UNC Basketball: Bacot’s brilliance leads to Player of Game honors

For the first time this season, Armando Bacot is your “Tar Heel of the Game” for the UNC basketball program’s victory over Charleston.

The UNC basketball program faced a very tough challenge on Tuesday night, as they played in front of a raucous road crowd for the first time this season.

Not only did this contest mark the first time that the Tar Heels got a taste of playing on the road, but it was also the first time that many of these players have been in front of a large opposing crowd in quite some time. Remember, COVID-19 restrictions limited crowds throughout last season, so many of the returning athletes haven’t seen how rowdy opposing gyms could get.

The College of Charleston did a great job of bringing the energy, and the Tar Heels definitely faced their share of struggles throughout the game. However, a strong second half propelled North Carolina to victory, and junior Armando Bacot deserves a lot of credit for his outstanding performance.

Bacot could’ve easily won our Player of the Game honors for the Tar Heels’ win over Brown, but came up short due to an excellent shooting performance from fellow co-captain R.J. Davis. Regardless, Bacot was the star of the game on Tuesday night, and his dominance throughout not only kept North Carolina in the game, but allowed them to take over in the second half.

The junior from Richmond, Virginia recorded his 20th career double-double, as he scored a career-high 24 points while hauling in 12 rebounds. He was also a major defensive presence, as he recorded six blocks in the contest — though it felt as if he had a few more than that.

When the Tar Heels trailed early on, Bacot was the calming presence on the floor. Trying to keep up with a fast-paced College of Charleston squad, when North Carolina was able to slow the pace down, their opponent simply had no answer for Bacot.

As the Tar Heels started to find a rhythm in the second half, it was Bacot who was the catalyst for the offensive attack. His effectiveness allowed his teammates more room to work with, as you saw more contributions from guys such as Caleb Love and Kerwin Walton among others.

For the first time in his career, Bacot has now scored 20-plus points in back-to-back contests. With the way he’s been shooting the ball, it’s very possible that we can see a ton more of those upcoming this season.

Coming into Tuesday night’s contest, Bacot was shooting 81.3 percent from the floor, as he made 13 of his first 18 attempts from the field. The junior big man had another stellar shooting night, as he knocked in 10 of his 12 attempts, and he’s quickly making the case that he could be a serious contender to lead the nation in shooting percentage this season.

Without Bacot’s presence, you could definitely make the case that the Tar Heels’ first road game would have gone very differently (most likely resulting in a loss). However, Bacot stepped up to the occasion and did what any good leader does — bring your best to the floor when your team needs it the most.

Bacot joins Love and Davis as our early season “Tar Heel of the Game” recipients. Will a new UNC basketball player be added to the list soon? Check back on Saturday afternoon to see which Tar Heel earns the honors for their upcoming matchup against Purdue.

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