June 27, 2001

NEW YORK - Former Carolina men's basketball stars Brendan Haywood and Joseph Forte joined the professional ranks on Wednesday night, chosen with back-to-back picks midway through the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft in New York City.

Haywood and Forte are the 30th and 31st NBA first-round draft picks in UNC history. The duo are the 19th and 20th first-round picks from Carolina since 1980, more than any other school in the nation. They are the 84th and 85th Tar Heel players all-time to be chosen in the NBA Draft.

Haywood, a senior center from Greensboro, N.C., was selected with the 20th overall pick in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Forte, a sophomore from Greenbelt, Md., was chosen 21st overall in the first round by the Boston Celtics.

Haywood ended his four-year Tar Heel career last season as the leading field goal shooter and shot-blocker in school history. He also holds the ACC's career field goal percentage record. Haywood was named second-team All-ACC and to the ACC's All-Defensive team in 2001. He led the nation and set an ACC record in 1999-2000 with a field-goal percentage of .697, leading the Tar Heels to the 2000 Final Four.

"I think Cleveland is a great city," Haywood said on Wednesday night's TNT television broadcast of the draft. "I know a lot of their players and I know Chris Mihm personally. I'm excited to go there."

[On his professional approach to working out for several NBA teams over the last several weeks]: "I approached this like a job [interview] because that's what it's going to be for the next couple of years," Haywood said. "This is how I'm going to provide for my family. I'm excited."

Forte, the 2001 co-ACC Player of the Year, was a consensus All-America at shooting guard last season for the Tar Heels. He is the 10th underclassman in Carolina history to enter the NBA Draft with eligibility remaining, joining Bob McAdoo (1972), James Worthy (1982), Michael Jordan (1984), J.R. Reid (1989), Jerry Stackhouse (1995), Rasheed Wallace (1995), Jeff McInnis (1996), Vince Carter (1998) and Antawn Jamison (1998).

"Joseph Forte is Red Auerbach's personal favorite right there," Celtics General Manager Chris Wallace said on TNT's broadcast. "He's lighting up not one, but two victory cigars right now. Forte was our best available guard still available no matter how many guards we had on our roster."

BRENDAN HAYWOOD
Height: 7-0
Weight: 268
DOB: Nov. 11, 1979
Hometown: Greensboro, N.C.
2000-01 stats: 12.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.6 bpg

Notes: Atlantic Coast Conference's career leader in field goal percentage (63.7 percent) and North Carolina's all-time leader in blocked shots. Needs to improve low-post moves. Poor free-throw shooter, finished under 60 percent for career. Intelligent player hurt by lackadaisical play and by number of young centers in the draft. Didn't attend Phoenix camp. Has been compared to Benoit Benjamin.

JOSEPH FORTE
Height: 6-3
Weight: 192
DOB: March 23, 1981
Hometown: Greenbelt, Md.
2000-01 stats: 20.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.5 apg

Notes: Left North Carolina after sophomore season. Shared ACC Player of the Year honors with Shane Battier. Only fourth sophomore in North Carolina history to earn consensus first team All-America honors. Has excellent outside game. Shot 85.3 percent from foul line. Struggled with shot in NCAA tournament. Excels defensively. Scouts concerned he may not be big or quick enough to get his shot off at this level.