University of North Carolina Athletics
Men's Basketball Game Notes
March 7, 2001 | Men's Basketball
March 7, 2001
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No. 6/5 North Carolina Tar Heels
vs. Florida State or Clemson
Date & Time: Friday, March 9, 2001, Noon
Site: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.
Record: Carolina 23-5 overall, 13-3 ACC
Rankings: Carolina 6th in Associated Press and 5th in ESPN/USA Today polls
Series Record vs. Florida State: Carolina leads 27-6 overall, 9-1 at neutral sites, 2-0 in the ACC Tournament, 17-5 since Florida State joined the ACC in 1991-92
Series Record vs. Clemson: Carolina leads 108-17 overall, 30-4 at neutral sites, 11-1 in the ACC Tournament
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: RJ/ESPN
TOP-SEEDED TAR HEELS TO FACE CLEMSON OR FLORIDA STATE IN ACC TOURNAMENT
No. 1 seed North Carolina will play the winner of Thursday night's game between No. 8 seed Florida State and No. 9 seed Clemson at Noon Friday in the quarterfinals of the 2001 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
The winner of Friday's first quarterfinal game will play on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against the winner of Friday's game between No. 4 seed Virginia and No. 5 seed Georgia Tech.
Carolina is seeking its third ACC title in five years after capturing the league crown in 1997 and 1998. The Tar Heels reached the ACC finals in 1999.
The quarterfinal round game against Clemson or Florida State will be Carolina's 104th in ACC Tournament history. No other team has played that many games. Duke is second with 99 games prior to this year's event. The Tar Heels are 72-31 in ACC Tournament play. An extensive review of Carolina's history in the ACC Tournament may be found on pages 159-163 of the UNC media guide.
CAROLINA IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT
The Tar Heels are the winningest team in Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament history, winning the title a record 15 times. UNC has played in the championship game 26 times in 47 years. Duke is second with 11 Tournament championships and 21 title game appearances.
Carolina has won ACC Tournament championships in 1957, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1997 and 1998.
The Tar Heels have played in the ACC Tournament finals in eight of the last 10 years and 11 of the last 14 seasons. The only seasons in which Carolina has not advanced to the finals in the last 14 years were in 1990, 1996 and 2000. UNC lost in the quarterfinals in each of those seasons. The Tar Heels have not lost a semifinal round game since 1984.
UNC'S ACC TOURNAMENT RECORD
Carolina has won more ACC Tournament games than any other school. The Tar Heels have an alltime record of 72-31 in Tournament play. Duke is second with 63 wins, followed by N.C. State (51), Wake Forest (37), Maryland (35), Virginia (27), Georgia Tech (15), Clemson (12) and Florida State (3).
15 ACC TITLES
Carolina has won 15 ACC Tournament championships, four more than any other school. Duke is second with 11 titles and NC State is third with 10. Wake Forest has four titles, Georgia Tech has three, Maryland two, Virginia and South Carolina have one apiece.
TAR HEELS AS THE TOP SEED
Carolina enters the 2001 ACC Tournament as the top seed for the 18th time overall and first time since 1993. UNC has a record of 33-9 as the No. 1 seed.
Carolina has never lost an ACC Tournament game to a No. 8 or No. 9 seed, going 14-0 against No. 8 seeds and 2-0 versus No. 9 seeds.
The Tar Heels have won eight ACC Tournaments as the No. 1 seed -- in 1957, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1979 and 1982.
UNC IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT IN ATLANTA
Carolina is 6-2 in three previous appearances in the ACC Tournament in Atlanta.
UNC won the 1989 ACC Tournament at The Omni in Atlanta, topping Duke, 77-74, in one of the most memorable championship games in Tournament history. It is remembered as one of the most intense basketball games ever played. Tournament MVP J.R. Reid led the Tar Heels with 14 points and nine rebounds. The key play of the game was made by Steve Bucknall, who converted a three-point play with 1:46 remaining to break a 66-66 tie. Bucknall finished with 10 points and five assists.
The Tar Heels lost to Georgia Tech, 57-54, in the championship game in The Omni in 1985 and lost to eventual NCAA champion NC State, 91-84 in overtime, in the semifinals in 1983 in The Omni.
Current Carolina head coach Matt Doherty played in the 1983 Tournament in Atlanta. He scored a career-high 28 points and added five rebounds, four assists and two steals in the quarterfinals that year against Clemson. He had 15 points and three assists in the overtime loss to NC State the next day.
ACC TOURNAMENT MVPS
Carolina players have won the ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player Award an unprecedented 16 times. UNC's MVPs include: Lennie Rosenbluth in 1957, Larry Miller in 1967 and 1968, Charlie Scott in 1969, Lee Dedmon in 1971, Robert McAdoo in 1972, Phil Ford in 1975, John Kuester in 1977, Dudley Bradley in 1979, Sam Perkins in 1981, James Worthy in 1982, J.R. Reid in 1989, Rick Fox in 1991, Jerry Stackhouse in 1994, Shammond Williams in 1997 and Antawn Jamison in 1998. Dedmon shared the award with South Carolina's John Roche.
Carolina's Ford, Perkins and Stackhouse and Duke's Jason Williams are the only freshmen in league history to win MVP honors. Miller and NC State's Tommy Burleson are the only players to earn the award in consecutive seasons.
DOHERTY AND THE ACC TOURNAMENT
Carolina head coach Matt Doherty played in four ACC Tournaments as a player and was on two ACC Tournament championship teams. The Tar Heels won the Tournament title his freshman year in 1981 and his sophomore season in 1982. The Tar Heels were eliminated in the semifinals in his final two seasons. The Tar Heels were 8-2 in Doherty's 10 ACC Tournament games as a player.
Doherty scored 11 points and had four assists in 40 minutes of action in the Tar Heels' 47-45 win over third-ranked Virginia.
He went 5 for 6 from three-point range and scored a career-high 28 points in the 1983 semifinals against Clemson. As a senior, Doherty scored 22 points in a quarterfinal round win over Clemson and added 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals and a blocked shot in the semifinal loss to Duke. He went 17 for 25 (68 percent) from the floor in the ACC Tournament his senior year.
Doherty was also a member of three Big 12 Tournament championship teams as an assistant coach to Roy Williams at the University of Kansas.
CAROLINA'S ACC TOURNAMENT BESTS
Brendan Haywood is the only current Carolina player to appear in an ACC Tournament championship game. Haywood scored two points, grabbed two rebounds and blocked two shots in UNC's 83-68 win over top-ranked Duke in the 1998 championship game in Greensboro. Current seniors Brian Bertsicker, Michael Brooker and Max Owens also were members of that team and played in the quarterfinal round win over NC State.
Haywood's ACC Tournament career highs include 13 points and three blocks vs. Georgia Tech in the 1999 quarterfinal and 10 rebounds vs. Maryland in the 1999 semifinal.
Jason Capel's ACC Tournament career highs include 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists vs. Wake Forest in the 2000 quarterfinal. Capel did not play against Georgia Tech in the 1999 quarterfinal due to an injury. He was instrumental in UNC's upset win over fifth-ranked Maryland in the 1999 semifinal as he hit three three-point field goals en route to 13 points. He re-injured his back, however, in a bad fall under the basket and was able to play just a few minutes in the championship game versus Duke. The injury also kept him out of the NCAA Tournament game against Weber State.
Kris Lang's ACC Tournament career highs include 12 points vs. Duke in the 1999 championship game and eight rebounds vs. Maryland in the 199 semifinals. Lang is 18 for 32 from the field in his four previous ACC Tournament appearances.
Joseph Forte had eight points, seven rebounds and four assists, but was 3 for 14 from the floor against Wake Forest last year in the quarterfinals. It was the only time in his last 16 games of his freshman season in which he did not score in double figures.
Max Owens scored a career-high 23 points in the win over #5 Maryland in the 1999 semifinals. He was five for nine from the floor and 11 of 12 from the line in that contest. The next day against Duke in the final, Owens had 22 points and three steals.
Ronald Curry had four points and three assists against Georgia Tech in the 1999 quarterfinal. Julius Peppers had four points and three rebounds against Wake Forest a year ago. Brian Bersticker had seven points against NC State in the 1998 quarterfinal, had 12 points and two blocks against Georgia Tech in the 1999 quarterfinal and six key points in the win over Maryland in the 1999 semifinal.
FORTE, HAYWOOD, CAPEL EARN ALL-ACC HONORS
Joseph Forte (first team), Brendan Haywood (second team) and Jason Capel (third team) were named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams in a vote of the Atlantic Coast Conference Sportswriters Association.
Forte was one of three players (joining Shane Battier and Jason Williams of Duke) to earn unanimous first-team selection. They were named to the first team on all 74 ballots, earning 222 of a possible 222 points.
Haywood was the second-leading vote-getter on the second team. He received 14 first-team votes and 134 points overall. Capel was the fourth-leading vote-getter on the third team.
Forte was a second-team selection a year ago as a freshman. Haywood was named third-team All-ACC in 1999-2000. Forte is the first Carolina player to earn first-team honors since Ademola Okulaja in 1998-99. He is the 13th Tar Heel to be a unanimous All-ACC selection. Other unanimous selections include Lennie Rosenbluth in 1956 and 1957, Pete Brennan in 1958, York Larese in 1961, Doug Moe in 1961, Billy Cunningham in 1963 and 1964, Larry Miller in 1968, Charlie Scott in 1970, Phil Ford in 1978, Michael Jordan in 1983 and 1984, Sam Perkins in 1984, J.R. Reid in 1988 and Antawn Jamison in 1998.
This is the first time since 1961 and only the second time in ACC history that at least three players were named unanimous selections in the same season. Four players were unanimous picks in 1961, including UNC's Larese and Moe.
FORTE & HAYWOOD ALL-DISTRICT SELECTIONS
Joseph Forte and Brendan Haywood each have been named first-team All-District 5 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and first-team All-District 3 by the United States Basketball Writers Association. The UNC duo was joined on the coaches' first team by Shane Battier and Jason Williams of Duke and Juan Dixon of Maryland. Those five were joined on the 10-man writers' all-district team by Maryland's Lonny Baxter, Virginia's Travis Watson and Chris Williams, Clemson's Will Solomon and Wake Forest's Josh Howard.
HAYWOOD EARNS ALL-ACC DEFENSIVE TEAM HONOR
Senior center Brendan Haywood was named to the ACC's All-Defensive Team as voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sportswriters Association. Haywood, who leads the league with 105 blocked shots, was joined on the team by Duke forward Shane Battier, Georgia Tech center Alvin Jones, Maryland guard Juan Dixon and Virginia forward Adam Hall.
Honorable mention vote-getters included UNC guard Joseph Forte, Duke forward Nate James, Wake Forest guard Josh Howard and NC State guard Anthony Grundy.
TAR HEELS WIN 23RD REGULAR-SEASON ACC TITLE
With Carolina's 76-63 win over NC State on Feb. 28, the Tar Heels clinched the No. 1 seed in the 2001 ACC Tournament. This year marks Carolina's first appearance as the top seed in the conference tournament since 1993. The Tar Heels lost in the championship game that season to Georgia Tech, but was forced to play that final without starting point guard Derrick Phelps, who injured in the previous day's semifinal win over Virginia.
Carolina has clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship for the 23rd time. This season marks the Tar Heels' first shared ACC regular-season crown since 1995. UNC last won an outright ACC regular-season title in 1993.
Carolina leads the ACC with 23 regular-season titles. Duke is second with 16.
DOHERTY FIRST COACH TO WIN SHARE OF ACC TITLE IN FIRST YEAR
Carolina head coach Matt Doherty is the first coach in ACC history to win at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship in his first season as an ACC head coach.
13 ACC WINS FOR THE SIXTH TIME
The Tar Heels went 13-3 in ACC action this season. This is the sixth time Carolina has won at least 13 ACC games in a season and the first time UNC has won at least 13 ACC games since going 13-3 in 1997-98. The Tar Heels also won at least 13 ACC games in 1957, 1984, 1987, 1993 and 1998. UNC appeared in the ACC Tournament final in four of the previous five seasons in which they won at least 13 conference games.
DOHERTY NAMED NAISMITH NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR FINALIST,
NAMED USBWA DISTRICT COACH OF THE YEAR
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. The winner will be announced in Atlanta on April 7.
Doherty was named the Coach of the Year in District 3 (Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia) by the United States Basketball Writers Association. He is a finalist for the USBWA National Coach of the Year Award.
FORTE LIT IT UP IN ACC PLAY THIS SEASON
Joseph Forte averaged 23.7 points in 16 regular-season ACC games this season. He led all players in scoring in all games (by 0.9 points per game) and in ACC games (by 2.4 ppg). Duke's Jason Williams is second in both categories.
Forte's margin of 2.4 points per game was 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 23.7 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.
18-GAME WIN STREAK WAS SECOND LONGEST THIS SEASON
Carolina won 18 games in a row from December 4 (vs, Miami) to February 10 (vs. Maryland). The streak was snapped with a loss at Clemson on February 18. The 18-game winning streak was UNC's longest since 1985-86, when the Tar Heels started the season 21-0. It also was the second-longest in the nation this year. Stanford had a 20-game streak 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).
ANOTHER WINNING ACC ROAD RECORD
Carolina went 6-2 on the road in ACC play this season. 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 with a record of .500 or better on the road in ACC play.
FORTE & HAYWOOD NAMED WOODEN AWARD FINALISTS
Joseph Forte and Brendan Haywood are among the 20 finalists for the 2001 John Wooden Award, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on March 3.
Former Tar Heel winners of the Wooden Award include Phil Ford (1978), Michael Jordan (1984) and Antawn Jamison (1998).
Carolina is one of five schools to have two Naismith Award finalists this season. Stanford's Jarron Collins and Casey Jacobson, Michigan State's Charlie Bell and Jason Richardson, Illinois' Cory Bradford and Frank Williams and Duke's Shane Battier and Jason Williams are also finalists.
Other finalists include: Michael Bradley (Villanova), Casey Calvary (Gonzaga), Reggie Evans (Iowa), Udonis Haslem (Florida), Jason Kapono (UCLA), Mike Kelley (Wisconsin), Troy Murphy (Notre Dame), Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky), Preston Shumpert (Syracuse) and Michael Wright (Arizona). The winner will be announced on Apr. 6.
FORTE & HAYWOOD NAMED USBWA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Joseph Forte and Brendan Haywood have been named among the 16 finalists for the United States Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Year award. Forte and Haywood also are finalists for the Naismith and Wooden awards.
Other ACC finalists include Shane Battier and Jason Williams of Duke. The other finalists are Troy Bell (Boston College), Michael Bradley (Villanova), Rod Grizzard (Alabama), Kirk Haston (Indiana), Casey Jacobsen (Stanford), Troy Murphy (Notre Dame), Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky), Jason Richardson (Michigan State), Jamaal Tinsley (Iowa State), David Webber (Central Michigan), David West (Xavier) and Michael Wright (Arizona).
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.
CAROLINA AND THE SEMINOLES
The Tar Heels lead the series with Florida State, 27-6. Carolina has won three straight games in the series. The Seminoles beat the Tar Heels, 76-71, in Chapel Hill in the 1999-2000 season.
The Tar Heels are 17-5 against FSU since the Seminoles joined the ACC in 1991-92. UNC has won eight of the last nine games against Florida State.
Carolina is 2-0 alltime against Florida State in the ACC Tournament with wins coming in the 1992 semifinals and the 1994 quarterfinals.
This season, Carolina beat Florida State, 80-70, in Tallahassee on January 20, and UNC beat the Seminoles, 95-67, in Chapel Hill on February 22. Joseph Forte had 28 and 36 points, respectively, in the two wins. More extensive game recaps may be found later in this release.
TAR HEELS AND THE TIGERS
The Tar Heels lead the series with Clemson, 108-17, including a split this season. The Tar Heels have won 21 of the last 25 games between the two rivals, beginning in the 1990-91 season.
Carolina has won 13 of the last 16 games between the two schools since the 1993-94 season. Clemson's only wins in that span came on February 18, 2001, in Clemson, at Clemson in 1998-99 and a 75-73 win in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals in Greensboro in 1996.
The Tar Heels are 11-1 alltime against Clemson in the ACC Tournament. Most recently, the Tigers defeated Carolina in the quarterfinals in 1996. The most recent UNC win over Clemson in the ACC Tournament was in the 1995 quarterfinals.
This year, Carolina beat the Tigers, 92-65 in Chapel Hill on January 17 as Brendan Haywood blocked six shots and the Tar Heels held the Tigers to 38.7 percent shooting from the floor. On February 18, Will Solomon had 26 points as the Tigers upset No. 1 ranked Carolina, 75-65.
WILLIAMS, BATTIER LEAD DUKE OVER UNC IN REGULAR-SEASON FINALE
Duke's Jason Williams tallied 33 and nine assists while Shane Battier had 25 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots as the Blue Devils downed Carolina in the Smith Center, 95-81, on March 4. Duke hit 14 three-pointers in the game and shot 55.9 percent in the second half as it turned a two-point halftime lead into a 15-point win.
Joseph Forte led Carolina with 21 points but hit just seven of 21 shots. Jason Capel posted his seventh double-double of the year, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Brendan Haywood had 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Tar Heels shot just 40.6 percent from the floor.
21 WINS, AGAIN
Carolina's 96-82 victory over Maryland on Feb. 10 guaranteed 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 Maryland and Duke, including this season).
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 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.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Carolina is ranked No. 6 in the nation in the Associated Press poll and No. 5 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Tar Heels were ranked No. 1 in both polls on Feb. 5 and Feb. 12. Those were Carolina's first times atop either poll since March 8, 1998.
UNC has been ranked in the AP poll all 18 times this season, including 13 Top 10 rankings and six in the Top 5. The Tar Heels have been in the Top 5 in the media poll in six of the last seven polls. Carolina has been in the Top 5 in each of the most recent seven coaches polls.
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.
503 TOP 10 ASSOCIATED PRESS RANKINGS FOR CAROLINA
This week's poll marks Carolina's 503rd 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 646 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.
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).
FORTE CONTENDING FOR NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sophomore guard Joseph Forte is now being considered among the favorites for the National Player of the Year and All-America 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, had 23 points and nine rebounds as UNC defeated Georgia Tech on Feb. 3 and had 27 points and four steals on Feb. 28 vs. NC State. 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 19 times this season, including 17 times in the last 22 contests. Forte has made 50 percent or more of his shots from the floor in 13 of his 19 20-point scoring games this season.
He also leads the Tar Heels this season with 100 assists. The last Carolina player to lead the team in scoring and assists in the same season 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 1,215 points, 38th in UNC history. He moved past Jerry Vayda (1,187) with his 27 points against NC State on Feb. 28. James Worthy is 37th with 1,219 points and Joe Wolf is 36th with 1,231.
HAYWOOD ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYERS
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 a UNC record 105 shots in 28 games this season (3.75 per game, 1st in the ACC, including five or more blocks in nine of the last 15 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 their last 23 games.
Haywood has set UNC's single-season record for blocked shots and did it with two games remaining in the regular season. He blocked five shots at Virginia, the first of which set the UNC single-season school record. Rasheed Wallace had the previous record with 93 in 34 games in 1994-95. Haywood has 105 blocks this year in just 28 games.
With his five blocks on Feb. 28 versus NC State, he became 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 289 in 136 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 eighth in ACC history. 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, then set the school-record 10 versus Miami. He has blocked five or more shots 12 times this year, including nine of the last 15 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 64.3 percent and has 289 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 four of the last eight games, including a 16-point, 12-rebound outing at Clemson on Feb. 18. Capel has a team-high seven double-doubles this year. He is third in the ACC in double-doubles this year behind Virginia's Travis Watson and Georgia Tech's Alvin Jones.
Capel had 11 points and 11 rebounds on March 4 vs. Duke.
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 12 of the last 15 games, grabbed 10 or more rebounds seven times this year, had five or more assists eight times, hit at least two three-point field goals 15 times this year, and is shooting 80.2 percent from the free throw line.
Capel is averaging 11.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. In ACC contests, his numbers improved to 12.2 points and 7.9 boards per game.
DOHERTY TIES GUTHRIDGE FOR BEST FIRST YEAR COACHING EFFORT IN ACC HISTORY
Carolina head coach Matt Doherty went 13-3 this season in Atlantic Coast Conference competition. That 13-3 record equals the best season 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.
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 three-time recipient. 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 AMONG NATION'S BEST IN FIELD GOAL DEFENSE
Carolina has not allowed a team to shoot 50 percent from the floor in the last 23 games. In that time, UNC's opponents have made just 39.0 percent of their shots from the floor this season.
Carolina leads the ACC in field goal percentage defense. No other ACC team has held its opponents under 40 percent from the floor this year. 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 44 of the last 45 games (the only exception since last January was Kentucky).
This year, only five teams - Michigan State, Kentucky, Charleston, the second Virginia game and the second Duke game - 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. Virginia shot 51.4 percent in the first half and 47.0 for the game in its 86-66 win at UVa on February 25. Duke shot 55.9 percent in the second half and 48.6 percent overall in Chapel Hill on March 4.
UNC opponents have shot 50 percent or better from the floor in seven of 56 halves played this year. Kentucky (54.5 percent), Michigan State (52.9), Virginia (51.4 in Charlottesville) and Duke (55.9 in Chapel Hill) shot 50.0 percent in a half 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 56 halves, the opponents have shot 50 or better seven times, 40-49.9 percent 17 times, 30-39.9 percent 26 times and less than 30 percent six times.
THREE TAR HEELS REPEAT AS NBA ALL-STARS
For the second consecutive year, Carolina was 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 points 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 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 22.0 points a game, tops in the ACC.
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, third in free throw percentage, fourth in steals, ninth in assists, 10th in field goal percentage, 14th in assist-turnover ratio and 20th in rebounding. Forte is the leading rebounder in the ACC for guards at 5.6 per game.
Forte's scoring is up this year from 16.7 to 22.0, his field goal percentage is up from .459 to .469, his free throw shooting is up from .752 to .844 and his assists have increased from 2.6 to 3.6 per game.
ON THE GLASS
Carolina leads the ACC with 41.2 rebounds per game and is third in rebound margin (+3.8). Four different Tar Heels rank among the Top 20 rebounders in the ACC. UNC is the only team in the conference with four players ranked in the top 20 in rebounding.
Brendan Haywood is seventh with 7.3 per game, Jason Capel is eighth with 7.2, Kris Lang is tied for 13th with 6.1 and Joseph Forte is 20th with 5.6.
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 45-20 record as a head coach at Notre Dame and Carolina.
CAPEL AND LANG NEARING 1,000 POINTS
Junior forwards Jason Capel and Kris Lang will soon pass the 1,000-point plateau. Capel has 993 points and Lang has scored 982. When they both reach 1,000 points, Carolina will have four 1,000-point scorers on the roster at the same time. Brendan Haywood (1,344) and Joseph Forte (1,215) previously joined the 1,000-point club.
Carolina has 51 1,000-point scorers in its history.
FORTE THIRD AMONG ACC SOPHOMORE SCORERS
Joseph Forte has scored 1,194 points in his career at Carolina. That is third alltime in ACC history among freshmen and sophomore players.
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 game notes, please download the .pdf file)
