Stars from both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams are garnering national attention. Senior center Armando Bacot and junior guard Deja Kelly were each named to their respective Late Season Top 20 Watch Lists for the Wooden Award. Bacot was also named one of 10 finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.

In addition, Bacot, Kelly and junior Alyssa Ustby of the women’s team were each named to the midseason team for the Naismith Trophy.

The players on these lists are considered the “front-runners” for the Wooden and Naismith awards, which are two of several given to the National Players of the Year in men’s and women’s college basketball.

Bacot is once again putting together a dominant season in the post for the Tar Heels. He ranks in the ACC’s top four in points per game (17.5, third), rebounds per game (11.3, first) and field goal percentage (55.7, fifth). This season, Bacot also became UNC’s all-time leader in both double-doubles and total rebounds, surpassing Billy Cunningham and Tyler Hansbrough for those respective records.

On the women’s side, Kelly and Ustby helped lead a resurgence which saw Carolina win eight consecutive ACC games following an 0-3 start in conference play. For the season, Kelly ranks in the ACC’s top 10 in points per game (15.9, sixth) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5, 10th). Ustby has dominated on the glass for the Tar Heels, as her 8.9 rebounds per game rank first on the team and are tied for third in the conference. Ustby is also one of just five players in the ACC who are shooting better than 50 percent from the floor. Her 52.4 mark ranks third in the league.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Men's Basketball Receives No. 6 Seed in NCAA Tournament, Will Face No. 11 VCU in Greenville
The Tar Heels are dancing. Carolina received a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region Sunday evening. The Tar Heels will play No. 11 seed VCU in the tournament’s first round Thursday in Greenville, S.C. The winner of the UNC vs. VCU game will play the winner of No. 3 seed Illinois and […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Women Up to No. 15, Men Down to No. 19
Both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams made moves in the most recent AP Polls, which were released Monday. The women’s team moved up one spot to No. 15, while the men’s team slipped two spots to No. 19. On the men’s side, the Tar Heels dropped after splitting their final two games of […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Up to No. 17, Women Up to No. 16
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams both rose in the latest editions of the AP Poll, which were released Monday. The men’s team rose one spot to No. 17, while the women’s team rose five spots to No. 16. The No. 17 Tar Heel men won a pair of home games last week, defeating […]
Chansky's Notebook: Bigger Challenges
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams took important steps forward on Saturday and Sunday and have positioned themselves well for March.
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Drop to No. 18, Women Rise to No. 21
The UNC men’s basketball team dropped two spots to No. 18 in the latest AP Poll, while the women’s team rose one spot to No. 21. Both polls were released Monday. The men’s team split its pair of games during the past week. The Tar Heels lost badly at NC State Tuesday night in Raleigh, […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men's and Women's Teams Both Drop in Latest Rankings
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams each dropped spots in the latest AP Poll Monday after both suffered losses during the week. The men dropped five spots from No. 11 to No. 16, while the women dropped one spot from No. 21 to No. 22. The men’s team’s previous ranking of No. 11 had […]
Chansky's Notebook: Different Challenges
David Glenn compares the situations of the UNC men's and women's basketball teams as both enter the home stretch of the regular season.
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Rise to No. 11, Women Rise to No. 21
After the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams each picked up big wins last week, both squads have risen in the latest edition of the AP Poll. The men’s team rose three spots to No. 11, while the women’s team rose four spots to No. 21. For the men, No. 11 is the team’s highest […]
Financial Report Shows UNC Athletics Operated at $15 Million Deficit in 2024-25 Year
The newest financial report from the UNC athletic department to the NCAA shows the department operated at a deficit of more than $15 million during the 2024-25 fiscal year. The department reported revenues of $172,951,034 and reported expenses of $187,967,260. The UNC athletic department had operated at a profit in each of the past three […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Up to No. 14, Women Back in at No. 25
Both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams are ranked in the latest editions of the AP Poll, which were released Monday. The men (17-4, 5-3 ACC) rose two spots to No. 14, while the women (17-5, 6-3 ACC) are back in the poll at No. 25 after three consecutive weeks unranked. The men played […]
›