Armando Bacot reveals keys to strong defensive performance vs. Pitt in ACC Tournament

When North Carolina took on Pitt Friday night in the ACC Tournament, Armando Bacot knew it wouldn’t be an easy matchup defensively. The Panthers have plenty of playmakers, and that can wreak havoc on opposing defenses.

After trailing by five points at halftime, it seemed like the Tar Heels flipped a switch – led by Bacot, who poured in 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to help send UNC to the ACC tournament championship. He pointed out the issues in the first half as Pitt took a 35-30 lead into the locker room, but he wanted to rise to the occasion in the final 20 minutes.

While Pitt presented challenges, Bacot said switching was the key to success, and it paid off in the 72-65 victory.

“All year, I’ve just been taking pride in trying to be the best defensive big man in the country,” Bacot told ESPN’s Jess Sims. “And today, it’s always tough playing against them because they’ve got so many skilled guards, they’ve got bigs that can shoot. So today, we had to switch. After the first half, I was a little sloppy. In the second half, I wanted to take the challenge and thought I did a good job.”

It’s safe to say, the adjustments worked. Pitt shot 11-for-33 from the field out of the break, including a 4-for-14 showing from three-point distance, as North Carolina rallied to get the semifinal victory and lock up a spot in the championship.

RJ Davis led North Carolina in scoring with 25 points, joining Bacot as the only Tar Heels players in double figures. Now, they’re heading to the ACC championship game on Saturday in Washington, D.C., and they’ll take on the winner of NC State vs. Virginia.

No matter who UNC plays, though, Bacot said the key to winning an ACC tournament title is simple.

“Just got to be locked in,” Bacot said. “We’ve got two great teams coming up. But if we play our brand of basketball, being the most physical team and getting up, running up and down the court, I think we’re gonna win.”

On a personal note, Friday’s game marked another milestone for Armando Bacot. He passed the great Ralph Sampson for the second-most double-doubles in ACC history, and is now just three behind Wake Forest legend Tim Duncan.

After coming back for his fifth year, Bacot sounded ready to get within striking distance of Duncan. If things go as planned, he’ll have a few more chances to move to the top spot.

“I’ve been in college a long time,” he said. “About time.”