UNC Basketball: Armando Bacot joins elite Tar Heel company

With his 20th double-double of the season, UNC basketball big man Armando Bacot join some exclusive Tar Heels company.

Armando Bacot has been a double-double machine for the UNC basketball program this season.

With his 12 points and15 rebounds against Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon, the junior big man recorded his 20th double-double of the season, which puts him among some elite UNC basketball company:

Bacot became just the sixth player in North Carolina basketball history to record 20 or more double-doubles in a single season. The list of other Tar Heels that accomplished the feat include:

Billy Cunningham (twice)
Antawn Jamison
Brice Johnson
Mitch Kupchak
Doug Moe

It’s just the seventh time overall that this has been accomplished by a Tar Heels player, as Cunningham recorded 20 or more double-doubles in a season twice during his collegiate career.

Bacot becomes the first North Carolina player to join the list since Brice Johnson did during the 2015-2016 campaign. The former Tar Heel big man recorded a UNC basketball record of 23 double-doubles over the team’s 40 games that season, as he was a big contributor for a team that made it all the way to the National Championship game.

With four games left in the regular season, as well as at least one ACC Tournament game as well as possible NCAA tournament contests, Bacot will have a chance to tie or even break Johnson’s double-double record. He may not play 40 games as Johnson did (this year’s team will likely play anywhere from 32-35 games), but given how Bacot has operated this season, it certainly isn’t out of the question that this record could be well within reach.

If Bacot can put together three back-to-back double-double performances over the team’s next three games, he’ll have a chance to break the record on the road against none other than Duke in Coach Krzyzewski’s final home game.

Before we get to that point, Bacot and the Tar Heels have some business to handle. They will continue their push towards the NCAA Tournament on Monday night, as they’ll host Louisville for yet another important conference matchup.

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.