Armando Bacot uses his size, physicality to out-muscle Wagner en route to a first-round NCAA tournament win

CHARLOTTE — In UNC's opening round game against Wagner, Armando Bacot wanted to make a statement. 

“[We’ve] just kind of been going under the radar this year,” the graduate center said. “So why not do it on the big stage?”

The big man made his return to the NCAA tournament on Thursday, picking up right where he left off in 2022. He needed just 20 minutes to record his seventh straight NCAA tournament double-double in a 90-62 first-round win for UNC. Bacot dominated down low all night, exploiting Wagner’s lack of size en route to a 20 point, 15 rebound afternoon — his sixth straight tournament game with at least 15 boards.

The Tar Heels went to Bacot early and often. A minute into the game, Bacot maneuvered in the paint and converted with an effortless layup to put UNC up 4-0. Later in the first half, Bacot followed up his own missed dunk with an and-1 layup over multiple Wagner defenders.

“[The game plan] was literally just to get the ball to him,” junior wing Harrison Ingram said. “They had no answer.”

Bacot said he was put in the Guinness World Records 2022 after breaking the record for most consecutive games with a double-double in the NCAA tournament. It’s a record Bacot extended on Thursday, and one he hopes Guinness will have to update throughout this year’s tournament.

Sophomore guard Seth Trimble describe Bacot in one word: “Dominant.” Senior guard RJ Davis said his patience in the post and ability to work out of double teams as what allows him to shine come March.

Bacot’s mom, Christie Lomax, said her son was calm before the game, despite the fact it could have been his last one as a Tar Heel.

“He's always the same – cool, laid back,” Lomax said. “He's not going to give you too much emotion either way.”

His afternoon, though, was not perfect.

Despite his 20-15 game, Bacot was critical of how he played. He gave himself an F on the defensive side of the ball, saying he didn’t do a good enough job guarding Wagner’s big men.

“It was unacceptable — me on the defensive end,” Bacot said. “I thought it kind of leaked into the other guys, but I'll be better, I'll watch film, correct it, and we'll be ready to defend on Saturday.”

The 28-point victory for the Tar Heels was just the first step in Bacot’s final shot at a national championship. This is something that's been weighing on head coach Hubert Davis’ mind all season.

He said he’s been thinking about how much Bacot means to him and to the University as a whole. In the NCAA tournament, every game could be Bacot’s last. Davis said he feels a sense of desperation to allow Bacot and his teammates to experience the things he has as a coach, like a national championship in 2017 as an assistant under Roy Williams.

After not playing in the NCAA tournament last year and with it being his final opportunity at the elusive title, Lomax said that Bacot was “definitely” hungry coming into Thursday’s game — a hunger that Bacot plans to bring to every game he can this year on the big stage.

“I've done a lot of great things here, but at a school like this, in order to be with the top of the top guys, you got to go win your championship,” Bacot said.

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