Armando Bacot joins elite company with performance vs NC State

Armando Bacot entered the ACC record book after his performance against NC State on Saturday. The North Carolina center became just the third player from the conference to finish with 25 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in a game over the past 25 seasons.

Bacot finished with an impressive final state line of 28 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks in a 84-74 victory for the Tar Heels against NC State. He joins Duke’s Zion Williamson and Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson as the only other players to post such a performance.

The junior center leads the ACC with 12.3 rebounds per game, a number that also ranks third in the country. He also leads the conference with a field goal percentage of 58% and is seventh in scoring with 15.9 points per game.

Armando Bacot’s play this season is a major reason why North Carolina reached the 20-win mark for the first time in two years. UNC coach Hubert Davis even declared him the ACC Player of the Year following a victory against Florida State last week.

“Statistically, the numbers he’s putting up, you haven’t seen this (at UNC) in a very long time,” the coach said. “…A lot of times when I see him play, I look back at the hard work and commitment of him in the offseason. I remember when he decided to come back to school and not go to the NBA. I remember all the individual workouts and talks before the season. His personal goals about who he wanted to be and what he wanted to do. To see him be able to live out and experience those hopes and dreams has just been really fun to watch. As a coach, one of the best things is having a front row seat and watching the kids be successful. That’s what I get every day. I get a front row seat to see all the effort Armando has put in and allow it to come out this season.

“He’s having a terrific year and I personally think he’s ACC Player of the Year. He’s been that good and that consistent.”

North Carolina has just two games remaining now in the regular season and sits at 21-8 overall. The Tar Heels are currently listed as a 12 seed and one of the last teams in according to On3’s latest bracketology projections. They’ll have a shot at another quadrant 1 win to boost their resume when they travel to Duke to close the season on March 5.

Before then, they have Senior Day against Syracuse at 7 p.m. ET Monday in Chapel Hill. Hopefully Armando Bacot can keep the momentum from his NC State performance going as the postseason grows closer.