UNC Basketball: The importance of Armando Bacot’s return

The return of Armando Bacot to Chapel Hill should greatly benefit the UNC basketball program during the 2021-22 season.

After going through the NBA draft process, Armando Bacot officially made a decision on his future. In a turn of events that became public via Twitter on Monday night, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound center announced that he’d be back in Chapel Hill for his junior season.

The above tweets from the official UNC basketball account as well as Bacot’s personal page confirmed that the Tar Heel big man has withdrawn his name from NBA draft consideration, and will return to UNC for a third season of college ball.

This is very good news for Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program. Although it always appeared likely that Bacot would take this route, the North Carolina coaching staff can now rejoice knowing they will return one of their key contributors from last year’s squad.

Amongst one of the deepest front courts in the country, it was Bacot that was the standout performer. Having made tremendous improvements from his freshman season, the then-sophomore big man led the Tar Heels in both points (12.3) and rebounds (7.8) per game. He also shot a team-best 62.8 percent from the floor, which ranks as one of the best shooting seasons in Tar Heels history.

This year, there are quite a few changes occurring in Chapel Hill, which is why Bacot’s return to school is so important for the program moving forward. For starters, legendary head coach Roy Williams has retired, passing the reins over to Davis. This will most certainly be the biggest and most notable change for the North Carolina basketball program.

Additionally, the roster saw a bit of a turnover, as the Tar Heels lost some key contributors, including Day’Ron Sharpe, who has entered his name in the NBA draft. Fellow big men Garrison Brooks, Walker Kessler and Sterling Manley have also departed Chapel Hill, as they all respectively entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Yes, the Tar Heels did add some talent to the roster, including two incoming freshmen along with two transfer students, but the roster lacks something that it had plenty of a year ago: front court depth.

With the return of Bacot, Davis will have a true big man to rely on down low. Given the current state of the roster, it’s unlikely that Davis will be able to run the same traditional two-big lineups that Williams prioritized during his coaching career. However, this gives Bacot a great opportunity to earn major minutes as the team’s primary big man.

To go along with the major minutes he could earn, this roster could help the junior big man make an even bigger jump offensively.

It’s well-known how the Tar Heels have struggled shooting the basketball during Bacot’s first two seasons on campus. However, with more shooting potential added to the roster, this could help spread the floor, opening up the paint even more for guys like Bacot to go to work.

When you look at Bacot’s historic scoring season (percentage wise) as a sophomore, it’s even more difficult than one would think. Considering the Tar Heels’ weakness shooting the ball, plus Williams’ two-big sets clogging up the paint, there wasn’t much room at times for guys like Bacot to get good quality shots.

Despite the odds, Bacot made the most of his opportunities, and was arguably the Tar Heels’ best player last season. Considering all of the circumstances, you could easily make the case that Bacot will be in contention for the ACC Preseason Player of the Year Award, and another standout season could earn him a spot on the All-ACC team at the end of the season.

Bacot was fortunate to get some valuable feedback from NBA executives throughout the league, and will now be able to use that data to enhance his game even more. With the new information, as well as the work he’s put in throughout the offseason, Bacot is in line to have a big junior season, and once will again be an integral piece for the this year’s UNC basketball roster.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news on Armando Bacot, and the rest of the UNC basketball program.