UNC Basketball: Manufacturer makes ruling on court floorboards

Did a faulty floorboard cause UNC basketball standout Armando Bacot to fall during the final minutes of Monday night’s National Championship game?

One of the major storylines that came from this year’s National Title game surrounded UNC basketball standout Armando Bacot.

After injuring his ankle in the Tar Heels’ Final Four victory over Duke, the junior big man was far from healthy when he took the floor for the title game. However, Bacot played through the pain, and even though he wasn’t 100 percent, he was still able to make a major impact on the game.

Late in the game, things took a turn for the worst, as Bacot appeared to re-aggravate the injury while driving to the basket. This became a controversial topic, as the slow-motion view of the play raised some concerns about the court’s status.

In the above video, you could see the floor move, as it appeared that there was a loose floorboard just outside the paint area that altered when Bacot’s foot came down on the area. With all eyes surrounding this big moment, of course social media was buzzing after seeing the replay.

Bacot was unable to return to the game, as he hobbled up the court knowing that his team was at a disadvantage on the other end. The Richmond, Virginia native did not bring up the floor when speaking to reporters after the game, but social media was certainly buzzing over the incident.

After the game, Bacot left the Super Dome wearing a walking boot. He also was seen wearing it as the team arrived back to Chapel Hill on Tuesday afternoon.

Connor Sports, the floor manufacturer for the Final Four, investigated the situation. Jeff Kresja, their vice president of marketing and strategy, released the following statement about the playing condition of the court.

"“The court’s absorption characteristics are by design, and there were no loose floorboards or panels within the court, as confirmed by an expert technician who was present at every game of the men’s Final Four to ensure the quality and safety of the floor. The Championship floor, as is all the floors, is a panel system engineered for athlete safety and comfort, achieved by its ability to absorb impact forces as an athlete jumps or pivots abruptly, while also ensuring that other players nearby are not negatively affected.”"

It was determined that there were no loose floorboards or panels within the court area. Kresja stated that the floor panel system is designed to absorb impact forces, such as Bacot’s move towards the basket.

When asked about the situation, North Carolina Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham felt that Bacot’s fall wasn’t an issue with the floor, as he called it an “unfortunate thing at a critical time.”

Now that the floor situation has been addressed, the only hope is that Bacot’s injury didn’t get significantly worse due to the tough fall at the end of the title game.

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