One constant force that has been there pretty much every night this season for the North Carolina men’s basketball team is junior forward Armando Bacot.
Coming into the weekend matchup against Georgia Tech, Bacot was averaging a double-double for the season — even recording the statline in six straight games. And on Saturday night, the Richmond, Va. native picked up right where he left off.
In the Tar Heels’ 88-65 blowout victory over the Yellow Jackets, Bacot added another exciting chapter to his stellar campaign, tying his career-high total of points with 29 while adding 12 rebounds.
On a night where the shots were falling for North Carolina, he was able to do his thing once again.
The Tar Heels’ nine three pointers helped open up space down low to create opportunities for the team's big men, which is a big part of why Bacot has had so much success this season.
“The way we are shooting the ball is just freeing me up even more and allowing me to get more one-on-one plays and I have just been playing even harder than I’ve already been playing,” Bacot said. “Obviously, that’s what has been helping me the most.”
When Bacot first arrived to Chapel Hill, the type of tenacity he has been displaying was not always there. But this year, he has risen to the occasion more consistently.
As a consensus five-star recruit coming out of IMG Academy, Bacot sometimes relied too heavily on his talent in his first two collegiate seasons, and head coach Hubert Davis said his consistent motor has made all the difference this year.
“Because he’s so gifted, at times he doesn’t go 100 percent,” Davis said. “I think the major difference this year compared to the other years is that his energy and effort is 100 percent every time down the floor.”
