Armando Bacot, North Carolina
One of college basketball’s main characters, Armando Bacot returns to UNC as an elite rebounder and an industrious interior scorer.
During his three seasons with the Tar Heels, Bacot has appeared in 100 games, making 99 starts. He has career averages of 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor.
After an All-ACC season in the 2020-21 campaign, Bacot returned for the start on the Hubert Davis era on a mission. Paired with stretch-4 Brady Manek, in a new offense, Bacot had a career year. He finished second to Wake Forest’s Alondes Williams in the ACC Player of the Year vote.
Bacot averaged a double-double with points and rebounds: 16.3 points (56.9 FG%) and 13.1 rebounds per game. According to KenPom, Bacot ranked No. 10 nationally with a defensive rebound rate of 30.0 percent.
He also showed improved conditioning and fitness, playing a career-best 31.6 minutes per game and anchoring UNC’s no-middle defense as back-line rim protector: 1.7 blocks per game (5.2 percent block rate).
North Carolina’s offense was centered around clean spacing and Bacot’s interior dominance. Bacot scored 0.98 points per post-up possession (51.7 FG%), according to Synergy Sports. Partnered with RJ Davis and Caleb Love in the pick-and-roll, Bacot shot 68.1 percent on rolls or slips to the rim.
Bacot finished second among ACC players this season with 67 dunks.
As Manek spaced the floor, Bacot worked as a one-man wrecking crew on the glass. Bacot ranked Top 25 nationally with an offensive rebound rate of 14.9 percent: 4.2 offensive rebounds per game. According to Synergy, Bacot shot 56.4 percent on put-back attempts this year, too.
Bacot is more than just an post-up brute. He has skill, too: footwork in the post and a little bit of passing craft, which he showcased vs. double teams and out of the short roll.