Unless R.J. Davis follows his lead, Armando Bacot will remain the most decorated college basketball star to play five seasons at the same school.
Bacot will certainly be remembered as UNC’s all-time leading rebounder and the second-highest career scorer in Tar Heel history. But his journey is far more than the school-record 1,715 rebounds and 87 double-doubles he logged in his career — which tied Tim Duncan, the Wake Forest All-American and two-time ACC Player of the Year, for the most in ACC and second in NCAA history.
He was recruited by Roy Williams, with the help of then assistant-coach Hubert Davis, so his personal transition was not as difficult as the program’s overall transformation.
While he has the 6-foot-11 size of a college center with a great nose for the ball but not much lift or shooting range, AB emerged on the national scene in 2022, when he deserved ACC Player of the Year with his late-season run but lost out to Wake Forest’s Alondes Williams because many media members voted before the end of the regular season, when Bacot led Hubert’s first Tar Heel team to a five-game win streak that concluded with a memorable upset of Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Bacot arrived in Chapel Hill as a four-star prospect from Richmond, who won state and national championships for high schools in Virginia and Florida, plus several medals in international youth tournaments.
But he needed a lot of work to transition his game to the major college level. Through his burgeoning social media, which should have been a tip-off to his eventual NIL success, he actively recruited future teammates and wound up starting all 32 games as a freshman. His rebounding chops were evident when he pulled down a season-high 16 against Virginia, tying a UNC freshman mark set by Harrison Barnes, one of several notable records he had while playing his first season through some nagging injuries.
As a sophomore, Bacot won the Dean Smith MVP and Danny Green Most Improved Player team awards while rotating in the post with senior Garrison Brooks and highly recruited freshmen Day’Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler, who both left after a bad first-round NCAA loss to Wisconsin. Bacot made the All-ACC tournament team playing only three games, including a loss to Florida State in the semifinals. Three weeks later, Williams announced his retirement.
Armando Bacot dunks over Duke’s Wendell Moore Jr. during a game in 2021 at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Bacot’s sophomore season was affected by COVID-19, meaning fans were limited at games — if allowed at all. It would turn out to be Roy Williams’ final season leading to the UNC program. (Photo via the Atlantic Coast Conference.)
When Davis took over, he had a core of returning upper classmen and added Oklahoma transfer Brady Manek, the most consequential player on the 2022 team and, eventually, for Bacot. It allowed the center to become a full-fledged beast under the basket, averaging 13 rebounds per game. After sophomore forward Dawson Garcia left the school in January, Manek got all of his minutes and by tournament time was a 40 percent marksman from the arc. Defenses had no choice but to go out and try to defend his high and quick release, resulting in more space for Bacot to use his footwork and instincts and easily became the top rebounder in the ACC and set the conference record for 30 double-doubles for the season.
He was literally the center of Carolina’s resurgence from a bubble team to finishing 15-5 in the ACC and getting a No. 8 seed in the South Region, where the Tar Heels’ historical run took them to New Orleans. Bacot set the ACC record with his 30th double-double and tied the Final Four record of 21 rebounds in the national semifinals win over Duke, sending Mike Krzyzewski into retirement. Bacot sprained his ankle late in the game but returned to record 15 points and 15 rebounds in the national championship loss to Kansas, the first player in NCAA tournament history with six double-doubles.
Bacot was hobbled with a sprained ankle during the Final Four win against Duke, but played through the injury during the 2022 national title game against Kansas. Even with the injury, he finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds in the game. (Photo by Todd Melet/WCHL & Chapelboro.)
Despite Carolina missing the NCAA tournament in Bacot’s senior year, he led the ACC in rebounding and double-doubles along with making first team All-conference for the second straight year. It was not long before Bacot announced he’d return for his fifth “COVID” season in 2023-24, following what teammate Leaky Black had done the year before.
With a revamped roster including three new starters to join Bacot and R.J. Davis, the Tar Heels started 7-3 and then reeled off 10 straight wins with Bacot slightly changing his role to flashing outside the paint and was a force setting screens and rolling to the basket. He led the ACC in rebounding (including offensive rebounds) and double-doubles for the third consecutive season.
Armando Bacot is celebrated by his teammates after a recognition for setting the school’s all-time rebounding record. Bacot was honored ahead of a home game against N.C. State on January 21, 2023. (Photo by Todd Melet/WCHL & Chapelboro.)
After the Tar Heels won the ACC regular season and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, then lost to Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen, Bacot said, “Best team I’ve ever played on. The amount of fun we had and the love we have for each other was amazing. It’s obviously tough that we lost…because we played so hard, and we cared about each other so much.”
He is a throwback to the four- and five-year players of old, who worked hard and rarely complained to officials and became one of the all-time favorites of Tar Heel basketball.
According to current criteria, Bacot is not eligible for his jersey to hang in the rafters of the Smith Center. But those rules have been adjusted over the years, and it is highly likely that UNC’s all-time leading rebounder will have his No. 5 and name up there soon.
The subplot to Bacot’s career is his initiative with Name-Image-Likeness sponsorships that began in 2021. After earning a degree in exercise and sports administration, he received an honorary ACC Commissioner’s post-graduate scholarship and enrolled in UNC’s MBA program. With a knack for entrepreneurship and the contacts he has from Virginia to North Carolina, Bacot has built an NIL portfolio that reportedly reached $1 million for personal appearances, roles on TV shows and national television commercials. He never publicly bragged about it, but bought a Carolina blue Audi convertible.
“He had a different perspective than most other players, he was far ahead of everyone else, in my opinion,” said Dave Sadeghi, owner of Town Hall Grill who gave Bacot a chance to develop the signature Mondo Burger. “He came up with all the ingredients and went in the kitchen and worked on it with our staff. It turned out to be very delicious. One hundred percent, I believe Armando has an entrepreneurship bloodline. He listens to the proposal, he comes up with ideas financially, he understands how to communicate. He does a clothing brand, a shoe brand and has the Turbo Tax ad on national television.”
Armando Bacot poses with Tony the Tiger at an event in Durham during 2023. Bacot is one of the leading athletes to have capitalized on name, image, and likeness opportunities following the approval of NIL. (Photo via Frosted Flakes.)
Rarely listed on NBA mock draft boards, Bacot will surely try to make a team as a free agent that needs a player with his savvy and determination, if not the complete skill set required. If he doesn’t make a roster, he could have a choice to sign a two-way contract between an NBA franchise and its minor G-League affiliate. Or he may go to Europe, where his size, style of play and charisma could result in a seven-figure income approaching what UNC’s all-time scoring leader Tyler Hansbrough made in China when his NBA career was over.
Additionally, Bacot could capitalize on his contacts at UNC and around the state and region to leverage his college career and appealing personality to become a successful businessman. Either way, he considers attending Carolina as the right launching point.
“I may not have been the best player to ever play here,” the five-year star has said many times, “I may not have scored the most points. I did grab the most rebounds. But in terms of players, nobody has loved this school more than I have. And that’s something I can be proud of.”
Featured photo by Todd Melet/WCHL & Chapelboro.
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.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 newsletter.
“But in terms of players, nobody has loved this school more than I have.”
Absolutely fitting. We’re going to miss Armando.
GREAT article!!!!! Good luck to Bacot!!!