It’s objectively good for Roy Williams and UNC to have Bacot return. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Big Man Armando Bacot Fills a Much-Needed Void for North Carolina Next up in our freshman intro series is Armando Bacot. However, UNC struggled with spacing and floor balance issues; Brooks and Bacot combined for just seven 3-point attempts this season — all from Brooks. Before his evolution as an offensive fulcrum, Luke Maye was valuable bench contributor as well. Wofford won 68-67. As a freshman, Bacot averaged 9.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, shooting 46.9 percent from the floor. Opposing defenses can pack the paint, rotate coverages and load up on select players. In the one-and-done era, college basketball fans have grown accustomed to having to get to know a slew of new, highly-touted names and faces each season, many of whom will spend just one year on campus before moving on to the NBA. Guidelines are in place to promote safe social distancing and health protocols, but the program is still focused on the ultimate goal. Not all of those spacing issue can be attributed to playing two traditional bigs, too. All Rights Reserved. Next up in our freshman intro series is Armando Bacot. ), It’s one thing to play with two traditional (non-shooting) posts together. Liddell, and 2020 SG Jonathan Jackson (brother of Justin Jackson) at the Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. 6/14/2018: Watching Coby White, Cole Anthony, Armando Bacot, Matthew Hurt, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl play in the FIBA Americas Men's U18 Championship in Ontario, Canada, 4/27/2018: Watching 2019 PF Armando Bacot (UNC offer), 2019 PF Vernon Carey (UNC offer), 2019 SF Wendell Moore (UNC offer), 2019 CG Cole Anthony, 2019 SF Keion Brooks, 2019 SF Juwan Gary, 2020 SF Scottie Barnes, and 2021 PG Carter Whitt at the Nike EYBL even in Indianapolis, IN, 4/24/2018: Hosting 2019 5 star power forward Armando Bacot (UNC offer) on an unofficial visit to UNC, 3/22/2018: Visiting 2019 5 star power forward Armando Bacot at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, VA, 2/28/2018: Watching 2019 5 star power forward Armando Bacot at his game at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, VA, 2/14/2018: Watching 2019 5 star power forward Armando Bacot at his practice at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, VA, 9/25/2017: Watching 2019 4 star power forward Armando Bacot at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, VA, 7/26/2017: Watching 2019 PG Jeremiah Francis, 2020 PG R.J. Hampton, 2018 SF Jericole Hellems, Zion Williamson, Matthew Hurt, Romeo Langford, Nassir Little, Ashton Hagans, Armando Bacot, and Nate Laszewski in Las Vegas, NV, 4/30/2017: Watching 2019 SG Josh Nickelberry (UNC offer), 2018 SG Romeo Langford (UNC offer), 2019 PF Armando Bacot, 2018 SF Nassir Little, 2019 PG Ashton Hagans, and 2019 SF Christian Brown at the Adidas Uprising in Atlanta, GA, 4/22/2017: Watching 2018 SG Romeo Langford (UNC offer), 2019 SG Josh Nickelberry (UNC offer), 2020 PF Isaiah Todd, 2019 SF Christian Brown, 2018 SF Zion Williamson (UNC offer), and Armando Bacot in Dallas, TX, 9/17/2016: Hosting 2018 UNC commit Leaky Black, 2017 PF Brandon Huffman, 2018 SF Greg Gantt, 2020 PF Isaiah Todd, 2019 SG Josh Nickelberry, 2019 PF Armando Bacot on unofficial visits to Chapel Hill. Ultimately, Zeller played just 117 minutes that season. This is a ways away, but this quartet of players raises questions as to how minutes will allocate during the 2020-21 season. 5 UNC past Elon 75-61", "No. An industrious offensive rebounder (11.7 percent offensive rebound rate, though that dropped in ACC play), Bacot can also help facilitate half-court offense as a passer (2 assists per 40 minutes), which adds upside to his profile. Unprecedented talent depth coming to the ACC? Cole Anthony, Brandon Robinson, Rechon “Leaky” Black, Garrison Brooks, Armando Bacot, Christian Keeling, Jeremiah Francis and Justin Pierce all missed games this season for the Tar Heels while Sterling Manley and Anthony Harris were lost for most if not all of the 2019-20 campaign. UNC finished the year at 14-19 overall and will miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. That doesn’t happen with too many borderline top-15 recruits. North Carolina ranked outside the top 200 nationally in spot-up efficiency, per Synergy Sports: 0.87 points per possession. UNC ranks inside the top five nationally in this metric on an almost annual basis; however, that’s the only time in Synergy’s database, which dates to the 2006-07 season, that a team has eclipsed the 400-point benchmark. Poll: How many ACC teams will make a bowl game in 2017? Strengths: Bacot is a wide-bodied big man with good footwork, soft touch, and elite hands. Bacot is a nice complement to Brooks, serving as the type of true center Williams has been missing the last few seasons. His frame has continued to stretch over the course of his high school career so he's evolved into a true center with enough size and length (7-foot-1 wingspan) to play that position at the next level. The junior forward is a capable shooter, finishing his sophomore season shooting 57.4% from the field and is one of the Tar Heels’ best defenders. The pairing of Bacot and Brooks means that Williams at least shouldn’t have to worry too much about his team’s starting paint presence. However, it’s also a lot easier to divvy up those 80 minutes with three players as opposed four. UNC just could never stay healthy and it cost them a few close games. Platek made a couple of great cuts against Clemson for hoops (including a backdoor in Secondary B3 rather than using the pindown). ... Clint Jackson has been covering ACC basketball recruiting for over 20-years. 3 ranked recruiting class including three five-star players and two four-star players. Of that group, only Johnson was drafted into the NBA: No. Short roll playmaking from Armando Bacot >>>#UNC pic.twitter.com/Z76iGh6tZP, — Trevor William Marks (@twmarks_) February 2, 2020.