Hubert Davis updates status of Armando Bacot's ankle injury

In the second round of the ACC Tournament, the North Carolina Tar Heels picked up a big win over Boston College. The Tar Heels dominated the Eagles, winning convincingly 85-61. Although the result of the game was hardly ever in question, the health of North Carolina big man Armando Bacot is, as they prepare for their next matchup. And after the game, UNC head coach Hubert Davis provided an update on Bacot’s injured ankle.

“They were able to loosen it up at halftime, and that’s why he felt like he could go out there and play,” said Davis. “But he was hobbling a little bit in the second half. And then I asked him, I said, ‘Are you OK?’ And he says, ‘No, I feel really good.’

“Once I took him out, then it was done. I didn’t want it to stiffen up or get cold. And so once we took him out, I tried to keep him in there as long as possible and then took him out so he could be done for the night.”

With the injury, Bacot played just 18 minutes for the Tar Heels. In that time, he was able to rack up 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

It was good that North Carolina did not require more from their star to close out Boston College. With North Carolina winning the game decisively, it allowed Bacot to get a few more moments of rest. And that rest could prove critical as the Tar Heels have an even more formidable challenge Thursday evening. Next up for the Tar Heels is their rubber match against Virginia.

Bacot on playing the second half against Boston College

Bacot exited North Carolina’s first game of the ACC Tournament with an ankle injury that forced him into the locker room. The injury happened after he pulled down an offensive rebound and rolled his left ankle without contact — bringing him down to the court immediately. As play continued, Bacot limped off the court under his own power but was unable to put any weight on his leg.

The UNC star then surprised fans and even his coach with his toughness, coming out to start the second half and give his team some stability to get the job finished.

“I just took a wrong step and I rolled it a little bit, but I’m gonna be fine,” explained Bacot on his injury. “I mean, it was a must-win. And I didn’t want to kind of leave it out there for them to have a chance to come back. So I told the coaches… I’ll give them a good four to six minutes to just give us a bump. And then we ended up coming out [and] getting a good enough lead to where I could sit out.”