University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Advance To Record 15th Final Four
March 29, 2000 | Men's Basketball
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Complete NCAA Tournament Coverage
March 29, 2000
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 8 seed North Carolina defeated No. 4 seed Tennessee and No. 7 seed Tulsa last weekend in Austin, Texas, to win the NCAA South Regional and advance to the Final Four in Indianapolis, Ind. The Tar Heels will face East Regional champion Florida at 8:12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The winner of Saturday's national semifinal will play on Monday at 9:18 p.m. ET/8:18 p.m. CT against the winner of the game between Midwest Regional champ Michigan State and West Regional champ Wisconsin.
The Tar Heels will be appearing in their 15th Final Four, an NCAA record. UCLA is second with 14 official Final Four appearances. Prior to this season, Carolina never had reached the Final Four as lower than a No. 2 seed.
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 80-33 alltime in the NCAA Tournament.
QUICK FACTS
North Carolina (22-13, 9-7 ACC/tied third place)
Head Coach: Bill Guthridge (Kansas State '60)
Guthridge's Record as Head Coach: 80-27 (.748), 3rd year
Guthridge's Record at UNC: same
FLORIDA (28-7, 12-4 SEC/tied first place-East)
Head Coach: Billy Donovan (Providence '87)
Donovan's Record as Head Coach: 112-68, 6th year
Donovan's Record at Florida: 77-48, 4th year
ON THE AIR
Television: CBS (Jim Nantz, Billy Packer)
Radio: Learfield Communications (Woody Durham, Mick Mixon)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: Carolina leads, 3-1Last Meeting: 12/18/65 - UNC 66, Florida 59 in Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C.
CAROLINA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Record in the NCAA Tournament: 80-33Appearances: 34th, 26th consecutive (NCAA record)
NCAA Titles: 1957, 1982, 1993
SIX FINAL FOURS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS
Carolina is appearing in its sixth Final Four in the last 10 seasons and third in the last four years. UNC reached the Final Four in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2000.
Bill Guthridge has led Carolina to the Final Four twice in his first three years as the Tar Heels' head coach. Guthridge is just the second coach in NCAA history to lead his team to the Final Four twice in their first three years as a head coach, joining Fred Taylor of Ohio State, who led the Buckeyes to the Final Four in 1960 and '61.
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.
Overall, this is Carolina's 15th Final Four appearance, an NCAA record. UCLA is second with 14 official Final Four appearances.
FINAL FOUR APPEARANCES IN THE LAST 10 YEARS (1991-2000)
| North Carolina | 6 |
| Duke | 4 |
| Kentucky | 4 |
| Arizona | 2 |
| Arkansas | 2 |
| Florida | 2 |
| Kansas | 2 |
| Michigan | 2 |
| Michigan State | 2 |
FINAL FOUR NOTES
Carolina joins Wisconsin (both No. 8 seeds) as the lowest-seeded teams to advance to the Final Four since LSU was a No. 11 seed in 1986.
Carolina and Wisconsin are the first No. 8 seeds to advance to the Final Four since national champion Villanova in 1985. The only other No. 8 seed to reach the Final Four was UCLA in 1980.
Just two unranked teams have won the NCAA title: Villanova in 1985 and Kansas in 1988. North Carolina has been unranked in both national polls since January.
This marks the 17th time in the last 20 years that an ACC team has reached the Final Four. UNC has reached the Final Four eight times in that 20-year span (1981-2000).
Carolina and Wisconsin each have 13 losses this season, the most ever by a team to reach the Final Four. The previous high was 12 by Bradley and Southern California, both in 1954. Both those teams were 19-12 entering the Final Four.
The combined seeding total of this year's Final Four participants is 22 (1-Michigan State, 5-Florida, 8-Wisconsin, 8-North Carolina), the highest total ever since seeding began in 1979. The previous high was 21 in 1980 (2, 5, 6, 8).
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 113 NCAA Tournament games prior to its national semifinal with Florida. Only Kentucky (121) has played in more NCAA Tournament games.
The Tar Heels are 80-33 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 been to the NCAA Final Four in three of the last four years and six of the last 10. Carolina has appeared in 15 Final Fours, more than any other school.
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.
CAROLINA AT THE FINAL FOUR IN INDIANAPOLIS
This will be Carolina's third appearance at the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. The Tar Heels are 0-2 in Final Four games in Indianapolis.
In 1991, a UNC squad led by seniors Rick Fox, Pete Chilcutt and King Rice lost, 79-73, to Kansas in the national semifinals.
In 1997, a young Tar Heel team led by sophomores Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter, junior Shammond Williams and freshman Ed Cota lost, 66-58, to Arizona in the national semifinals.
CAROLINA'S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
UNC won the NCAA Tournament in 1957, 1982 and 1993 and finished second in 1946, 1968, 1977 and 1981.
The Tar Heels defeated Kansas in triple overtime to win the 1957 title behind National Player-of-the-Year Lennie Rosenbluth. Carolina overcame 23 points and 14 rebounds by Jayhawk center Wilt Chamberlain. Joe Quigg hit two free throws with six seconds remaining in the third overtime to provide the winning margin in UNC's 54-53 victory.
James Worthy poured in 28 points and freshman Michael Jordan hit a perimeter jumper with 17 seconds to play to lead Carolina to a 63-62 win over Georgetown in the 1982 championship. The title was Dean Smith's first NCAA crown. Worthy and Jordan were joined in the starting lineup by Sam Perkins, Carolina's alltime leading rebounder, Matt Doherty and point guard Jimmy Black.
Eleven years after Smith's first NCAA triumph in New Orleans, sophomore guard Donald Williams scored 25 points in both the semifinal win over Kansas and the championship game against Michigan to lead UNC to another national title in the Superdome. Williams made five three-pointers and several key free throws late in the game. Senior forward George Lynch was the team's MVP that season and started along with center Eric Montross, forward Brian Reese, point guard Derrick Phelps and Williams. Senior Henrik Rodl and juniors Pat Sullivan and Kevin Salvadori were key reserves.
COTA, NEWBY, BROOKER REACH THIRD FINAL FOUR
Ed Cota will become one of a select number of Carolina players who have played in three Final Fours. Cota also played in the national semifinals in 1997 and 1998. He will become the seventh Tar Heel to actually play in three different Final Fours along with Joe Brown (1967-68-69), Bill Bunting (1967-68-69), Rusty Clark (1967-68-69), Pat Sullivan (1991-93-95), Gerald Tuttle (1967-68-69) and Shammond Williams (1995-97-98).
Terrence Newby and Michael Brooker are members of a Final Four bound squad for the third time in their respective careers, although neither saw playing time in the 1997 or 1998 Final Fours. Two other UNC players - Dick Grubar and Serge Zwikker - were members of three Final Four teams although they appeared in games in two seasons. Grubar played in 1967 and 1968, but was injured in 1969. Zwikker red-shirted in 1993 and played in 1995 and 1997.
CAROLINA'S FINAL FOUR SEASON LINEUPS
| 2000 | F Jason Capel | F Kris Lang | C Brendan Haywood | G Joseph Forte | G Ed Cota | |
| 1998 | F Antawn Jamison | F Ademola Okulaja | C Makhtar Ndiaye | G Shammond Williams | G Ed Cota | |
| 1997 | F Antawn Jamison | F Ademola Okulaja | C Serge Zwikker | G Shammond Williams | G Ed Cota | |
| 1995 | F Jerry Stackhouse | F Danta Calabria | C Rasheed Wallace | G Donald Williams | G Jeff McInnis | |
| 1993 | F George Lynch | F Brian Reese | C Eric Montross | G Donald Williams | G Derrick Phelps | |
| 1991 | F George Lynch | F Rick Fox | C Pete Chilcutt | G Hubert Davis | G King Rice | |
| 1982 | F James Worthy | F Matt Doherty | C Sam Perkins | G Michael Jordan | G Jimmy Black | |
| 1981 | F James Worthy | F Al Wood | C Sam Perkins | G Mike Pepper | G Jimmy Black | |
| 1977 | F Walter Davis | F Mike O'Koren | C Tommy LaGarde/Rich Yonakor | G John Kuester | G Phil Ford | |
| 1972 | F Bill Chamberlain | F Dennis Wuycik | C Robert McAdoo | G Steve Previs | G George Karl | |
| 1969 | F Bill Bunting | F/G Charlie Scott | C Rusty Clark | G Dick Grubar | G Eddie Fogler | |
| 1968 | F Larry Miller | F Bill Bunting | C Rusty Clark | G Charlie Scott | G Dick Grubar | |
| 1967 | F Larry Miller | F Bill Bunting | C Rusty Clark | G Bob Lewis | G Dick Grubar | |
| 1957 | F Lennie Rosenbluth | F Pete Brennan | C Joe Quigg | G Bob Cunningham | G Tommy Kearns | |
| 1946 | Horace (Bones) McKinney | Jim Jordan | Don Anderson | John (Hook) Dillon | Bob Paxton | Jim White |
BILL GUTHRIDGE & THE FINAL FOUR
Bill Guthridge has led Carolina to two Final Fours in the last three years as a head coach. The 2000 Final Four is his 14th as either a player, assistant coach or head coach.
Guthridge was a player at Kansas State in 1958, although he did not appear in the game against Seattle. He was an assistant coach at Kansas State in 1964 against UCLA, and was an assistant at Carolina in 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997.
21 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, the win over Tennessee assured UNC of winning at least 21 games for 30 straight years.
GUTHRIDGE IN EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
Bill Guthridge has led Carolina to the Final Four in two of his first three years as UNC's head coach. He is just the second coach in NCAA history to do so, joining Fred Taylor of Ohio State (1960 and '61).
At 8-2 (80.0 percent) entering the Florida game, Guthridge boasts the best NCAA Tournament winning percentage among active coaches who've coached at least 10 Tournament games. Duke's Mike Krzyzeswki is second at 50-14 (78.1 percent).
With wins over Tennessee and Tulsa last weekend, UNC head coach Bill Guthridge now has tied Everett Case of NC State for the 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 |
| Bill Guthridge, North Carolina (1998-2000) | 80-27 | |
| 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 AS A NO. 8 SEED
Carolina won the South Regional as the No. 8 seed in Birmingham, Ala., and Austin, Texas. The No. 8 seed ties the lowest seed in school history (1990).
UNC is now 6-1 as a No. 8 seed. The Tar Heels went 2-1 as a No. 8 seed in the 1990 Midwest Regional and 4-0 this year.
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 FLORIDA SERIES NOTES
Carolina leads the alltime series with Florida, 3-1, but the two teams have not played since Dec. 18, 1965.
UNC won the first two games of the series, 59-14 on Feb. 8, 1923, and 42-6 on Feb. 13, 1926. Florida defeated Carolina, 73-54, on Dec. 21, 1964, in Gainesville. On Dec. 18, 1965, the Tar Heels defeated the Gators, 66-59, in the Charlotte Coliseum.
Carolina has won seven straight games and 16 of the last 17 games against teams from the Southeastern Conference. UNC's last loss against an SEC foe was to Arkansas in the 1995 Final Four, a game played on April 1, 1995.
Carolina's seven straight wins against SEC foes include victories over Tennessee (1999-2000), Georgia (1998-99), Georgia (1997-98), South Carolina and LSU (1996-97) and Vanderbilt and Georgia (1995-96).
TAR HEELS AND MICHIGAN STATE SERIES NOTES
Carolina leads the alltime series with Michigan State, 5-2.
Earlier this season, Michigan State defeated UNC, 86-76, on Dec. 1 in Chapel Hill in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The loss was Carolina's first in a home opener in 71 years (since 1928-29) and ended UNC's 55-game non-conference home winning streak. The Spartans outrebounded Carolina, 43-28. Joseph Forte led Carolina in scoring with 19 points, while Morris Peterson had 31 for MSU.
Carolina is 2-0 against the Spartans in NCAA Tournament action.
Carolina defeated the Spartans, 73-58, in Greensboro, N.C., in the 1998 East Regional semifinal. In that game, Ed Cota held Mateen Cleaves to 7-of-21 shooting while finishing with 11 points and eight assists of his own. Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter each had double-doubles for UNC -- 20 points and 14 rebounds for Jamison and 20 points and 10 rebounds for Carter. Shammond Williams had 18 points and nine boards for the Tar Heels.
In the 1957 NCAA Final Four, the Tar Heels defeated the Spartans, 74-70, in Kansas City in triple overtime on the way to winning the national championship.
Carolina-Michigan State Series History
| Date | NC | MSU | Of Note |
| 3/22/57 | 74 | 70 | UNC wins in 3OT on way to '57 NCAA title |
| 12/30/58 | 58 | 75 | MSU wins in Dixie Classic in Raleigh |
| 12/6/76 | 81 | 58 | Ford has 18 pts., 8 ast. in East Lansing |
| 12/16/78 | 70 | 69 | O'Koren has 18 pts., 10 reb., 6 ass. for UNC, Magic Johnson has 18 pts., 9 reb. for Spartans |
| 11/21/95 | 92 | 70 | Calabria 22 pts., McInnis 21 in Maui Classic semis |
| 3/19/98 | 73 | 58 | Carter, Jamison each score 20 for UNC in NCAA Sweet 16 in Greensboro |
TAR HEELS AND WISCONSIN SERIES NOTES
Carolina and Wisconsin have never played each other in men's basketball.
UNC DEFENSE KEY TO NCAA VICTORIES
North Carolina's strong defensive performances were crucial in NCAA Tournament wins over Missouri, Stanford, Tennessee and Tulsa to advance to the Final Four. Missouri hit just 40.9 percent from the floor, Stanford shot 34.5 percent, Tennessee made 35.6 percent and Tulsa hit just 37.3 percent.
Overall, Carolina has limited its four NCAA Tournament opponents to 37.2 percent (90 of 242) from the floor. That includes a three-point percentage of 26.6 (25 of 94).
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. Tennessee point guard Tony Harris was 1 of 10 from the floor and swing man Vincent Yarbrough was 4 for 11, including 1 of 5 from three-point range. Tulsa scored a season-low 55 points.
Tennessee went 7:08 late in the second half without scoring a field goal until Harris hit a long 3FG with 13 seconds to play.
Carolina has held its opponents under 50 percent shooting in each of the last 16 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 17 opponents to under 40 percent field goal shooting, including each of the last three opponents. UNC is 16-1 in those games.
FORTE LEADS CAROLINA OVER TULSA AND INTO FINAL FOUR
Freshman Joseph Forte scored a season-high 28 points and was named the MVP of the South Regional after leading the Tar Heels to a 59-55 win over Tulsa to advance to an NCAA-record 15th Final Four. Forte, who hit 10 of 17 field goals against Tulsa, is the first freshman in UNC history to be named MVP of an NCAA Regional. He is just the second player in ACC history to be named ACC Rookie of the Year and an NCAA Regional MVP in the same year (joining Kenny Anderson of Georgia Tech in 1990).
Forte has 80 points in four NCAA Tournament games, tying Iowa State's Marcus Fizer as the leading scorer among all teams in the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
The 2000 Final Four marks Carolina's third in the last four years and sixth in the last 10 years.
Bill Guthridge has led Carolina to the Final Four in two of his first three years as UNC's head coach. Just one other coach (Fred Taylor of Ohio State in 1960 and '61) has done so.
Since the NCAA Tournament began seeding in 1979, Carolina had never advanced to the Final Four as lower than a No. 2 seed prior to this year.
Carolina held Tulsa to 37.3 percent field goal shooting, the third straight game in the 2000 NCAA Tournament in which UNC has held its opponent to under 40 percent from the floor. Carolina is 16-1 this season when holding its opponents to under 40 percent shooting.
The Tar Heels led 53-43. That 10-point margin was the first time this season the Golden Hurricane had trailed by more than nine points at any point in any game.
The Tar Heels have won six straight regional final games (victories in 1991, '93, '95, '97, '98 and '00). UNC won the 1993 national championship.
Carolina's 59 points were the fewest in an NCAA Tournament win by the Tar Heels since they beat James Madison 52-50 in the 1982 Second Round in Charlotte, N.C.
Forte, Jason Capel and Ed Cota each were named to the South Regional All-Tournament team. Forte was named the Regional's Most Outstanding Player. He is the first UNC freshman to be named NCAA Regional MVP.
Forward Kris Lang sprained his right ankle in the first half against Tulsa. He returned later in the first half, but was limited to four points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of action.
FORTE IS CAROLINA'S 12TH REGIONAL MVP
Freshman guard Joseph Forte became the 12th Tar Heel to earn Most Valuable Player honors at an NCAA Regional. Forte scored 22 points against 10th-ranked Tennessee in the regional semifinal. The Greenbelt, Md., resident scored a career-high 28 points and added eight rebounds in the regional final against 18th-ranked Tulsa.
Forte made 18 of 30 shots from the floor, a percentage of .600. He was 11 for 12 from the free throw line and played 75 of 80 minutes.
Carolina's NCAA Regional MVPs include:
| Bob Lewis | 1967 East |
| Rusty Clark | 1968 East |
| Charlie Scott | 1969 East |
| Dennis Wuycik | 1972 East |
| John Kuester | 1977 East |
| Al Wood | 1981 West |
| James Worthy | 1982 East |
| George Lynch | 1993 East |
| Jerry Stackhouse | 1995 Southeast |
| Shammond Williams | 1997 East |
| Antawn Jamison | 1998 East |
| Joseph Forte | 2000 South |
UNC RALLIES FOR WIN OVER TENNESSEE
Ed Cota hit a pair of driving baskets that tied the game and gave Carolina the lead for good as the Tar Heels shocked Tennessee, 74-69, in the South Region semifinal on March 24th. Carolina played the final 8:03 without center Brendan Haywood, who fouled out after scoring 11 points.
Tennessee led 55-53 when Haywood went out of the game and extended its lead to 64-57 with 4:48 to play. However, the Tar Heels outscored the Vols, 17-5, over the remaining time. Freshman Joseph Forte, who led all scorers with 22 points, drilled a three-pointer, Jason Capel scored inside to cut the UT lead to 64-62. Cota hit a driving 10-footer in the lane with 3:02 to play that evened the game at 64. Carolina forced a shot clock violation on Tennessee's next possession. Cota followed with a layup off the glass with 1:59 to play that gave UNC its first lead since a 20-19 advantage with 10:31 left in the first half.
The Tar Heels made six free throws in a row in the final 34 seconds to seal the win (two each by Forte, Julius Peppers and Cota).
The win was Carolina's first this season in a game in which it got to the free throw line less than its opponents. The Volunteers made 21 of 24 from the line and Carolina was just 12 of 17 from the stripe.
Carolina shot 50 percent from the field for the 17th time this year but the first time since the loss at Duke in the regular-season finale. The Tar Heels are now 12-5 in games in which they make half their field goal attempts.
Joseph Forte scored 22 points, 13 of which came in the opening half. It was the eighth time this year the freshman scored 20 or more points in a game (UNC is 4-4 in those games).
Kris Lang scored 10 points on 5 of 12 shooting from the floor. UNC is now 12-3 in games in which Lang reaches double figures.
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 were the fewest in an NCAA Tournament win since the Tar Heels 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.
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 4-1 IN AUSTIN
Carolina is 4-1 alltime in Austin, Texas, including a 4-0 mark in NCAA Tournament games.
The Tar Heels defeated Tennessee and Tulsa in Austin last weekend to win the NCAA Tournament South Regional and advance to the Final Four.
Carolina won 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.
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 NCAA history to have 1,000 career assists after he dished out 10 assists versus Missouri on March 17. Cota now has 1,022, trailing only Duke's Bobby Hurley (1,076) and NC State's Chris Corchiani (1,038) in college basketball history.
Cota is the only player in NCAA history to score 1,000 points, dish out 1,000 assists and grab 500 rebounds. He is also the only player in ACC history to top 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 600 assists. He passed the 500-rebound barrier on March 19 vs. Stanford. Cota has scored 1,252 points in addition to his 1,022 assists and 509 rebounds.
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 six games, including 11 against Georgia Tech, 13 against Duke, 10 against Missouri and 10 against Stanford.
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 8.1 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 is tied as the seventh-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 30 of 119 three-point attempts (26.2 percent) in their last 10 games. UNC's opponents have hit 67 three-pointers during that same span. Prior to those 10 games, Carolina made 28 of 66 three-pointers over a four-game span (42.4 percent).
Carolina has won four straight games entering the NCAA Final Four, the first time all season the Tar Heels have won four games in a row. UNC had won three games in a row three different times this year. The last time Carolina had won four in a row was on two occasions during the 1998-99 season.
Joseph Forte (16.7 points per game) has led Carolina and all ACC freshmen in scoring this season. No freshman has ever led Carolina in scoring and none has averaged as many points than Forte has averaged.
Carolina has committed more turnovers than its opponents in 24 of 35 games and is 13-11 in those games.
Carolina has averaged 17.2 turnovers in its 13 losses and 13.4 per game in its 22 victories.
Carolina leads the ACC in field goal percentage (.495).
Bill Guthridge is now 8-2 in NCAA Tournament games as Carolina's head coach.
Carolina is 20-2 this season when attempting more free throws than its opponents.
The Tar Heels are 16-1 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 16 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).
Brendan Haywood needs just 14 points to become Carolina's 50th 1,000-point scorer. Haywood enters the Florida game with 986 career points. Ed Cota joined UNC's 1,000-point club earlier this season.
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).
Forte ranks sixth in the ACC in scoring, tops among freshmen, and also ranks among the top ten in field goal percentage (9th/.464), three-point field goal percentage (6th/.363) and steals per game (10th/1.5).
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 585 points this season, the most by a freshman in UNC history. Sam Perkins held the old record with 550 points in 1980-81.
Forte will lead Carolina in scoring this year, a feat no other freshman in school history has accomplished.
Forte is second on the team in assists behind ACC leader Ed Cota with 92.
Forte has scored 80 points in four NCAA Tournament games. He shares the Tournament scoring lead with Iowa State's Marcus Fizer.
YOU KEEP HEARING IT, BUT JOSEPH'S NOT THE FIRST
TAR HEEL FRESHMAN TO MAKE AN IMPACT
One of the biggest myths about Carolina Basketball is the one about Tar Heel freshmen not making significant contributions beyond toting the green (once blue) equipment bag. Yes, Joseph Forte is about to become the first rookie to lead the team in scoring, but that is just one aspect of the game. In fact, Forte's improvement defensively is what has really impressed Bill Guthridge.
You may recall another Tar Heel freshman, Michael Jordan, who hit the game-winning jump shot against Georgetown in 1982 NCAA championship game. Jordan averaged 13.5 points per game on that national title winning team, but even more impressively, made 53.4 percent of his shot attempts from the floor.
Frontcourt star James Worthy was shooting 58.7 percent from the floor in his first 14 games as a freshman in 1980 before suffering a season-ending injury.
Sam Perkins led UNC in blocked shots and was second on the squad in scoring and rebounding in 1981. Perkins was ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP and was named to the NCAA All-West Regional Team. Perkins holds the ACC record for field goal percentage by a freshman at .626.
Future three-time All-America forward Mike O'Koren scored 31 points to lead Carolina past UNLV in 1977 national semifinals.
In 1996, forward Antawn Jamison became only the fifth player in ACC history to earn first-team All-ACC honors as a freshman. Jamison averaged 15.1 points and 9.7 rebounds and became the first rookie in league history to lead the ACC in field goal percentage. Jamison shot 62.4 percent from the floor. He scored 31 points at Maryland, grabbed 20 rebounds at Virginia and averaged a double-double in ACC action.
J.R. Reid averaged 14.7 points, shot 58.4 percent from the floor and led Carolina in rebounding with 7.4 per game. Reid was a freshman standout on a Tar Heel team that went 14-0 in the ACC regular season.
Rasheed Wallace joined a veteran squad coming off a national championship and averaged 9.5 points and 6.6 rebounds and shot 60.4 percent from the floor. That same year, Stackhouse averaged 12.2 points a game. The Tar Heels finished No. 1 in the country in the final A.P. poll that season.
Forte is the fifth Tar Heel to earn ACC Rookie-of-the-Year honors. He joins Sam Perkins (1981), Michael Jordan (1982), J.R. Reid (1987) and Ed Cota (1997). Let's see: put Perkins in the middle, Reid at power forward, MJ at small forward or anywhere else, Forte at the two and Cota at the point. That lineup might win a few games!
Cota led the ACC in assists with 6.9 per game in 1997 and led the Tar Heels to an ACC Tournament title and NCAA Final Four appearance.
Three Tar Heel freshmen - Phil Ford (1975), Sam Perkins (1981), and Jerry Stackhouse (1994) - were named ACC Tournament Most Valuable Players. Ford averaged 16.4 points, led the team with 161 assists and shot 51.6 percent from the floor as a freshman.
Georgia Tech is the only program in the ACC to have more ACC Rookies of the Year than UNC. Georgia Tech players have won the award eight times. Carolina players have won five times. Three Duke and Virginia players have won the award, two from Maryland and Wake Forest, and one each from Clemson, Florida State and NC State.
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.
In his first 10 games this season, Haywood averaged 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. In the 25 games since, he has averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest.
Has hit 73 of 113 free throws (64.6 percent) in the last 25 games as compared to 60.5 percent overall.
He has made 90 of 133 field goal attempts in the last 14 games (.677).
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 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in UNC's four NCAA Tournament wins. Is shooting 55.6 percent in the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
CAROLINA'S STRONG SECOND HALF PERFORMANCES
In Carolina's 22 wins this season, the Tar Heels have shot 55.6 percent in the second half and 51.2 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 20 of their 35 games this season (60 percent eight times and at least 70 percent three times).
Carolina is 16-4 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.
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.
SCORING IS UP
Carolina is averaging 75.9 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 regular-season 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 was the 13th-toughest in the nation, according to the latest RPI (as of March 13).
Midwest Regional champion Michigan State is the only team that beat the Tar Heels that is still alive in the NCAA Tournament. Cincinnati lost in the NCAA second round, Indiana lost in the NCAA first round, Louisville lost in the NCAA first round, Wake Forest (two losses) began the week playing in the NIT semifinals, UCLA lost in the NCAA regional semifinal, Virginia (two losses) lost in the NIT first round, Florida State (did not reach the postseason), Duke (two losses) lost in the NCAA regional semifinal and Maryland lost in the NCAA second round.
HEAD COACH BILL GUTHRIDGE
Guthridge is 80-27 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.
Guthridge has been part of Carolina's coaching staff for 867 wins. Including 93 wins as an assistant coach at Kansas State, Guthridge has been on the sidelines for 960 college coaching victories.
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 8-2 in NCAA Tournament games. He is one of only two coaches to take his team to the Final Four in two of his first three years as a head coach. Ohio State's Fred Taylor is the other, having taken the Buckeyes to the 1960 and '61 Final Fours.
Guthridge has been on the sidelines for 71 NCAA Tournament wins at Carolina, including the regional final win over Tulsa. UNC is 71-27 in NCAA action with Guthridge as an assistant or head coach.
With wins over Missouri and Stanford, Guthridge is tied for the most wins by a third-year coach in NCAA history (see chart below).
When the Tar Heels beat Connecticut to advance to the Final Four in 1998, Guthridge became one of eight men to lead their respective schools to the Final Four in the first season as its head coach (with Ray Meyer at DePaul, Gary Thompson at Wichita State, Denny Crum at Louisville, Bill Hodges at Indiana State, Larry Brown at UCLA, Steve Fisher at Michigan and Tubby Smith at Kentucky).
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.
BRENDAN HAYWOOD (7-0, JR., C, GREENSBORO, N.C.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSThe ACC's and Carolina's alltime leader in field goal percentage. Has made 65.5 percent of his shot attempts from the floor (380 for 580). Second-best is Rasheed Wallace at 63.5 percent.
UNC Career Field Goal Percentage
| 1. | Brendan Haywood (97-active) | .655 |
| 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 |
Third in school history in career blocked shots with 181. Warren Martin is second with 190 blocks.
UNC Career Blocked Shots
| 1. | Sam Perkins (80-84) | 245 |
| 2. | Warren Martin (81-86) | 190 |
| 3. | Brendan Haywood (97-active) | 181 |
| 4. | Kevin Salvadori (90-94) | 174 |
| 5. | Eric Montross (90-94) | 169 |
Averaging 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in his 107-game career. Over the last two seasons as a starter, he is averaging 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest.
Has scored in double figures 48 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 60 of 69 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 585).
HAYWOOD'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Earned third-team All-ACC honors.
Leads the nation in field goal percentage at .693. Has converted 185 of 267 field goal attempts. The single-season ACC record is .670 by Clemson's Dale Davis in 1988-89.
1999-2000 ACC Field Goal Percentage Leaders (as of March 27)
| 1. | Brendan Haywood (North Carolina) | .693 |
| 2. | Lonny Baxter (Maryland) | .533 |
| 3. | Damous Anderson (Florida State) | .508 |
| 4. | Chris Williams (Virginia) | .507 |
| 5. | Shane Battier (Duke) | .496 |
ACC Single-Season Field Goal Percentage Leaders
| 1. | Brendan Haywood, UNC (99-00) | .693 |
| 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 |
Tied for first in the ACC in blocked shots with 2.5 per game (along with Alvin Jones of Georgia Tech). Has blocked 88 shots in 35 contests.
Leads the team and seventh in the ACC with 7.4 rebounds per game.
Has scored in double figures in 25 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).
In his first 10 games this season, Haywood averaged 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. In the 25 games since, he has averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest.
Has hit 73 of 113 free throws (64.6 percent) in the last 25 games as compared to 60.5 percent overall.
He has made 90 of 133 field goal attempts in the last 14 games (.677).
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 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in UNC's four NCAA Tournament wins. Is shooting 55.6 percent in the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
ED COTA (6-1, SR., G, BROOKLYN, N.Y.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSNamed to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament team after wins over Tennessee and Tulsa. That is the third time in his career he has been named to an NCAA Tournament All-Regional Team (1997, 1998 and 2000). Joins J.R. Reid as the only Carolina players in history to earn three NCAA All-Regional Team selections.
Is the first player in ACC and NCAA history to score 1,000 points, have 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds in his career. He also is the only player in ACC history to total 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 600 assists.
Carolina's alltime assist leader with 1,022. 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 7.46 assists per game behind NC State's Chris Corchiani (8.37) and Duke's Bobby Hurley (7.68).
Will become the first player ever to lead the ACC in assists four years in a row.
Has 32 career double-digit assist games, a UNC record. Ranks third in ACC history in 10-assist games.
Tied for fifth in UNC history Dudley Bradley with 190 steals. Kenny Smith is fourth with 195.
Has scored in double figures 60 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).
Has played in three ACC Tournament championship games (winning two) and three Final Fours.
Second in NCAA history in career NCAA Tournament assists with 110.
UNC Career Assists
| 1. | Ed Cota (1996-present) | 1,022 |
| 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 | 1,022 |
| 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 | 1,022 |
| 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 | 7.46 |
| 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. | Ed Cota, North Carolina | 110 |
| 3. | Sherman Douglas, Syracuse | 106 |
| 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 |
| Ed Cota (1996-present) | 190 |
UNC Single-Season Assists
| 1. | Ed Cota (1999-00) | 276 |
| 2. | Ed Cota (1997-98) | 274 |
| 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 276 assists this season are the highest single-season total in Carolina history, surpassing his own total of 274 in 1998. He averages 8.1 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 8.1 assists per game. Duke's Jason Williams is second in the ACC at 6.5 per game.
Enters the Florida game with 276 assists, his highest single-season total. He had 234 assists in 1997, 274 in 1998 and 238 in 1999.
Has an assist-turnover ratio this year of 2.49 to 1 (276 assists/111 turnovers). That is the best ratio in the ACC.
Leading the ACC in minutes played at 36.7 per game. Has played 159 out of a possible 160 minutes in Carolina's four NCAA Tournament games.
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 17 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 37.6 (32 of 85).
Has seven or more assists in 25 of his 34 games and more assists than turnovers in 29 of 34 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.
Scored the game's tying and go-ahead baskets in the NCAA regional semifinal win over Tennessee. Cota hit a driving 10-footer in the lane with 3:02 to play that evened the game at 64. Carolina forced a shot clock violation on Tennessee's next possession. Cota followed with a layup off the glass with 1:59 to play that gave UNC its first lead since a 20-19 advantage with 10:31 left in the first half.
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 81.0 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 539 points.
OWENS' 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Sixth on the team in scoring with 7.7 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.
Hit both of his shots and scored five points in the regional semifinal win over Tennessee.
JASON CAPEL (6-8, SO., F/G, CHESAPEAKE, VA.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSCarolina'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 83.8 percent from the free throw line in his career. Was second in the ACC in free throw percentage last season.
Is third in UNC history in free throw percentage behind Shammond Williams (.849) and Jeff Lebo (.839).
Carolina's Alltime Free Throw Percentage Leaders
| 1. | Shammond Williams, guard | .849 |
| 2. | Jeff Lebo, guard | .839 |
| 3. | Jason Capel, forward | .838 |
| 4. | Jim Braddock, guard | .835 |
| 5. | Dennis Wuycik, forward | .834 |
1999-2000 ACC Free Throw Pct. Leaders (As of March 27)
| 1. | Darius Songaila, Wake Forest | .848 |
| 2. | Jason Capel, UNC | .829 |
| 3. | Shane Battier, Duke | .817 |
| 4. | Juan Dixon, Maryland | .790 |
| 5. | Chris Carrawell, Duke | .778 |
CAPEL'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Honorable mention All-ACC honoree.
Has scored in double figures in 25 contests, including 16 of the last 20 games. Has scored 20 or more points five times.
Second on the team behind Brendan Haywood in rebounds at 6.7 per contest. Ranks ninth in the ACC in rebounding.
Is second in the ACC from the free throw line, shooting 83.8 percent. Converted 86.8 percent from the free throw line in ACC games.
Has made 60 of his last 67 free throw attempts (89.6 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.
Hit a huge three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer against Tennessee. Later, he hit an inside shot that cut UT's lead to 64-62.
Defended Tennessee's outstanding forward Vincent Yarbrough. The Vol star was just 4 of 11 from the floor and scored 13 points, two below his average.
Named to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament team after averaging 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in wins over Tennessee and Tulsa. Played a key role in a UNC defense that held its regional opponents to 36.4 percent shooting (including 11-for-41 (26.8 percent) three-point shooting.
JOSEPH FORTE (6-4, FR., G, GREENBELT, MD.)
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTSA second-team All-ACC honoree and unanimous selection to the ACC's All-Freshman team.
The 1999-2000 ACC Rookie of the Year.
The 2000 NCAA South Regional MVP.
Carolina's leading scorer at 16.7 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. Ninth 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 14 games this season.
Has 585 points on the season. Shattered the school record for points by a freshman formerly held by Sam Perkins (550 points in 1980-81). Is averaging more points than any freshman in school history (see charts below).
Alltime UNC Freshmen Scoring (by average)
| Player | Season | Scoring Average |
| 1. Joseph Forte | 1999-2000 | 16.7 |
| 2. Phil Ford | 1974-1975 | 16.4 |
| 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. Joseph Forte | 1999-2000 | 585 |
| 2. Sam Perkins | 1980-1981 | 550 |
| 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 nine times. Had 24 in his collegiate debut against Southern California, 21 in the Maui championship game vs. Purdue, 27 at Virginia, 20 vs. Duke, 24 at home vs. Wake Forest, 26 at Maryland, 24 at Duke, 22 vs. Tulsa and a season-high 28 vs. Tulsa.
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 16 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 92 and had a season-high six against top-ranked Cincinnati.
Has connected on at least one three-point field goal in 29 of the 35 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.
Led all scorers with 22 points in the Sweet 16 win over Tennessee. After missing his opening attempt, he made his next five field goal attempts and scored 11 of Carolina's first 18 points as the Tar Heels built an 18-11 lead.
Forte did not attempt a field goal in the second half against Tennessee until he hit a jumper with 8:38 to play that cut UT's lead to 55-51. His next shot attempt was perhaps the biggest of the season for UNC as he drained a three-pointer with 4:27 to play reduce the Vols' lead to 64-60. That basket started a 13-0 run by the Tar Heels.
Was named MVP of the NCAA South Regional after averaging 25.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in wins over Tennessee and Tulsa. Scored 22 points and grabbed five boards in the win over the Volunteers.
Had a season-high 28 points in the 59-55 win over Tulsa in the South Regional final. Made 10 of 17 shots from the floor, 7 of 8 free throws and shared the team lead with eight rebounds.
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 54.5 percent from the floor and averaging 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in his career.
Has scored in double figures 33 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.
Scored 10 points in the regional semifinal win over Tennessee.
Suffered a sprained right ankle in the first half of the regional final win over Tulsa. He returned later in the first half, but was limited to four points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of action.
Carolina is 12-3 when Lang scores in double figures this season.
JULIUS PEPPERS (6-7, FR.-R, F, BAILEY, N.C.)
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTSHas been featured on page one photos in the first section of USA Today on each of the last two Mondays after UNC wins over Stanford and Tulsa.
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.
Had six points, six rebounds and two blocks against Tennessee in the Sweet 16. Played most of the final 8:03 after Brendan Haywood fouled out, despite picking up his own fourth foul with 6:10 to play. Hit two clutch free throws with 26 left to play that gave Carolina a six-point lead. Grabbed five rebounds in the final 6:59 against the Vols.
Had six points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in the regional final against Tulsa.
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.
