PEPPERS (6-7, FR.-R, F, BAILEY, N.C.)
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
- Joined the basketball team on Nov. 29 after the Tar Heels returned from the Maui Invitational.
- Helped limit Georgia Tech frontcourt stars Alvin Jones and Jason Collier to 7-27 shooting from the floor on Jan. 29.
- Had three steals and five boards against Maryland on Jan. 27.
- In 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.
- Had four points and three rebounds in the win at NC State.
- Has made 19 of his last 25 field goal attempts (76.0 percent).
- Scored a career-high 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting on March 1 vs. Georgia Tech. Played much of the second half and all of overtime after Kris Lang suffered a strained left quadricep.
- Went 4-for-4 from the floor with eight points on March 4 at Duke.
- Had nine points and four rebounds in the NCAA first-round win over Missouri.
- Recorded six points, three rebounds and three blocked shots in the upset of No. 1 seed Stanford in the second round of the NCAA South Regional. Helped limit Stanford
- s starting frontcourt to 7-for-29 shooting. Had a huge three-point play with 0:06 left before halftime to give UNC a 28-27 lead at the break.
- FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS: Started all 11 football games in 1999 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.
BRIAN BERSTICKER (6-10, JR., F/C, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Has shot 54.9 percent from the floor (78 for 142) and 77.4 percent from the free throw line.
- 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.
BERSTICKER'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
- Suffered a fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot against the College of Charleston on December 3rd. Had surgery to repair the fracture on December 6th. Had a similar fracture in the same bone in August.
- Will seek a medical redshirt. Briefly resumed practice on Feb. 7 before soreness in the foot ended hopes of returning this season.
- 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.
- Had a season-high seven boards against the Trojans.
- Shooting 70.6 percent from the floor (12 for 17).
