University of North Carolina Athletics
Men's Basketball Game Notes
February 23, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2001
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Date & Time: Sunday, February 25, 2001, 1:30 p.m.
Site: University Hall, Charlottesville, Va.
Records: Carolina 22-3 overall, 12-1 ACC, Virginia 18-6 overall, 7-6 ACC
Rankings: Carolina 2nd in Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today, Virginia 9th in Associated Press, 11th in ESPN/USA Today
Series Record vs. Virginia: Carolina leads 114-42 overall, 22-13 at University Hall, 39-26 overall in Charlottesville
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Radio Network, a division of Learfield Communications. Woody Durham (play-by-play) and Mick Mixon (color) provide the call. A live broadcast also is available on the University of North Carolina's official athletic website, TarHeelBlue.com.
Television: Raycom/Jefferson-Pilot (Tim Brant, Dan Bonner) and ESPN2 (Dave Sims, Len Elmore)
No. 2-RANKED, FIRST-PLACE TAR HEELS SEEK WIN IN FINAL ACC ROAD GAME
No. 2 North Carolina is looking for a seventh ACC road win for the first time since 1987 when the Tar Heels travel to Charlottesville on Sunday, February 25, for a 1:30 p.m. contest against the Virginia Cavaliers.
Carolina defeated Florida State, 95-67, at home on Thursday night. Last Sunday, UNC lost at Clemson, ending an 18-game win streak. The loss dropped Carolina from No. 1 to No. 2 in the nation. The Tar Heels are in first place in the ACC with a one-game lead over Duke.
UNC is 22-3 overall and 12-1 in conference play. Virginia is 18-6 overall and 7-6 in the ACC. The Cavaliers have not played in more than a week after winning, 69-66, at Florida State on Feb. 17.
UNC has now won at least 21 games for the 31st straight season, extending its own NCAA record for consecutive 20-win seasons.
Prior to the loss at Clemson, Carolina had won 18 in a row since losing to Michigan State (November 29) and Kentucky (December 2). The 18-game winning streak was UNC's longest since 1985-86, when the Tar Heels started the season 21-0.
Carolina's 18-game winning streak was the second-longest in the nation this year. Stanford's 20-game streak was snapped on February 3 by UCLA. UNC's 11-game ACC winning streak was its longest since winning 16 consecutive ACC contests over a two-year period in 1987-88 (Carolina went 14-0 in 1986-87 and won its first two ACC games in 1987-88).
The 22-2 Tar Heels have matched their win total from the 1999-2000 season. Carolina entered the 2000 NCAA Tournament with a record of 18-13 and finished the year 22-14.
UNC returns to action on Wednesday, February 28, at home vs. NC State at 9 p.m. That contest will be televised nationally by ESPN.
DOHERTY NAMED NAISMITH NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Carolina head coach Matt Doherty has been named a finalist for the Naismith Men's College Basketball Coach of the Year Award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Feb. 22.
Doherty is one of 20 finalists. Other finalists coaching at ACC schools are Paul Hewitt (Georgia Tech), Pete Gillen (Virginia) and Mike Krzyzewski (Duke).
Other finalists include Rod Barnes (Mississippi), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Mike Brey (Notre Dame), Billy Donovan (Florida), Lefty Driesell (Georgia State), Craig Esherick (Georgetown), Larry Eustashy (Iowa State), Mark Gottfried (Alabama), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Phil Martelli (St. Joseph's), Mike Montgomery (Stanford), Lute Olson (Arizona), Kelvin Sampson (Oklahoma), Bill Self (Illinois), Al Skinner (Boston College) and Roy Williams (Kansas).
The winner will be announced in Atlanta on April 7.
FORTE LIGHTING IT UP IN ACC PLAY
Joseph Forte is averaging 23.3 points in 13 ACC games this season. He leads all players in scoring in all games (by 0.6 points per game) and in ACC games. Clemson's Will Solomon is second in all games and in ACC games only, averaging 20.7 points per game.
Forte's margin of 2.6 points per game would be the largest margin in ACC games since 1996-97 when Wake Forest's Tim Duncan led Georgia Tech's Matt Harpring by 3.1 points a game.
Forte's average of 23.3 points per ACC game is the most by any ACC player since Walt Williams of Maryland averaged 29.6 points per ACC game in 1991-92.
Here's how Forte stacks up in ACC games only against Duke forward Shane Battier and Blue Devil point guard Jason Williams, each of whom is receiving significant media consideration for conference and national player of the year honors.
ANOTHER WINNING ACC ROAD RECORD
Carolina is 6-1 on the road in ACC play this season entering Sunday's game at Virginia. This season marks the 29th time that UNC has had a record of BETTER THAN .500 on the road in conference play and the 39th time that the Tar Heels have a record of either .500 OR BETTER. UNC has had a losing road record in ACC play only nine times in 48 years of ACC competition.
The 2000-01 season is Carolina's ninth straight season with a record of .500 or better on the road in ACC play.
12 ACC WINS FOR THE 15TH TIME
The Tar Heels enter the Virginia game with an Atlantic Coast Conference record of 12-1. This is the 15th time Carolina has won at least 12 ACC games and the first time UNC has won at least 12 ACC games since going 13-3 in 1997-98.
The Tar Heels have now won at least 12 ACC games twice in the last six years and at least 10 ACC games in eight of the last nine seasons.
FORTE, HAYWOOD AMONG NAISMITH FINALISTS
Joseph Forte and Brendan Haywood are among the 15 finalists for the 2001 Naismith Collegiate Player of the Year award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Feb. 12.
Former Tar Heel winners of the Naismith Award include Michael Jordan (1984) and Antawn Jamison (1998). Carolina is one of four schools to have two Naismith Award finalists this season. Stanford's Jarron Collins and Casey Jacobson, Michigan State's Charlie Bell and Jason Richardson and Duke's Shane Battier and Jason Williams are also finalists.
Other finalists include: Troy Bell (Boston College), Michael Bradley (Villanova), Eddie Griffin (Seton Hall), Terence Morris (Maryland), Troy Murphy (Notre Dame), Jamaal Tinsley (Iowa State) and Michael Wright (Arizona).
Selection for the award is based on a nationwide poll of the Naismith Selection Committee, consisting of Atlanta Tipoff Club National Advisory Board members, NCAA Division I coaches, former Naismith Award winners, NCAA Division I conference commissioners and selected media representatives. The winner of the award will be announced in Atlanta on April 7.
21 WINS, AGAIN
Carolina's 96-82 victory over Maryland on Feb. 10 ensured its 31st 21-win season in a row and extended its own NCAA record for consecutive 20-win seasons. The next-longest consecutive 20-win season streak in the ACC is five (by Duke, including this season). If Maryland wins 20 games this season, the Terps also would have five straight 20-win campaigns.
The last time UNC did not win at least 20 games was in 1969-70, when the Tar Heels went 18-9.
ROAD WINS OVER DUKE, WAKE FOREST AND NC STATE IN THE SAME SEASON
Carolina has defeated Duke, Wake Forest and NC State on the road this year for the first time since the 1989-90 season. This is the 10th time the Tar Heels have accomplished this feat since the beginning of ACC play in the 1953-54 season -- 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1966-67, 1975-76, 1981-82, 1983-84, 1986-87, 1989-90 and 2000-01.
NO. 2 IN BOTH POLLS
Carolina is ranked No. 2 in the nation in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls after spending two weeks atop both polls. The Tar Heels took over the top spot in both polls on Feb. 5. That was Carolina's first time atop either poll since March 8, 1998.
DOHERTY AND CREMINS ONLY PLAYER-COACH NO. 1s IN ACC HISTORY
Matt Doherty is just the second person in Atlantic Coast Conference history to play for a No. 1 ranked team and be the head coach of a No. 1 ranked team. Bobby Cremins also accomplished the feat. In 1969-70, South Carolina was No. 1 in the preseason poll, but fell out of the top spot the next week. In 1985-86, Georgia Tech was No. 1 in the preseason poll, but fell out of the top spot the next week.
501 TOP 10 ASSOCIATED PRESS RANKINGS FOR CAROLINA
This week's poll marks Carolina's 501st appearance in the Associated Press Top 10. That is the second-highest figure in NCAA basketball history (Kentucky is first with 520 Top 10s). Carolina has appeared in the AP poll 644 times, more than any other school in history.
CAROLINA AND THE NO. 1 RANKING BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
* This is the 15th different season in which the University of North Carolina has been ranked No. 1 in the nation since the Associated Press began its rankings in 1948-49. The previous seasons include 1957, 1958, 1959, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998.
* Matt Doherty spent 29 weeks as a Tar Heel player ranked No. 1 in the nation. Carolina was 52-5 with Doherty in the lineup as the No. 1 team in the country, winning the NCAA title in 1982 and finishing No. 1 in the final poll in 1982 and 1984.
* After beating Wake Forest and Maryland and losing at Clemson as the No. 1 team in the country, Carolina now has a 138-24 record as the No. 1 team in the AP poll. The Tar Heels are 48-5 at home as No. 1, 36-11 on the road and 54-8 at neutral sites.
CAROLINA AND THE COACHES POLL
This is the 13th season in which the Tar Heels have been ranked No. 1 in the nation by the coaches (UPI, CNN/USA Today or ESPN/USA Today). Those seasons include 1957 (eight weeks), 1958 (two weeks), 1959 (one week), 1982 (nine weeks), 1983 (two weeks), 1984 (nine weeks), 1986 (12 weeks), 1987 (three weeks), 1993 (three weeks), 1994 (two weeks), 1995 (six weeks), 1998 (eight weeks) and 2001 (two weeks).
CAROLINA AND THE CAVALIERS
The Tar Heels lead the series with Virginia, 114-42. Carolina has won seven of the last nine games in the series. The Wahoos beat the Tar Heels, 87-85, in their most recent meeting in Charlottesville, but UNC has won two of the last three on Virginia's home court.
Last season, UVa swept the season series from Carolina for the first time since the 1980-81 campaign. That season, the Tar Heels won the third meeting between the two schools, a 78-65 victory in the NCAA Final Four in Philadelphia.
EIGHTH TOP 10 MATCHUP BETWEEN CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA TThis is the eighth time UNC and Virginia have played when both teams are ranked in the Top 10 in the AP poll. It is the first such meeting since third-ranked Carolina beat No. 7 Virginia, 80-58, in Chapel Hill on January 20, 1993. This is the third Top 10 matchup in Charlottesville, and the first since the third-ranked Cavaliers beat the second-ranked Tar Heels, 74-58, on February 3, 1982.
Carolina is 6-1 against the Cavaliers in the seven previous games when both teams were ranked in the AP Top 10.
Date, Result (site)
Feb. 25, 2001, #2 North Carolina at #9 Virginia
Jan. 20, 1993, #3 UNC 80, #7 Virginia 58 (in Chapel Hill)
Feb. 10, 1983, #1 UNC 64, #3 Virginia 63 (in Chapel Hill)
March 7, 1982, #1 UNC 47, #3 Virginia 45 (ACC Tournament final in Greensboro)
Feb. 3, 1982, #3 Virginia 74, #2 UNC 58 (in Charlottesville)
Jan. 9, 1982, #1 UNC 65, #2 Virginia 60 (in Chapel Hill)
March 28, 1981, #6 UNC 78, #5 Virginia 65 (NCAA semifinal in Philadelphia)
Jan. 15, 1972, #3 UNC 85, #8 Virginia 79 (in Charlottesville)
EARLIER THIS SEASON IN CHAPEL HILL
Joseph Forte scored 33 points, the second-most in his career, as the Tar Heels defeated Virginia, 88-81, on Jan. 24 in Chapel Hill. With the win, Carolina improved to 15-1 alltime against Virginia in the Smith Center and 57-4 against the Cavaliers in Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels shot 58.8 percent in the first half and led, 50-35, at the break. UVa went on a 16-4 run to start the second half, cutting the UNC lead to 54-51. Shortly thereafter, Forte scored nine points in a 2:06 span and Carolina went back up by eight, 65-57.
He hit 13 of 23 field goals on the night, both of which were season highs. The 23 field goal attempts are a career high.
Jason Capel (14 points and seven rebounds), Kris Lang (12 points and six rebounds) and Brendan Haywood (nine points, 10 rebounds and four blocks) all played well for UNC. Chris Williams (14 points and 11 rebounds) and Travis Watson (16 points and 10 rebounds) led Virginia.
The Tar Heels shot 56.9 percent for the game (their best shooting performance since the Buffalo game this season) and held the Cavs to 42.6 percent, making them the 13th consecutive UNC opponent to shoot under 50 percent this season.
Carolina's 88 points were the most it scored in its last 24 games against Virginia, dating to the 1990-91 season.
LAST YEAR IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
VIRGINIA 87, CAROLINA 85, JAN. 18, 2000
Carolina shot 58.6 percent for the game and outrebounded Virginia, 43-30, but committed 21 turnovers and lost to the Cavaliers, 87-85, on Jan. 18 in Charlottesville.
Joseph Forte tallied season highs with 27 points and 11 rebounds while also dishing out five assists in the game. Forte shot 11-for-16 from the floor in posting his first career double-double.
Brendan Haywood recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, including six offensive boards. Jason Capel scored 17 points before fouling out with 42.2 seconds left. Ed Cota had nine points, five rebounds, 10 assists and just two turnovers.
The 172 combined points Carolina and Virginia scored in the game made it the highest-scoring game between the two schools since an 89-86, double-overtime UNC win at Virginia in 1990-91.
Virginia's 87 points were the most the Cavaliers have scored against Carolina since scoring 92 in an overtime win in the 1990 ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
TAR HEELS BOUNCE BACK WITH WIN OVER FSU
Joseph Forte scored 36 points, the second-most in his career, and moved into the ACC scoring lead (21.6 ppg) for the first time in his career as the Tar Heels defeated Florida State, 95-67, in the Smith Center on Feb. 22. The 36 points were two points off his career high (38 vs. Tulsa earlier this season). It was the third 30-point game of this season and Forte's career.
Brendan Haywood blocked five shots on the night and has a career-high 93 blocks this season. He tied Rasheed Wallace (34 games in 1994-95) for the single-season school block record.
With the win, UNC (22-3) equaled its win total from last season (22-14). Carolina shot 56.9 percent from the floor in the game. The 28-point margin of victory was UNC's largest against an ACC foe this season.
The game remained tightly contested until midway through the second half, as Carolina led 47-41 with 14:36 to go in the second half. FSU shot 38.8 percent from the floor, becoming the 20th straight Tar Heel opponent to shoot under 50 percent from the floor.
The Tar Heels shot 56.9 percent from the floor for the game. Carolina made 57.1 and 56.7 percent from the floor in the first and second halves, respectively. It was the sixth time in the last 10 games Carolina shot 50 percent or better from the field.
Forte scored 22 of his 36 points in the second half. Kris Lang added 13 points and nine rebounds, Jason Capel provided a steady 11 points and seven boards, and Julius Peppers had eight points and three assists.
FORTE CHALLENGES FOR NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sophomore guard Joseph Forte has made a major move in the National Player of the Year chase in the last month with a string of extraordinary performances.
Forte is now being considered among the favorites for the National Player of the Year awards along with Duke's Jason Williams and Shane Battier, Notre Dame's Troy Murphy and Stanford's Casey Jacobsen.
Forte scored 36 points at home vs. Florida State, scored 33 points at home in the win over Virginia, had 24 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and three steals in one of the great all-around performances in Carolina history in the 85-83 win over Duke, and had 23 points and nine rebounds as UNC defeated Georgia Tech. He shot just 7 of 17 from the field but had a team-high 24 points, four three-pointers, six rebounds and five steals at Wake Forest on Feb. 6.
Forte has scored 20 or more points 16 times this season, including 14 times in the last 19 contests. Forte has made 50 percent or more of his shots from the floor in 12 of his 16 20-point scoring games this season.
He also leads the Tar Heels this season with 89 assists. The last Carolina player to lead the team in scoring and assists was current L.A. Clipper point guard Jeff McInnis, who accomplished the feat in 1995-96.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT FORTE
Joseph Forte is drawing raves from college basketball observers, opposing players and coaches for his play this season. Below is a sampling of the praise being heaped upon the UNC sophomore:
"Forte is a sensational player," John Kresse, College of Charleston's head coach. "He is very opportunistic. I would pay admission to see him play. He's a ballerina. He makes the game look easy. He's so smooth, he's poetry in motion. He has a mid-range game and a go-to-the-hoop game."
Said Virginia coach Pete Gillen: "Forte is an unbelievable player, a tremendous two guard, the best I have seen in college in a long time ... He reminds me of [Wayne] Gretzky on ice. He just flows."
Said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski: "Forte is one of the premier players in the country. He steps forward when they need him. I like the fact he doesn't need to have the ball all the time, nor does he have to take shots all the time. He just plays the game, and all of a sudden he hits you with flurries. I really love the way he plays."
Said Florida State guard Delvon Arrington: ``Great players sprout when their team needs them. He does it often. He's one of those players who can't wait for the big play. He's waiting always for the big play and he comes out on top. We were trying to keep the ball out of his hands. We wanted the other players to take the shots to give us more of a chance. He made that 3 and got his game going and after that it turned the game around. He quieted the crowd and got the crowd out of it and Carolina went from there.''
CBS Sportsline's Dan Wetzel wrote after Forte scored 23 points against Georgia Tech that Forte had become "the best overall player in the game."
ESPN's Jay Bilas says Forte is "the best two-guard in college basketball."
Forte was named midseason National Player of the Year by Frank Burlison of FOXSports.com and on February 16 was Burlison's No. 1 choice for National Player of the Year.
Said Florida State head coach Steve Robinson: "[Forte] is probably as good as I've seen in terms of any player this year. We didn't have any kind of answer for him."
FORTE FASTEST TO 1,000 POINTS SINCE CHARLIE SCOTT
Joseph Forte scored his 1,000 point in his 56th career game when he scored 24 at Duke on February 1. He became the 51st player in Tar Heel history to score 1,000 career points.
Forte reached 1,000 points faster than any Tar Heel player since freshmen became eligible in 1972-73, surpassing the former record held by Phil Ford (57 games). The last Tar Heel to reach 1,000 points faster was Charlie Scott (52 games) in 1968-69.
Lennie Rosenbluth (40 games) reached 1,000 points faster than any player in Carolina history, followed by Billy Cunningham (41), Bob Lewis (42), Larry Miller (46), Scott (52) and Forte (56).
Forte has 1,139 points, 41st in UNC history. He moved past Brian Reese and Jeff McInnis on the UNC career chart against Florida State on Feb. 22.
FIRST CAREER START NO PROBLEM FOR PEPPERS
Sophomore forward Julius Peppers made his first career start on Feb. 10 against Maryland, subbing for Kris Lang, who was bothered by a sore right ankle. Peppers responded with a career-high 18 points and a career-high seven field goals in 26 minutes of action. His baskets included dunks, acrobatic layups and a jump shot, demonstrating his athleticism and versatility.
Peppers is averaging 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this season and is shooting 58.0 percent from the floor.
He had a career-high three assists in the Feb. 22 win over Florida State.
Said CBS/Raycom-JP TV analyst Billy Packer: "Julius Peppers not only has great size and hands, but also the best basketball court sense of any player in the country."
HAYWOOD MAKING STATEMENT AS NATION'S BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Senior center Brendan Haywood should receive serious consideration as the best defensive player in college basketball. He certainly is one of the most influential players in the game, as evidenced by his current shot-blocking tear. Haywood has blocked 93 shots in 25 games this season (3.72 per game, 1st in the ACC), including five or more blocks in seven of the last 11 games.
Led by Haywood altering and blocking shots, rebounding misses and creating havoc for offenses in the paint, the Tar Heels are playing outstanding team defense. The Tar Heels have not allowed their opponents to shoot 50 percent in 20 straight games.
With five blocks on Feb. 22 versus Florida State, Haywood tied the record for the most blocked shots in UNC single-season history. Rasheed Wallace set the record with 93 in 1994-95. Wallace blocked 93 shots in 34 games. Haywood has 93 blocks this year in just 25 games.
With seven more blocked shots, he will become the first Tar Heel and the ninth player in ACC history to block 100 shots in a season.
HAYWOOD CAROLINA'S ALLTIME LEADING SHOT BLOCKER
Senior center Brendan Haywood is in the midst of his most prolific shot-blocking streak. He became the University of North Carolina's alltime leader when he swatted away seven Florida State shot attempts in UNC's 80-70 win on Jan. 20 in Tallahassee. Haywood moved past former All-America Sam Perkins in the UNC record book. Perkins blocked 245 shots in his 135 games as a Tar Heel. Haywood has blocked 277 in 133 contests.
He also has moved into the Top 10 in ACC history in blocks, passing Maryland's Cedric Lewis and Georgia Tech's John Salley in the game at Florida State. Haywood is ninth in ACC history. Clemson's Sharone Wright is eighth with 288. Only one other active ACC player has more blocked shots than Haywood -- Georgia Tech's Alvin Jones.
Haywood had a then-career-high eight blocks in the win over Tulsa, a school-record 10 versus Miami, six versus Clemson at home, seven at FSU and six at NC State. He has blocked five or more shots 10 times this year, including seven of the last 11 contests.
Haywood twice this year set the Smith Center record for blocked shots in a game. The previous mark was seven by Clemson's Wright (February 17, 1993) and Rony Seikaly of Syracuse (March 17, 1988, in an NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina A&T).
HAYWOOD HOLDS RECORDS ON BOTH ENDS OF THE COURT, ONLY ACC PLAYER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS FEAT
Brendan Haywood is the only player in ACC history to lead his school in both career field goal percentage and blocked shots. He currently is the alltime ACC leader in field goal percentage at 64.5 percent and has 277 career blocked shots, a UNC record.
No other school in the ACC has one career leader in both of those categories.
CAPEL DOUBLING UP
Junior forward Jason Capel has posted double-doubles in points and rebounds in three of the last five games, including a 16-point, 12-rebound outing at Clemson on Feb. 18. Capel has a team-high six double-doubles this year.
He scored a career-high 27 points on Feb. 10 against Maryland, and grabbed eight rebounds and matched his career high with four three-pointers. Prior to that effort, Capel posted back-to-back double-doubles against Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.
Against the Demon Deacons on Feb. 6, he had 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. That followed an 11-point, 11-rebound, five-assist effort in the 82-69 win over Georgia Tech on February 3 and a 20-point, six-rebound, five-assist performance at Duke.
Capel has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 12 games, grabbed 10 or more rebounds six times this year, had five or more assists eight times, hit at least two three-point field goals 13 times this year, and is shooting 81.7 percent from the free throw line.
Capel is averaging 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game this season. In the dozen ACC contests, his numbers improve to 13.0 points and 7.8 boards per game.
DOHERTY OFF TO FASTEST START IN ACC HISTORY
Carolina head coach Matt Doherty is 12-1 thus far in Atlantic Coast Conference competition. That 12-1 record equals the best start ever by a first-year ACC head coach. Ironically, Doherty shares the mark with his former coach, Bill Guthridge, whom Doherty succeeded as UNC head coach.
Best 13-Game ACC Starts
Matt Doherty, UNC 2001, 12-1
ill Guthridge, UNC 1998, 12-1
Press Maravich, NC State 1965, 10-3
Les Robinson, NC State 1991, 8-5
Dean Smith, UNC 1962, 7-6
Vic Bubas, Duke 1960, 7-6
ucky Waters, Duke 1970, 7-6
FORTE ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOUR TIMES
Joseph Forte was named the ACC Player of the Week on Feb. 5 after averaging 23.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in wins over No. 2 Duke and Georgia Tech.
Forte was named co-ACC Player of the Week honors with Alvin Jones for January 22-28. Forte earned the award for his play in Carolina's wins over Virginia and NC State. Forte scored 33 points on 13 of 23 shooting against the Cavaliers and had 21 points in the win at NC State.
That was the fourth time in seven weeks that Forte received ACC Player of the Week honors. He was also honored by the ACC on December 25 (following the UCLA game) and January 1 (following his MVP performance in the Tournament of Champions in Charlotte).
Forte is the only player to have won the award four times this season. Duke's Shane Battier is a two-time recipient. Eight other players have been named one time this year. Last year, Clemson's Will Solomon was the only three-time recipient.
Forte is the first Carolina player to earn at least four ACC Player of the Week awards in one season since Antawn Jamison set the single-season record with seven honors in 1997-98.
CAROLINA SECOND NATIONALLY IN FIELD GOAL DEFENSE
Carolina has not allowed a team to shoot 50 percent from the floor in the last 20 games. In that time, UNC's opponents have made just 37.1 percent of their shots from the floor (498 of 1341).
Carolina leads the ACC and is second in the nation (through Feb. 19) in field goal percentage defense. The Tar Heels have held their opponents to 38.4 percent overall from the field this season.
Notably, Carolina, Notre Dame and Kansas are each in the top four in the country in field goal percentage defense. Carolina's Matt Doherty was the head coach at Notre Dame last season and was an assistant at Kansas the previous seven seasons.
Carolina has played four of the top 25 scoring teams in the country this season and held each of them below their season scoring averages. Duke averages 93.2 points, but UNC held the Blue Devils to 83. Virginia averages 86.4, but scored 81 against Carolina. Maryland averages 86.0, but scored 83 and 82 in two games with the Tar Heels. UCLA averages 80.5, but scored just 70 against Carolina in Pauley Pavilion.
That 38.4 percent field goal defense is Carolina's lowest since the 1997-98 Final Four team also held its opponents to 38.4 percent. This is just the fourth season since 1961 that the Tar Heels have limited their opponents to less than 40 percent shooting.
Dating back to last season, Carolina has held its opponents to under 50 percent shooting in 41 of the last 42 games (the only exception since last January was Kentucky).
Only three teams - Michigan State, Kentucky and Charleston - have shot better than 45 percent against the Tar Heels. Kentucky shot a season-high 50.7 percent in its win over UNC and the Spartans made 46.6 percent from the floor in their win at East Lansing, Mich. Charleston led the Tar Heels by a point at the half and had the game tied with less than a minute to play before Carolina pulled out the victory.
UNC opponents have shot 50 percent or better from the floor in five of 50 halves played this year. Kentucky and Michigan State shot 54.5 and 52.9 percent in a half, respectively, in their wins over the Tar Heels. Buffalo, Florida State and Virginia each shot at least 50 percent in a half in losses to UNC.
In 50 halves, the opponents have shot 50 or better five times, 40-49.9 percent 15 times, 30-39.9 percent 24 times and less than 30 percent six times.
THREE TAR HEELS REPEAT AS NBA ALL-STARS
For the second consecutive year, Carolina will be represented in the NBA All-Star game by a trio of former Tar Heel stars, Toronto's Vince Carter, Detroit's Jerry Stackhouse and Portland's Rasheed Wallace. Carolina was the only school in the country to have three alumni named to the original NBA All-Star teams. After the late addition of Dikembe Motumbo to the East roster due to an injury to Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown also has three selections.
"You look at the NBA and you look at Carter and Jamison, Stackhouse and Wallace, what they are doing at the NBA level. It just blows you away," said Dick Vitale on the February 3, 2001 ESPN telecast of the UNC-Duke game. "Their numbers have gotten so much better because at Carolina, they learned how to play the team concept, they learned how to be unselfish, they learned fundamentals and they transformed that into the NBA to where they are standouts."
Carolina has as many NBA All-Stars as does the rest of the ACC combined (Duke's Grant Hill, Georgia Tech's Stephon Marbury and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan). Carter received more votes than any other NBA player in fan balloting for the second consecutive year. Carter will start for the East. Stackhouse and Wallace were selected to the teams by the NBA.
Antawn Jamison, who was averaging 25.1 poinst per game for Golden State, was named by ESPN as one of the "Most Notable Ommisions" from the NBA All-Star teams. 76ers forward George Lynch was named to ESPN.com's All-Unsung All-Star Team.
SMITH CENTER VOTED NO. 1 ARENA IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
In a recently published survey of Division I head coaches, The Sporting News ranked the Dean E. Smith Center as the No. 1 Game Venue in all of college basketball. The Smith Center beat out Kansas' Allen Fieldhouse and Madison Square Garden. The Sporting News wrote that "packing more than 21,000 people who bleed Tar Heel blue into the Smith Center is a sure thing for creating that warm glow that college sports fans flock to in the dead of winter."
Carolina also was selected by the coaches to have the best NBA Alumni Association of former players, the best two-sport athlete in the country in defensive end/forward Julius Peppers and the best rivalry in the country with Duke. Carolina's uniforms were voted the second-best in the country behind Cincinnati and UNC was tied with Duke for the third-best on-campus visit behind Pepperdine and UCLA.
FORTE IN THE ACC RANKINGS
Joseph Forte is on pace to become the first Tar Heel to average 20 points per game since Antawn Jamison averaged 22.2 en route to being named National Player of the Year in 1997-98. Forte is averaging 21.6 points a game, tops in the ACC. He is 18th in the nation in scoring, third among sophomores (Henry Domercant of Eastern Illinois is 3rd and Missouri's Kareem Rush is 14th).
Only five Carolina players have averaged 20 points a game in the last 30 years. (Phil Ford, 20.8 in 1978, Michael Jordan, 20.0 in 1983, Brad Daugherty, 20.2 in 1986, Hubert Davis, 21.4 in 1992, and Jamison, 22.2 in 1998). Forte is first in the ACC in scoring, tied for fifth in steals, third in free throw percentage, 10th in assists, 10th in field goal percentage, and 19th in rebounding. Forte is the leading rebounder in the ACC for guards at 5.7 per game.
Forte's scoring is up this year from 16.7 to 21.6, his field goal percentage is up from .459 to .477, his free throw shooting is up from .752 to .843 and his assists have increased from 2.6 to 3.6 per game.
ON THE GLASS
Carolina leads the ACC with 41.7 rebounds per game and is second in rebound margin (+4.5). Four different Tar Heels rank among the Top 20 rebounders in the ACC. No other team in the conference has four players ranked in the top 20 in rebounding.
Brendan Haywood is seventh in the ACC with 7.2 per gane, Jason Capel is eighth at 7.1, Kris Lang is 14th with 6.1 and Joseph Forte is 19th with 5.9.
Haywood is second in the league with 3.1 offensive rebounds per outing.
DOHERTY RETURNS TO LEAD ALMA MATER
Matt Doherty is the second former UNC player in history to serve as head coach of his alma mater. He is the only active Atlantic Coast Conference head coach who won a national championship as a player. Doherty, a 1984 UNC graduate, is in his first season as Carolina's head coach. He took over the program on July 11, 2000, following Bill Guthridge's resignation.
He has a 44-18 record as a head coach at Notre Dame and Carolina.
ALEX WOLFF ON CAROLINA BASKETBALL
Sports Illustrated senior writer Alex Wolff penned a column on CNN/SI.com on February 8, 2001. The following are excerpts from that column: "North Carolina is, familiarly if unexpectedly, atop the polls once more. Check out the NBA scoring leaders, and among the top eight you'll find three erstwhile Heels: Jerry Stackhouse, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison.
I'm going to take the decidedly old-school position that you can trace the success of all four of these guys to some aspect of the Carolina way. Yes, Stackhouse and Carter are open-court colts, unfettered and alive, in the Joni Mitchell phrase. But there aren't many others in the NBA as adept at knowing where and when to bring their physical gifts to bear. (Dean) Smith's teachings linger, like faint thought balloons, over the heads of each.
"Most of all, at Carolina all these guys learned the habit of winning. They developed the mental conditioning to face, and usually subdue, a succession of opponents determined to make their own season by taking out the princelings of the Piedmont. Imposing your will, night after night, is one of the most grueling demands the NBA makes on its players.
"Word out of Chapel Hill is that new coach Matt Doherty, with a side glance eight miles up the road at Duke's lean speed, will look to remake future North Carolina teams in that image. But right now he's doing awfully well with the Montross-ian Brendan Haywood, and the clunky Jason Capel, and Ronald Curry and Julius Peppers, who are playing only their second-best sport.
"None of those four will ascend to the heights of the NBA scoring list. But fundamentals are the game's required reading, its compulsory figures. If he refuses to learn them, an ordinary ballplayer won't become good. If he does learn them, who knows where someone blessed with talent will soar?
"Year after year, North Carolina gives us examples of both."
(for a complete version of the notes, please download the .pdf file)
