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UNC Basketball: Armando Bacot named to Naismith Trophy preseason watch list

By Zack Pearson

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 11: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dunks the ball during the second half of their quarterfinals game against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 11, 2021 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 11: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dunks the ball during the second half of their quarterfinals game against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 11, 2021 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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The 2021-22 UNC Basketball season starts on Tuesday as the Tar Heels host Loyola (Maryland) to kick off the Hubert Davis era in Chapel Hill. UNC had a disappointing end to their 2021 season, bowing out in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Wisconsin and are hoping to get back on track this year.

While UNC lost some key pieces in Garrison Brooks, Day’Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler, they returned a few players plus welcomed in some transfers and a two-man recruiting class. But their biggest addition was the return of center Armando Bacot.

The center tested the NBA Draft waters briefly, getting feedback from teams and scouts before returning to UNC for his junior season. And just ahead of the new season, Bacot is earning some more preseason honors.

Bacot was one of 50 players named to the 2022 Mens Watch List Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason Watch List on Monday. He’s the lone UNC player on the list but is joined by two other Atlantic Coast Conference players in Duke’s Paolo Banchero and Virginia Tech’s Keve Aluma.

The 6-foot-10-inch, 240-pound Bacot is coming off his best season with the Tar Heels as a sophomore a year ago. He averaged 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 62.8 percent from the field. Bacot earned ACC honors for his performance and this year he should be one of the best players in the country.

Bacot was also named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar watch list earlier in the preseason.

An updated list will be announced mid-season while finalists for the award will be announced on March 22nd ahead of the winners on April 3rd during Final Four weekend.

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For more on Bacot and the UNC Basketball program, please check back with Keeping It Heel.

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