Editor’s Note: An incorrect report from NCAA March Madness initially listed Armando Bacot as one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. That report was made in error, and an amended group of finalists was published Friday afternoon.

 

UNC junior forward Armando Bacot has his sights set on breaking the school’s single-season double-double record this weekend at Duke, but the big man won’t be taking home any national hardware this season. Bacot, who was named to the watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award this season, missed the cut to be one of five finalists for the honor. The award is given to the nation’s best center.

The group of finalists is a veritable who’s who of elite big men around the nation. Auburn star and former Tar Heel Walker Kessler is a finalist. Kessler currently leads the nation in blocks per game. Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe is one of the only players in the country ahead of Bacot in rebounding, with 15.3 per game. Drew Timme of Gonzaga, Kofi Cockburn of Illinois and Adama Sanogo of Connecticut round out the quintet.

Bacot has blossomed into a star for Carolina this season. He leads the ACC and is third in the country in rebounding with 12.7 boards per game. He is the only player in the conference to average a double-double, and has recorded 23 such stat lines this season. Bacot’s field goal percentage of 58.5 is also best in the conference. He’s scored 20 or more points nine times this season, after doing so only five times his first two seasons combined. Bacot set a career-high with back-to-back 29-point performances against Virginia and Georgia Tech in January.

 

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 vs. Syracuse (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will look to win its fourth game in a row when it hosts Syracuse Monday night at the Smith Center. The Tar Heels are 2-0 against the Orange in Chapel Hill in head coach Hubert Davis’ tenure. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast […]
Caleb Wilson Shines as UNC Men's Basketball Handles Georgia Tech
Caleb Wilson showed out in front of a hometown crowd at Georgia Tech in Atlanta Saturday, scoring 22 points to lead the Tar Heels past the Yellow Jackets, 91-75. HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/46p9Whd73H — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) January 31, 2026 Wilson set two new UNC program records with his performance. After the freshman eclipsed […]
ESPN College GameDay to Visit UNC Before Feb. 7 Game vs. Duke
ESPN College GameDay, the network’s flagship college basketball studio show, will broadcast live from the Dean Smith Center the morning of Feb. 7 before the Tar Heels host rival Duke that evening. SEE YOU SOON 🗣️ @CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/al7eFPNPLi — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) January 31, 2026 The broadcast will begin at 10 a.m. on the Smith […]
Chansky's Notebook: Best of Both
UNC's Lee Roberts favors a compromise between Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Smith Center, and he is well schooled with what went wrong here.
UNC Men's Basketball at Georgia Tech (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will travel down to Atlanta this weekend to take on Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels are looking to avenge an upset loss at the hands of the Yellow Jackets in their last visit to Atlanta during the 2023-24 season. If you aren’t making the trip with the team, here’s how you can follow along […]
Chansky's Notebook: Build Momentum
UNC played a dominant last 25 minutes at Virgina, but it has yet to prove it can put a complete ACC game together on the road.
CBS Sports Classic Adds Kansas, Sets UNC's Matchups for Next 4 Years
The CBS Sports Classic, a marquee event on the college basketball non-conference calendar, has been extended through the 2029-30 season. In addition, the event has also set UNC’s matchups for the next four seasons and added Kansas to replace St. John’s in the four-team field. St. John’s participated in the 2025 event as a replacement […]
Chansky's Notebook: New Dimension
Caleb Wilson is not only a spectacular talent, but he is serving a role that very few UNC players have taken on in their first year.
UNC Men's Basketball Rises to No. 16 in Latest AP Poll
After a home win against Notre Dame and a road win at then-No. 14 Virginia, UNC rose six spots in the latest AP Top 25 poll to No. 16 this week. UNC’s six-spot jump is the largest of any team in the poll. After dropping to No. 22 following road losses at unranked Stanford and […]
Photo Gallery: UNC at Virginia
UNC came back from a 16-point deficit in the first half to beat No. 14 Virginia 85-80 in Charlottesville Saturday. Check out Chapelboro’s photos of the game from Chance Bragg! 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 […]
›