March 6, 2004

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Following a regular season in which she led North Carolina in scoring and topped the Atlantic Coast Conference in rebounding, Tar Heel forward Camille Little has been voted Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year. Little, a 6-1 freshman from Winston-Salem, N.C., is the sixth Carolina player to win the honor and the second in as many years.

"Camille has had an outstanding freshman year," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "She not only does a lot for us with her scoring and rebounding, but she plays good defense, too. She's the complete package, a very steady player. I think she's the top freshman in the country,"

During the regular season, Latta averaged 14.1 points and 8.2 rebounds, both team highs, while shooting 50 percent from the field. She registered seven double-doubles, tied for the most in the conference, and was named ACC Rookie of the Week a league-high four times. She started 26 of the Tar Heels' 27 games, sitting out the beginning of only the Senior Day season-finale.

Little follows sophomore teammate La'Tangela Atkinson, who won the ACC rookie honor in 2003. Other Carolina Rookie of the Year winners have been Dawn Royster (1984), Charlotte Smith (1992), Chanel Wright (1996) and Nikki Teasley (1998). UNC's total of six Rookie of the Year winners is a league high, two ahead of second-place Virginia's four.

"I was speechless when I heard I had won Rookie of the Year," Little said. "I thought it was too good to be true. As I look back on the season, though, I definitely think there are things I could have done better."

Earlier this week, Little was named to the All-ACC first team and was a unanimous selection to the ACC All-Freshman Team. She was the only freshman voted to the All-ACC first team, joining four seniors.

In the award voting by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association, Little received 28 of 49 votes. Teammate Ivory Latta was second with 16 votes and Florida State freshman Shante Williams received two. Three other freshmen got one vote each.

Little scored 11 points and had nine rebounds on Saturday as UNC (23-5) beat Virginia 64-45 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. The second-seeded Tar Heels will return to action Sunday at 3:30 p.m. with a semifinals game against third-seeded NC State. "I'm just so excited to be playing in the ACC Tournament this weekend," Little said, "and this award just adds to the excitement."