Making a POINT

Sporting News, The, Feb 8, 1999 by Michael Bradley

Some might argue Cota's job has been pretty easy during his two-plus seasons in Chapel Hill, particularly last year, when it appeared his biggest challenge was keeping all those Tar Heel scorers happy. Hmmmm, let's see, should we kick it to Vince Carter on the wing, feed Antawn Jamison in the post or find Shammond Williams for the open 3? Decisions, decisions. "It made it easier that I had guys that could finish, but I still had to know where to get it to them and who to go to in certain situations," Cota says.

Cota is a master at that. Because he thinks pass first, second and probably third, he sees the whole court and often anticipates a teammate's move before it occurs. When Cota says he would rather register an assist than score an easy basket, you have to believe him. Shooting for him seems to be a last resort. His career 7.2 assist-per-game average--which includes 7.3 apg through 21 games this year--is the third best in ACC history. Should he match last year's total of 274, Cota will break the North Carolina career mark this season.

"He sees everything," Michigan State point guard Mateen Cleaves says. "He sees the guys on the floor and the man in the stands selling popcorn. He has great eyes. He keeps his head up and his dribble going. If a guy gets open, Ed's going to get him the ball."

Cota's eyes are important, but his dribble penetration is just as vital. The man can get anywhere he wants with the ball, sneaking through narrow alleys along the baseline or slipping through the trees in the lane. His stutter-step move is almost unstoppable, and his hesitation and crossover aren't bad, either. As the world closes in on him, Cota is happy to dish off to an open man for the easy finish. And if the passing lanes are clogged, Cola will shoot. Really.

"He can be deceiving," says Miller, who faced Cola in last year's Final Four. "You think he's going to pass, and then he'll use the crossover and go past you. I didn't expect him to do that much, because Carter and Jamison were there, but Ed can drive past you."

"I'm always able to beat my man off the dribble," Cola says. "I'll draw the double-team and dish. I never focus on one guy, unless I know ahead of time who I'm going to get it to. The guys know when I get it, I'm going to pass."

The top defensive gurus

1. Wayne Turner, Kentucky

2. Jason Tarry, Arizona

3. Pepe Sanchez, Temple

4. Ty Calderwood, Wisconsin

5. Terrell Stokes, Maryland

The best on the break

1. Andre Miller, Utah

2. Baron Davis, UCLA

3. Tony Harris, Tennessee

4. Prince Fowler, TCU

5. Dean Oliver, Iowa

The point producers

1. Arthur Lee, Stanford

2. William Avery, Duke

3. Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut

4. Shawnta Rogers, George Washington

5. A.J. Guyton, Indiana

Magicians with the pass

1. Ed Cota, North Carolina

2. Doug Gottlieb, Oklahoma State

3. Chico Fletcher, Arkansas State

4. Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall

5. Ali Ton, Davidson

Complete packages

1. Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State

2. Erick Barkley, St. John's

3. Scoonie Penn, Ohio State

4. Chris Herren, Fresno State

5. Doc Robinson, Auburn