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UNC Basketball: Armando Bacot sponsors youth hoops clinic

By Blake Cockrum

Mar 19, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Caleb Love (2) and forward Armando Bacot (5) and guard Leaky Black (1) talk during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Caleb Love (2) and forward Armando Bacot (5) and guard Leaky Black (1) talk during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports /
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UNC basketball star Armando Bacot sponsored a youth hoops clinic last weekend.

On Sunday, University of North Carolina junior center Armando Bacot teamed with DTLR (Downtown Locker Room) to sponsor a youth basketball camp in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Bacot, along with the national fashion retailer, distributed bookbags, health items such as face masks and other things according to regional community outreach manager for DTLR, Jordan Davis.

"“That’s one of the main things I want to do, is just give back to my community, Bacot said. “It’s not all about money, just being able to use my name and likeness to sponsor kids through sponsors to come to this camp for free just feels great.”"

Bacot is taking advantage of the NCAA’s new NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rules that allow student-athletes to profit from a number of things including their name, as well as lend said name to basketball clinics like Bacot did over the weekend. Six months ago, the UNC standout wouldn’t have been able to participate in such an event without being in violation of NCAA bylaws — ones that likely would have seen his college career come to an abrupt end. In that same vein, Bacot became the first UNC player to earn a sponsorship deal following the rule change when he teamed with popular Maryland-based food company Jimmy’s Famous Seafood.

Bacot led North Carolina in points (12.3), rebounds (7.8), blocks (0.9) and shooting percentage (62.8) a season ago, and he did it while logging just 22.7 minutes per game. He averaged just 1.4 turnovers per game as a sophomore, the second-fewest among UNC starters during the 2020-21 season (Kerwin Walton). With additional help from an improved and vastly more versatile offense, Bacot should be a popular choice for a number of preseason awards, including first team All-ACC and ACC Preseason Player of the Year.

Many believe that Bacot — having already tested the NBA waters between his sophomore and junior seasons — will leave college for the pros following the 2021-22 campaign. Bacot is not, however, being talked about among the nation’s top NBA prospects at the center position, and he’s being left out of most first round projections, and only considered a possible second round pick in others.

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Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Armando Bacot, and the UNC basketball program.

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