UNC Basketball: Davis: “I look for Armando Bacot to be ACC Player of the Year”

Hubert Davis believes that Armando Bacot will have a major impact for the UNC Basketball program this upcoming season.

At this point, it is still not 100 percent certain that Armando Bacot will return to the UNC basketball program for his junior season.

The Virginia native entered the NBA Draft but elected not to hire an agent, which allows him to withdraw and return to college without losing his eligibility. It made a ton of sense for Bacot to go through the draft process.

Similar to what Justin Jackson did after his sophomore season, Bacot will receive valuable feedback from evaluators around the league and can use the information gathered to make a decision on his future.

Testing the draft waters after his sophomore season worked out tremendously for Jackson. He decided to return to Chapel Hill for his junior season, earning the ACC Player of the Year Award. He was also a consensus All-American, leading the Tar Heels to a National Championship.

Could Bacot follow a similar path?

Based on what head coach Hubert Davis has said as of late, all signs point to Bacot returning to Chapel Hill for another season. The thought of having Bacot back on the Tar Heels roster is an exciting possibility for the program’s new leader.

On the Tar Heel Tour, hosted on YouTube by the Rams Club, Davis joined host Jones Angell to discuss North Carolina basketball. When the topic of Bacot came up, Davis stated some high expectations for the veteran big man.

"“I can’t tell you how much better Armando is going to be next year. He was fantastic for us. He led the team in rebounding and scoring last year. I look for him to be ACC Player of the Year next year. He’s that good. And he’s really working hard on his ball-handling, really working hard on being able to be a player out on the perimeter.”"

Bacot is coming off a strong sophomore season in which he earned third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors. He led the team in scoring (12.3 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg) and his 26 blocked shots tied for the most on the roster.

One of Bacot’s strengths last season was his efficiency with regards to shooting the basketball. His 62.8 field goal percentage ranks eighth in UNC basketball single-season history, as he passed some Tar Heel legends such as Antawn Jamison (62.4%, 1995-1996), Brad Daugherty (62.5%, 1984-1985) and Sam Perkins (62.6%, 1980-1981) on the list.

Looking at Davis’ comments, you may assume that his expectations for Bacot are a bit too high. However, it isn’t a stretch to say that Bacot could make another huge leap in regards to his development if he does, in fact, return for his junior season.

During the 2020-2021 season, North Carolina had one of the deepest frontcourts in the country. This helped and hurt the Tar Heels at times, as there were many instances where the team’s big men were crowded in the paint, making it difficult for them to get good-quality shots.

Additionally, the Tar Heels were not a very good three-point shooting team, as it was very difficult for the offense to generate enough space to unclog the paint.

This year’s roster will definitely look different, as the Tar Heels lost a handful of players to graduation as well as the transfer portal. North Carolina most certainly doesn’t have the same frontcourt depth this season, but the new-look roster has the potential to really benefit Bacot.

Davis was able to add Brady Manek and Justin McKoy on the transfer portal. Both players bring some much-needed experience, size, versatility, and yes, shooting ability to Chapel Hill.

This year’s team has the ability to space the floor better, which will open up room for Bacot to work with. As the only true “big man” on the roster, expect Davis to work the ball inside, allowing for Bacot to either find a shot near the basket or to pass out to an open shooter.

Space is something that Bacot has not had much to work with during his first two collegiate seasons. With Davis at the helm and the roster looking much different than the previous two years, expect the Tar Heels to make it a priority to have Bacot as a focal point of the offense.

Davis has high expectations for Bacot, and rightly so. The Virginia native made some great strides during his two collegiate seasons, and has the potential and ability to progress even more so if he returns for another season.

Could Bacot follow a path similar to the one Jackson had during his junior season? If it’s anything close to that, it’s certain that Davis and the UNC basketball program would quickly sign up for that.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates on the UNC basketball program.