Orlando Melendez

Position:
Forward
Height:
6-8
Weight:
192
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Juana Diaz, PR
High School:
McDowell County

Orlando Melendez Bio (PDF Format)
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AT CAROLINA
A fifth-year senior • Has an opportunity to finish his career with his most extensive playing time • Can fill in at the shooting guard or small forward slots • Needs to improve defensively and ballhandling to see more action • Has always been one of the team's most impressive athletes • Played in his native Puerto Rico this past summer for a club team and earned All-Defense honors • Also played with the Puerto Rican National Team in the America's Tournament in Neuquen, Argentina.

JUNIOR SEASON (2000-01)
Played in 10 games, scoring eight points and grabbing eight rebounds • Scored a season-high five points in the win over Massachusetts in Charlotte • Made 3 of 6 field goal attempts • Also scored against Clemson and Appalachian State • Had two rebounds against Miami (Fla.) and Duke in the ACC Tournament final.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (1999-2000)
Played in 24 games, including 11 ACC regular-season games, and the NCAA semifinals against Florida • Scored 37 points and pulled down 29 rebounds • Blocked seven shots • Scored a season-high seven points against Tennessee Tech and had six against UNLV • Scored in 11 of the 24 games in which he played • Had 17 offensive rebounds, including three at Buffalo • Had four rebounds against UNLV and Tennessee Tech.

FRESHMAN SEASON (1998-99)
Played in 15 contests, including seven ACC regular-season games and the ACC Tournament championship game • Scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds • Made 9 of 17 shots from the floor and was 9 for 10 from the free throw line • Scored 11 points against Buffalo • Made 3 of 4 from the field and 5 for 5 free throws against Buffalo • Had six points at Middle Tennessee State.

RED-SHIRT SEASON (1997-98)
Played in the Tar Heels' first three games before injuring his foot • Suffered a soft tissue injury in practice just before the team left for Alaska in November • Decided in January to seek a medical red-shirt from the NCAA • Played against Middle Tennessee, Richmond and California • Was two for two from the field • Scored against Middle Tennessee and California.

PREP
Attended McDowell High School in Marion, N.C • Played for Coach Lloyd Church at McDowell • Spent his first three years of high school in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico • Was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico • Played the post position at McDowell, where he averaged 20.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 blocked shots and 2.0 steals per game • Led the Titans to a 24-5 record and a berth in the state sectional finals • Earned second-team all-state and first-team all-conference honors