No. 29: Ed Cota

29

Name: Ed Cota

Position: Guard

Jersey #: 5

Years:

Honors: 1999 All-America; 3-time 2nd-team All-ACC (1998-2000); 3-time NCAA All-Regional team (1997, 1998, 2000); 1997 ACC Rookie of the Year.

Notable Stats: UNC’s all-time leader in assists with 1,030; owns the 3rd, 4th and 9th all-time single-season assist marks in ACC history with 284 in 2000, 274 in 1998, and 238 in 1999; 48th all-time with 1,261 points; 2nd all-time with 13 double-doubles (points, assists); 2nd all-time UNC single-game assist mark with 17; UNC’s all-time leader with 32 games with 10 or more assists; 5th all-time at UNC with 192 career steals; career per-game averages of 9.1 points (averaged double figures twice), 7.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals; shot 37.2% from 3-point range for his career (93-250).

In Closing: A wizard with the basketball, some well-respected observers at the time described him as the quintessential New York point guard. Cota had the luxury of feeding an awfully gifted group of teammates, but he still threaded the needle dropping dimes to Antawn Jamison, lofted alley hoops to Vince Carter, and breathtaking kickouts to Shammond Williams on the perimeter.

Cota helped lead the Tar Heels to three Final Fours in his career and two regular season and ACC Tournament titles. Cota even improved his perimeter shooting to where he drained 41.2% of his 102 attempts in 1999. Upon completion of his career, Cota was the first player in NCAA history to score at least 1,000 points, have 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds for a career. He was the third all-time leader in assists in NCAA history. Handed out 262 more assists than any other Tar Heel ever. Because he somehow never garnered any of the honors necessary for a player to have his jersey honored in the Dean Dome, Cota’s jersey is not hanging in the rafters. But UNC should make an exception.

Prior Ranked Heels

30 - Brice Johnson