UNC Basketball: Bacot’s brilliance continues in win over Georgia Tech

Armando Bacot’s dominant play continues, as the junior big man led the UNC basketball program to an ACC victory over Georgia Tech.

After a week off, the UNC basketball program returned to the court in grand fashion.

Following a convincing win over Virginia, the Tar Heels aimed to make a statement as they returned to the Dean Smith Center to host Georgia Tech. From early on, it was quite the night for Hubert Davis’ squad, as they shot 47 percent from the field en route to a 23-point victory.

If you’ve watched any UNC basketball this season, you know that the Tar Heels are at their best when Armando Bacot is playing at a high level. Fortunately for North Carolina, Bacot has been simply dominant, as he’s making it known that he is one of the best college basketball players in the country.

Last Saturday, the junior big man scored a career-high 29 points. It didn’t take long for him to tie that mark, as he scored the same number of points against Georgia Tech. He was very efficient from the floor, knocking down 10 of his 16 shots while sinking all nine of his free throw attempts.

With his 12-rebound effort, Bacot picked up his seventh consecutive double-double. He becomes the sixth Tar Heel of record to have such a streak to his name, and it’s the longest streak by a UNC basketball player since John Henson accomplished the feat during the 2010-11 season.

If you noticed, Bacot has done a great job finishing at the rim lately. The Richmond, Virginia native is now going up stronger, as he’s had a lot more dunks over the most recent stretch of games. His six dunks on Saturday night are the most by a Tar Heel player since Henson had seven against Elon on December 29, 2011.

With the way Bacot is playing, the school’s single-season double-double record may be in jeopardy. Brice Johnson (who currently holds the record with 23) had just 9 through his first 16 games during his record-breaking 2015-16 season. Through 16 games, Bacot has 12 double-doubles to his name, as Johnson’s record could be in serious danger of being broken in the near future.

Not only is Armando Bacot the best player on this year’s UNC basketball team, but he has to be not only considered in the conversation of being the top player in the ACC but also in the mix for one of the best players in the entire country.

At this point, it seems as if attention is still drawn elsewhere (towards a player up the road in Durham), but there is simply no player that has matched the recent stretch of dominance that Bacot has put together.

If he continues to play at this level, Bacot should hands-down be the conference Player of the Year. Of course, we’re sure that the Tar Heels’ captain is only worried about one thing: finding ways in which he can help his team continue to win ball games.

To no surprise, Armando Bacot is once again our “Tar Heel of the Game” recipient. Fellow co-captain R.J. Davis came close to dethroning Bacot, but for the first time in the history of the award, a UNC basketball player has earned the award for three consecutive contests.

Can another Tar Heel earn the award on Tuesday against Miami, or will Bacot’s reign continue? You’ll have to check back with us to find out!

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