Armando Bacot recalls journey from freshman to record-setting career

North Carolina‘s win Saturday over NC State not only represented their third straight conference win in a row but a historical night for center Armando Bacot, who eclipsed Tar Heels legend Tyler Hansbrough‘s all-time school rebounding record. Following his record-setting performance, Bacot was asked if he expected to be in the position he’s in now when he was a freshman at North Carolina.

“I mean definitely not, I mean you all saw it, I really just think my whole career I’ve just been growing and growing as a player,” Bacot said. “Freshman year I had a lot of tough struggles, I mean the team too, I started off really good then struggled all throughout the season. But I never gave up, coach Williams, coach Davis they all stayed on me, told me to work hard work hard.”

As a freshman, Bacot averaged 8.2 rebounds and 9.6 points per game, and has steadily improved ever since. It wasn’t an easy journey for him, as he detailed how competition within the team and putting down his head and working paid off for him.

“Coming back that next year, coach he brought in Day’Ron Sharpe, Walker Kessler and those two guys are in the NBA right now. I didn’t look at it as something, like coach just recruited two All-American bigs over me, I just looked at it as a challenge. That whole summer over the pandemic I just worked my tail off and just kept working and working and I just got a lot better,” Bacot said.

Bacot’s work ethic over the summer of the COVID-19 pandemic surely paid off, as he went on to have one of the greatest single season’s a big man at North Carolina has ever had. He set a single season school record for rebounds with 511, and now holds the school record with 1,229 rebounds in his career and counting.

He was also asked if he saw his former head coach Roy Williams following his historic night. pulling back the curtain on what their later conversations would entail.

“I did, he was just telling me he was proud of me and I’ll probably see him a little later and poke a little fun at him and stuff, tell him I’m the greatest rebounder here of all time,” Bacot smiled and said.

Having a school record at a program rich in history like North Carolina is always special, as Bacot will now look to know extend his all-time rebounding record throughout the remainder of the season.