University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Visits Duke In Season Finale
March 3, 2000 | Men's Basketball
March 3, 2000
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina plays its final game of the 1999-2000 regular season on Saturday afternoon when it plays at Duke at 3:30 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game will be televised nationally by ABC.
Sophomore forward Kris Lang suffered a strained left quadricep late in Wednesday's win over Georgia Tech but is expected to be available to play Saturday at Duke.
At 9-6 in the ACC, Carolina has assured that it will finish in the top three of the conference for the 36th straight season. Prior to this year, Carolina has finished first 17 times, second 12 times and third six times.
Carolina's 74-72 win over Georgia Tech on March 1 was its ninth Atlantic Coast Conference win this season, assuring the Tar Heels' 36th consecutive winning record in the ACC.
Head Coaches
North Carolina: Bill Guthridge (Kansas State '60)
Guthridge's Record as Head Coach: 76-25 (.752), 3rd year
Guthridge's Record at UNC: same
DUKE: Mike Krzyzewski (Army '69)
Krzyzewski's Record as Head Coach: 565-218 (.722), 25th year
Krzyzewski's Record at Duke: 492-159 (.756), 20th year
Television: ABC (Brent Musberger, Dick Vitale, Brad Daugherty)
Radio: Learfield Communications (Woody Durham, Mick Mixon)
Series: Carolina leads, 121-84
Last Meeting: 2/3/00 - Duke 90, Carolina 86 (OT) in Chapel Hill
Last Meeting in Durham: 1/27/99 - Duke 89, Carolina 77
Consecutive ACC Regular-Season Winning Records
(including 1999-2000)
| North Carolina | 36 seasons in a row |
| Duke | 4 seasons in a row |
| Maryland | 3 seasons in a row |
| Virginia | needs a win vs. Maryland for 1 season in a row |
No other school could have a winning record this year
Number of Top Three Regular-Season Finishes in the Last 36 Years
(including 1999-2000, including ties)
| North Carolina | 36 |
| Duke | 22 |
| NC State | 16 |
| Maryland | 13 |
| Wake Forest | 11 |
| Virginia | 7 or 8 (depending on outcome of game Sunday) |
| Clemson | 5 |
| South Carolina | 5 seasons (left ACC after 1971) |
| Georgia Tech | 4 (joined ACC in 1980) |
| Florida State | 2 seasons (joined ACC in 1991-92) |
Carolina is 4-3 on the road in ACC play this season entering Saturday's game at Duke. This marks the eighth straight season the Heels have won at least half of their ACC road games.
With Wednesday's overtime win over Georgia Tech, Bill Guthridge is now 7-2 in overtime games as UNC's head coach.
The Tar Heels have hit seven of 38 three-point attempts in their last three games and 11 of 49 in their last four contests.
Brendan Haywood has hit 57 of his last 75 field goal attempts (76.0 percent). On Feb. 23 at Florida State, he hit all seven of his shots and led Carolina with 19 points. Haywood has made at least half his shots from the floor in 27 of 29 games this year and at least 70 percent in nine of the last 12 games. He has averaged 15.0 points per game in the last 12 contests.
Jason Capel has scored in double figures in 13 of the last 14 games, averaging 13.8 points in that span. Capel (.418) ranks fourth in the ACC in three-point percentage in ACC games only. Capel hit a career-high four of five three-pointers at Clemson on Feb. 6.
Joseph Forte (16.3 points per game) has led Carolina and all ACC freshmen in scoring throughout the season. No freshman ever has led Carolina in scoring and just one, current assistant coach Phil Ford, has averaged more points than Forte has so far this season.
Alltime UNC Freshmen Scoring (by average)
| Player | Season | Scoring Average |
| 1. Phil Ford | 1974-1975 | 16.4 |
| 2. Joseph Forte | 1999-2000 | 16.3 |
| 3. Antawn Jamison | 1995-1996 | 15.1 |
| 4. Sam Perkins | 1980-1981 | 14.9 |
| 5. J.R. Reid | 1986-1987 | 14.7 |
UNC forced 16 turnovers in its March 1 win over Georgia Tech and committed just nine. The fewest turnovers Carolina has committed in a game this season is eight (vs. Howard on Jan. 2).
Carolina has turned the ball over more than its opponents in 20 of 29 games and committed an equal number of miscues in four other contests. The Tar Heels are 11-9 in games in which they commit more turnovers, 3-2 in games they force more turnovers and 4-0 in which turnovers are equal. The four games in which UNC has committed fewer turnovers include wins over UNLV and Howard and losses to Michigan State and Cincinnati.
Carolina has averaged 17.2 turnovers in its 11 losses and 13.5 per game in its 18 victories.
UNC is 7-5 at the Smith Center this season and has lost five home games in one season for the first time since moving into the Smith Center in January 1986. Carolina also has tied the school record for home losses in a season (also set in 1929-30 and 1943-44).
Overall, the Tar Heels are 163-25 (.867) at the Smith Center. Carolina was 169-20 (.894) from 1965-86 at Carmichael Auditorium. In the last 35 seasons, the Tar Heels have been beaten just 45 times at home.
Carolina leads the ACC and the nation in field goal percentage (.501). In ACC games only, the Tar Heels lead the ACC in field goal percentage defense (.408).
TAR HEELS AND BLUE DEVILS
The Tar Heels lead the series against Duke, 121-84, although the Blue Devils have won the last four meetings. Carolina won 10 of 12 meetings with Duke from 1993-98 prior to the Blue Devils's current four-game streak over UNC.
This is the second time UNC and Duke have played without the Tar Heels being ranked in the Associated Press poll since the 1989-90 season. The Tar Heels beat the Blue Devils in both meetings that season and in neither game was Carolina ranked in the Top 25. Earlier this season, UNC was not ranked by the AP and lost to Duke, 90-86, in overtime in the Smith Center on Feb. 3.
On Jan. 17, 1990, unranked UNC beat the eighth-ranked Blue Devils, 79-60, in the Smith Center. On March 4, 1990, unranked Carolina beat fifth-ranked Duke, 87-75, in Cameron.
Carolina was 14-10 against the Blue Devils in the 1990s. UNC has not lost more games to Duke in a decade since the 1960s when the Devils were 14-12 against UNC.
In the decade of the 1990s, Carolina won more games against ACC competition than any other team in the league. The Tar Heels were 128-54 in ACC regular season and ACC Tournament contests. The Blue Devils had the second-most ACC wins in the 1990s with a 121-55 record.
Last year marked just the third time in the last 35 years that Duke had swept the season series against the Tar Heels (1966, 1988 and 1999). In that same time period, the Tar Heels have swept the Blue Devils 13 times (1965, 1967, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1994, 1995 and 1996).
Bill Guthridge is 2-5 as UNC's head coach in games against the Blue Devils. UNC went 2-1 against Duke in Guthridge's first season in 1997-98, including an 83-68 win over No. 1-ranked Duke in the ACC Tournament championship game in Greensboro, N.C. Guthridge's Tar Heels also beat the No. 1 ranked Blue Devils, 97-73, on Feb. 5, 1998, in Chapel Hill.
Duke has not beaten the Tar Heels in five consecutive contests since a seven-game streak from 1962-64.
Even with the current four-game losing streak, Carolina has beaten Duke in 10 of the last 16 games.
The teams have split the last 10 games, 5-5.
Since the start of the 1966-67 season, Carolina is 17-16 in Cameron Indoor Stadium. That includes a 10-9 record in Duke's home building since Mike Krzyzewski became the Blue Devils head coach. Carolina is 28-6 against Duke in Chapel Hill in the last 34 years, including a 10-5 record in the Smith Center.
Carolina is 29-33 overall at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
In 30 years as a Tar Heel assistant coach, Bill Guthridge was 54-25 against Duke.
The last time Carolina won at Cameron Indoor Stadium was an 84-78 victory on March 3, 1996.
Carolina is 28-19 against Mike Krzyzewski's Duke teams since he became the Blue Devils' head coach in 1980-81.
COTA VERSUS DUKE
Senior point guard Ed Cota has scored 106 points and has 69 assists and 50 turnovers in nine previous games against Duke. Cota's personal highs against Duke include 21 points in this year's game at the Smith Center, 12 assists on Feb. 5, 1998, in a home win, and eight turnovers on two occasions (a loss at Duke as a freshman and the win at home his sophomore year).
Cota has averaged 7.7 assists and 5.6 turnovers per game against Duke. He has dished out 11 or more assists three times against Duke and has committed five or more turnovers eight times. He had a career-low one turnover in the 1999 ACC Tournament final against the Blue Devils.
OTHER TAR HEEL INDIVIDUALS VERSUS DUKE
Freshman guard Joseph Forte had 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in his first game against Duke on Feb. 3 in the Smith Center. He hit a three-pointer with 0:05 left in regulation to force overtime.
Sophomore forward Jason Capel's brother, Jeff, played at Duke from 1993-97. On Feb. 3 in the Smith Center, Capel tallied 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists before fouling out with 0:26 left to play in overtime. Capel was sick or injured in all three games against the Blue Devils a year ago. He did not play in the game at Duke due to mononucleosis. He injured his back in practice before the game at the Smith Center and played in obvious pain. He then re-injured his back in the ACC Tournament semifinal against Maryland and saw very limited playing time the next afternoon in the championship game.
Junior Max Owens scored 22 points against Duke in the 1999 ACC Tournament final.
Sophomore Kris Lang totaled 15 points and eight rebounds in the Feb. 3 loss to the Blue Devils in the Smith Center.
Lang made 12 of 16 shots from the field last year in three games against Duke. The Gastonia, N.C., native was 5 for 6 at Duke, 1 for 1 at home and 6 for 9 in the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. He had 12 points in the game in Durham and the ACC championship.
Junior Brendan Haywood scored 7, 16 and 5 points in the games against Duke last year. He was 7 for 9 from the floor in the game in Chapel Hill. Haywood had nine points and 10 rebounds in the Feb. 3 loss to Duke this season.
EARLIER THIS SEASON IN CHAPEL HILL
Carolina trailed by 17 points at halftime and by 19 with 14:41 to play in the second half but battled back to force overtime before losing, 90-86, to No. 3 Duke on Feb. 3 in Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels scored on 19 of their last 22 second-half possesssions and shot 50.0 percent (25-for-50) while limiting Duke to 42.1 percent (16-for-38) after halftime.
Ed Cota took a career-high 23 shots from the floor and scored 21 points, his third 20-point game of the season. Cota also finished with eight assists and seven rebounds. Cota scored 18 of his points after halftime.
Joseph Forte had 20 points, six rebounds and four assists in the game and hit a three-pointer with 0:05 remaining in regulation to tie the game and force overtime.
The Tar Heels outrebounded Duke, 53-38, in the game but committed 19 turnovers. However, just five of those turnovers occurred after halftime.
In the first half, Carolina committed 14 turnovers and shot 37.9 percent from the floor. Duke led, 41-24, at intermission.
Carolina had a loss of ball percentage of 33 percent in the first half and six percent in the second half.
FORTE NAMED ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK FOR THIRD TIME
Freshman guard Joseph Forte was named the ACC's Rookie of the Week for the second time in three weeks and third time overall this season on Feb. 28. Forte scored 40 points in two conference games last week and is the ACC's leading freshman scorer at 16.2 ppg.
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.
HAYWOOD HEATING UP
Junior center Brendan Haywood has been dominant at times in the second half of this season, making a strong case for All-ACC honors.
Haywood is now shooting 152 for 209 from the floor this year, a percentage of .727. That is an alltime ACC single-season best and would be the second-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 third behind Johnson and Haywood.
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 19 games since, he has averaged 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest and hit 73.6 percent of his shots.
Has hit 60 of 87 free throws (69.0 percent) in the last 19 games as compared to 63.4 percent overall.
He has made 57 of 75 field goal attempts in the last 10 games (.760).
In ACC games, Haywood has improved his scoring average (14.3 vs. 13.6), rebounding average (8.5 vs. 6.9) and free throw percentage (65.8 vs. 63.6) compared to his overall averages. Is fourth in the ACC in rebounding in ACC games only.
Haywood grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds at Maryland on Feb. 26.
CAROLINA'S STRONG SECOND HALF PERFORMANCES
In Carolina's 18 wins this season, the Tar Heels have shot 58.3 percent in the second half and 52.4 percent overall. In the Tar Heels' 11 losses, they have shot 44.6 percent in the second half and 46.6 percent overall.
The Tar Heels have shot 50 percent or better from the field in the second half in 18 of their 29 games this season (60 percent seven times and at least 70 percent three times).
Carolina is 15-3 in games in which it shoots 50 percent or better >from the floor in the second half. The only 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) and at Maryland (UNC made 55.9 percent in the second half but the Terps shot 53.6 percent after the break).
Carolina in the Second Half (Last 10 games)
| Date - Opponent | UNC-Opp. Scoring | UNC FG Shooting |
| 1/27 - Maryland | 41-22 | .500 (14-28) |
| 1/29 - @ Ga. Tech | 42-25 | .667 (16-24) |
| 2/3 - Duke | 49-32 | .500 (25-50) |
| 2/6 - @ Clemson | 38-30 | .478 (11-21) |
| 2/9 - @ NC State | 42-36 | .552 (16-29) |
| 2/12 - Wake Forest | 54-32 | .654 (17-26) |
| 2/20 - Virginia | 43-44 | .400 (14-35) |
| 2/23 - @ Fla. State | 38-38 | .583 (14-24) |
| 2/26 - @ Maryland | 46-44 | .559 (19-34) |
| 3/1 - Georgia Tech | 34-32 | .457 (16-35) |
| Totals | 427-335 | .523 (160-306) |
CAROLINA'S DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
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 15 of the 29 games this season, including six of the last 10 games.
Carolina has won 14 of 15 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 eight 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.
In ACC games, Carolina leads the conference in field goal percentage defense at .408.
CAROLINA OUTLASTS GEORGIA TECH IN OVERTIME
Carolina shot just 42.9 percent from the floor but limited its turnovers to nine and outlasted Georgia Tech, 74-72, in overtime on March 1 in the Smith Center. The game marked the final regular season home game for UNC seniors Ed Cota, Matt Laczkowski and Terrence Newby. The Tar Heels clinched clinched their 36th consecutive winning record in the ACC.
UNC held the Yellow Jackets to 39.7 shooting, the 15th time the Heels have held their opponents to 40 percent-or-less shooting this season.
Senior Ed Cota dished out 11 assists, 10 of which came after halftime, and grabbed seven rebounds in his final home game as a Tar Heel. Cota also scored six points.
Freshman Joseph Forte led Carolina with 19 points and tallied a career-high six steals, all in the first half. He scored four of UNC's 10 overtime points.
Redshirt freshman walkon Julius Peppers picked up the slack after starting power forward Kris Lang was hampered by a strained left quadricep. Peppers scored a career-high 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and also grabbed four rebounds.
Bill Guthridge is now 7-2 in overtime games as Carolina's head coach.
MARYLAND TOPS HEELS IN COLLEGE PARK
Maryland forced 17 Carolina turnovers, including 12 in the first half, and defeated the Tar Heels, 81-73, on Feb. 26 in College Park, Md. The Terrapins scored 20 points off those UNC turnovers, compared to just six points off turnovers for Carolina.
UNC led, 27-25, with 3:13 left in the first half before the Terps went on a 12-0 run and took a 37-27 lead into halftime.
Brendan Haywood had a career-high 17 rebounds for the Heels.
Playing minutes from his home in Greenbelt, Md., hit 11 of 16 field goals to lead all scorers with 26 points. Forte had 14 in the first half.
Ed Cota finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Kris Lang fouled out with 14:27 still to play in the second half, scoring six points and grabbing one rebound in 14 minutes of action.
Juan Dixon hit five three-pointers and led Maryland with 23 points.
HAYWOOD LEADS HEELS PAST SEMINOLES
Junior center Brendan Haywood hit all seven of his field goal attempts and finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots as the Tar Heels defeated Florida State, 70-67, on Feb. 23 in Tallahassee.
The Tar Heels continued to work the ball inside, shooting 59.1 percent from the floor for the game and attempting 17 more free throws than the Seminoles.
Carolina led by as many as seven points in the second half but the Seminoles battled back and went on an 8-2 run to take a 64-62 lead with 2:17 left in the second half. From that point, the Tar Heel defense stiffened and UNC hit five of six free throws in the final two minutes to take home the victory.
Ed Cota blocked a Delvon Arrington three-pointer with 0:54 left and FSU ahead 67-66. Joseph Forte grabbed the loose ball, drove to the basket and fed Jason Capel who scored and was fouled (he hit the free throw). Cota also grabbed two key rebounds in the closing seconds to seal the win. Cota had more turnovers than assists for the second game in a row and the third time on the season, finishing with four assists and five turnovers.
Jason Capel finished with 15 points and a career-high seven assists for the Tar Heels.
The win was UNC's 15th in its last 20 games with FSU.
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 |
The Tar Heels are unranked in both national polls this week. 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 623.
COTA'S CAREER NUMBERS IN EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
Senior point guard Ed Cota has 1,202 points, 979 assists and 476 rebounds in his career. He is just the fourth player in Carolina history to score 1,000 points and have 500 assists (joining Phil Ford, Kenny Smith and Jeff Lebo).
Cota is the only player in ACC history to compile 1,000 points, 800 assists and 400 rebounds in a career.
Cota ranks third in ACC history and fourth in NCAA history with 979 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. Keith Jennings of East Tennessee State (983) is third in NCAA history.
Cota led the ACC in assists in each of his first three seasons and is vying to become the only player in conference history to lead the ACC in assists four times. Virginia's Ralph Sampson and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan both led the ACC in blocked shots four times and are the only players in ACC history to lead the league in a statistical category four times.
COTA A WOODEN AWARD CANDIDATE
Senior point guard Ed Cota, who ranks third in the nation in assists this season, has been named to the John Wooden Award Midseason All-America Team. The team includes the top 30 candidates for the Wooden Award, which is given in the postseason to the National Player of the Year. Cota is one of five Atlantic Coast Conference players to survive the cut down from 50 preseason candidates to 30 at midseason. The other ACC honorees include Shane Battier (Duke), Chris Carrawell (Duke), Jason Collier (Georgia Tech) and Terence Morris (Maryland).
IN THE LATEST NCAA STATS (AS OF FEB. 28)
Carolina led the nation in field goal percentage (.504).
Brendan Haywood led the nation in individual field goal percentage (.735).
Ed Cota ranked fourth nationally in assists (8.2 per game).
NCAA Field Goal Percentage Leaders (as of Feb. 28)
| Team | FG Pct. |
| 1. North Carolina | .504 |
| 2. Bowling Green | .503 |
| 3. Long Beach State | .499 |
| 4. Samford | .497 |
| 5. Austin Peay | .495 |
SCORING IS UP
Carolina is averaging 77.6 points per game in 1999-2000 and has scored more than 80 12 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 the most in a single game since scoring 107 in a double-overtime win at Georgia Tech on 2/8/98.
BERSTICKER TO APPLY FOR MEDICAL REDSHIRT
Brian Bersticker will apply to the Atlantic Coast Conference for a medical hardship after the 1999-2000 season is completed. Bersticker fractured his fifth left metatarsal in Carolina's win over College of Charleston on December 3rd and underwent surgery that included a bone graft three days later.
"We hoped Brian would be able to return this month and contribute to this year's team success," says head coach Bill Guthridge. "However, his foot has not responded to the medical treatment the way we anticipated. He stopped practicing on Monday when his foot felt sore and has not been able to return to practice. We feel it is in Brian's best interests to not play again this year and apply for a medical red-shirt when the season is over."
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 returned to limited activity in practice on February 7th, but experienced soreness while practicing on February 14th.
The Virginia Beach, Va., native is eligible to apply for a medical red-shirt season since he played only in the first half of the season and competed in less than 20 percent of Carolina's contests.
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 76-25 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 5-1 in ACC Tournament games. He directed the Tar Heels to the 1998 ACC championship by beating No. 1 ranked Duke, 83-68, in the championship game. Last year, Carolina upset fifth-ranked Maryland in the semifinal to reach the title game against the Blue Devils.
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.
Guthridge has been on the sidelines for 863 wins at North Carolina and 956 wins as a college assistant or head coach (including 93 wins as an assistant at Kansas State).
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 66.5 percent of his shot attempts from the floor (347 for 522). Second-best is Rasheed Wallace at 63.5 percent.
UNC Career Field Goal Percentage
| 1. | Brendan Haywood (97-active) | .665 |
| 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 fifth in school history in career blocked shots with 163. Eric Montross is fourth with 169 blocks.
UNC Career Blocked Shots
| 1. | Sam Perkins (80-84) | 245 |
| 2. | Warren Martin (81-86) | 190 |
| 3. | Kevin Salvadori (90-94) | 174 |
| 4. | Eric Montross (90-94) | 169 |
| 5. | Brendan Haywood (97-active) | 163 |
Averaging 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in his 101-game career. Over the last two seasons as a starter, he is averaging 12.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest.
Has scored in double figures 43 times in his career with a high of 24 at California on Dec. 27, 1998, and against Maryland on Jan. 27, 2000.
Has 14 career double-doubles (points and rebounds).
Has scored 20 or more points nine times, most recently vs. Wake Forest on Feb. 12.
Has made 50 percent or more of his field goal attempts in 55 of 63 games over the last two seasons as a starter.
Grabbed 10 rebounds against Wake Forest on Feb. 12 to pass 500 for his career (he now has 538).
HAYWOOD'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Leads the nation in field goal percentage at .727. Has converted 152 of 209 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 Feb. 28)
| 1. | Brendan Haywood (North Carolina) | .735 |
| 2. | Carlos Boozer (Duke) | .639 |
| 3. | John Whorton (Kent) | .631 |
| 4. | Stromile Swift (LSU) | .626 |
| 5. | Etan Thomas (Syracuse) | .620 |
1999-2000 ACC Field Goal Percentage Leaders (as of March 2)
| 1. | Brendan Haywood (North Carolina) | .727 |
| 2. | Damous Anderson (Florida State) | .538 |
| 3. | Chris Williams (Virginia) | .535 |
| 4. | Lonny Baxter (Maryland) | .532 |
| 5. | Chris Carrawell (Duke) | .500 |
ACC Single-Season Field Goal Percentage Leaders
| 1. | Brendan Haywood (99-00) | .727 |
| 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 2.4 per game. Has blocked 70 shots in 29 contests.
Leads the team and seventh in the ACC with 7.3 rebounds per game.
Has scored in double figures in 20 games with a high of 24 against Maryland on Jan. 27.
Blocked a career-high seven shots vs. the College of Charleston.
Grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds at Maryland on Feb. 26.
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.
Haywood is now shooting 152 for 209 from the floor this year, a percentage of .727. That is an alltime ACC single-season best and would be the second-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 third behind Johnson and Haywood.
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 19 games since, he has averaged 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest and hit 73.6 percent of his shots.
Has hit 60 of 87 free throws (69.0 percent) in the last 19 games as compared to 63.4 percent overall.
He has made 57 of 75 field goal attempts in the last 10 games (.760).
In ACC games, Haywood has improved his scoring average (14.3 vs. 13.6), rebounding average (8.5 vs. 6.9) and free throw percentage (65.8 vs. 63.6) compared to his overall averages. Is fourth in the ACC in rebounding in ACC games only.
Haywood has five double-doubles this season. He has recorded double figures in rebounds in four of the last eight games, including a career-high 17 at Maryland on Feb. 26.
ED COTA (6-1, SR., G, BROOKLYN, N.Y.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSIs the first player in ACC history to score 1,000 points, have 800 assists and 400 rebounds in his career.
Carolina's alltime assist leader with 979. Is third in ACC history and fourth in NCAA history in assists.
Is third in ACC history with 7.47 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 29 career double-digit assist games, a UNC record. Ranks third in ACC history in 10-assist games.
Tied for sixth in UNC history with 183 steals. Dudley Bradley is fifth with 190.
Has scored in double figures 57 times. Career scoring high is 23 points against NC State on Jan. 8, 2000.
Has 13 career double-doubles (12 points and assists, one points and rebounds).
Has played in three ACC Tournament championship games (winning two) and two Final Fours.
UNC Career Assists
| 1. | Ed Cota (1996-present) | 979 |
| 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 | 1076 |
| 2. | Chris Corchiani, NC State | 1038 |
| 3. | Keith Jennings, East. Tennessee State | 983 |
| 4. | Ed Cota, North Carolina | 979 |
| 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 | 1076 |
| 2. | Chris Corchiani, NC State | 1038 |
| 3. | Ed Cota, North Carolina | 979 |
| 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 | 7.47 |
| 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 | 29 |
| 4. | Tyrone Bogues, Wake Forest | 28 |
| 5. | Sidney Lowe, NC State | 26 |
COTA'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
A leading candidate for first-team All-ACC honors after being named second-team in each of the last two seasons.
Leads the ACC and is fourth in the nation with a career-high 8.3 assists per game. Florida State's Delvon Arrington is second in the ACC at 6.6 per game.
1999-2000 NCAA Assist Leaders (as of Feb. 28)
| 1. | Mark Dickel (UNLV) | 8.8 |
| 2. | Doug Gottlieb (Oklahoma St.) | 8.7 |
| 3. | Chico Fletcher (Arkansas St.) | 8.3 |
| 4. | Ed Cota (North Carolina) | 8.2 |
| 5. | Brandon Granville (Southern California) | 8.1 |
Has an assist-turnover ratio this year of 2.65 to 1 (233 assists/88 turnovers). That is the best ratio in the ACC.
Leading the ACC in minutes played at 36.4 per game.
Tied the UNC single-game assists record when he dished out 17 against UNLV. Equalled Jeff Lebo's mark against Chattanooga in 1988. Cota had just two turnovers to go with his 17 assists. No other player in the country this season has had as many as 17 assists in a game.
Has scored in double figures in 14 games and had double-doubles in three 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 with a three-point percentage of 39.0 (30 of 77).
Has seven or more assists in 22 of his 28 games and more assists than turnovers in 25 of 28 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 six assists and just one turnover in the win at Georgia Tech.
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.
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 531 points.
OWENS' 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Fifth on the team in scoring with 9.0 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 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 HIGHLIGHTSCarolina's most versatile player. Playing mainly at the small and big forward spots this year after playing mostly off guard as a freshman.
Had off-season back surgery to repair two disks and is playing pain free for the first time in several years.
Has improved his points, rebounds and field goal percentage this season.
Has scored in double figures 32 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 83.4 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 (March 2)
| 1. | Shane Battier, Duke | .827 |
| 2. | Jason Capel, UNC | .819 |
| 3. | Darius Songaila, Wake Forest | .817 |
| 4. | Juan Dixon, Maryland | .805 |
| 5. | Chris Carrawell, Duke | .765 |
CAPEL'S 1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTS
Has scored in double figures in 22 contests, including 13 of the last 14 games. Has scored 20 or more points five times.
Averaging 13.8 points over the last 14 games.
Second on the team in rebounds at 6.8 per contest, just behind center Brenan Haywood. Ranks ninth in the ACC in rebounding.
Is second in the ACC from the free throw line, shooting 81.9 percent. Has converted 85.4 percent from the free throw line in ACC action.
Has made 39 of his last 43 free throw attempts.
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.
JOSEPH FORTE (6-4, FR., G, GREENBELT, MD.)
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTSCarolina's leading scorer at 16.3 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.
Seventh 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 10 games this season.
Has 473 points on the season. The last UNC freshman to score 400 points in a season was Antawn Jamison (484 in 1995-96). Phil Ford holds the UNC freshman scoring record with 508 points in 1974-75.
Has scored in double figures in all but three games and topped 20 points six 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 and 26 at Maryland.
Is shooting 46.6 percent from the floor, 37.0 percent from three-point range and 76.3 percent from the free throw line.
Scored more points in his freshman debut than any Tar Heel in history.
Is third on the team in rebounds at 5.3 per game. Has six or more boards in 12 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 77 and had a season-high six against top-ranked Cincinnati.
Has connected on at least one three-point field goal in 23 of the 29 games with a high of six at home vs. Wake Forest.
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.
Led Carolina with 19 points and had a career-high six steals (all in the first half) on March 1 vs. Georgia Tech. Hit the game-winning basket with 51 seconds to play in overtime, moments after a Tech three-pointer had given the Yellow Jackets a one-point lead.
KRIS LANG (6-11, SO., F/C, GASTONIA, N.C.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTSAveraged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Shooting 54.7 percent from the floor and averaging 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in his career.
Has scored in double figures 30 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 he suffered a strained left quadricep late in the game.
JULIUS PEPPERS (6-7, FR.-R, F, BAILEY, N.C.)
1999-2000 HIGHLIGHTSJoined the basketball team on Nov. 29 after the Tar Heels returned from the Maui Invitational.
Averaging 4.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
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 on Feb. 9.
Has made 17 of his last 23 field goal attempts (73.9 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.
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 HIGHLIGHTSHas 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 his hope 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).
