The Tar Heels went back to the future in Charleston.
It sure seemed like college basketball has fully returned with 3-0 Carolina’s pulsating win over the College of Charleston Tuesday night.
Packed house in small-but-raucous TD Arena, where they have stormed the floor before after beating the ballyhooed blueblood from up north.
First true road game for sophomores, who adjusted to the noise in the first half after a season in empty gyms and turned off most of it with a stunning, all-around second half.
And a possible break-out game for junior Armando Bacot, who kind of got lost during the retirement of his old coach and signing of high-profile transfers by his new coach. But now we know what No. 5 was working on.
Hubert Davis described how Bacot with a magnificent double-double of 24 and 12 was doing while post mates Brady Manek and Dawson Garcia came aboard to open up the Tar Heels’ offense.
As a freshman, Bacot was a three-pivot player and as a sophomore a two-pivot player while drop-stepping and spinning to the basket, sometimes turning the ball over and giving defenses a chance to stop him. “We only allow him to have one pivot,” Hubert said after the impressive 94-83 win over the athletic and aggressive Cougars.
It was obvious early that the game plan was for Bacot to take advantage of the mismatch inside. And with pro scouts watching, he was explosive on offense and unstoppable only at the foul line where he missed 5 of 9 free throws, slightly less than his 50 percent average coming in.
He made 10 of 12 from the field and was as devastating on the defensive end with six blocks. “He has tremendous footwork and you talk about the progression of a player,” Davis said. “He wants to win a national championship here, but he also wants to play in the NBA.”
Armando is on another level 📈
🔹 Career-high 2️⃣4️⃣ points
🔹 One of four Tar Heels with 20/10/6 blocks
🔹 Tied career-high 6️⃣ blocks
🔹 2️⃣0️⃣ career double-doubles pic.twitter.com/3VshV8hvNH— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 18, 2021
Also impressing the pro scouts was Caleb Love who continues to make leaps and bounds from an uneven freshman year. He is back in the NBA conversation after his best game to date this season with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and his own assertiveness in going to the basket.
There will be tougher tests this weekend, but two guys who coached the Tar Heels and Cougars – Roy Williams and Bobby Cremins – were in the house and must like what the future holds for both teams.
Photo via Todd Melet.
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