CHARLESTON, S.C. – The College of Charleston student section arrived early in anticipation of Tuesday night’s matchup with No. 18 North Carolina. Desperate for the euphoric emotion that only an upset of a true blue blood can provide, the intensity at TD Arena slowly rose to its max level at tip-off and then exploded off the scale following Babacar Faye’s alley-oop dunk 12 seconds later.
As the basketball court rumbled and the sold-out crowd encouraged and cheered their Cougars to an early 26-15 lead, Armando Bacot quietly went to work on the interior, scoring efficiently amid UNC’s rash of turnovers and defensive miscues. The All-ACC forward provided a default option in the post while everything else around the Tar Heels was seemingly falling apart.
“He’s been there before,” UNC head coach Hubert Davis told reporters following the 94-83 victory. “He’s played in tough games and been in tough situations and environments. That’s why he’s one of our captains, because not only can he lead us on the court, he can lead us off the court.”
By the time the Tar Heels had settled down and entered halftime down 42-36, Bacot’s stat line read 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting with five rebounds. The only blemish was his 4-of-9 effort at the free throw line.
He continued his dominance on the block in the second half, and by the time UNC had taken control at 59-51 with an 11-2 run fueled by three Bacot baskets, the junior forward had total 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting.
“I feel like he’s the best big in the country,” sophomore guard Caleb Love said. “He just imposed his will. When he’s locked in, can’t nobody guard him.”
At that point, Kerwin Walton had found his touch on the perimeter, while Love was finding lanes to the rim, and therefore Bacot’s offensive production was no longer needed. He then went to work on the defensive end, swatting shots and grabbing rebounds.
Bacot finished with a career-high 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting, 12 rebounds, three assists and six blocks, tying his career high. In doing so, he became only the second Tar Heel to ever post at least 20 points, at least 10 rebounds and at least six blocks in two games or more, joining Rasheed Wallace (three times).
As complimentary as any comparison to Wallace may be, a more accurate one this season is likely Antawn Jamison. Not in terms of athleticism, but in how little time the ball stayed in Jamison’s hands. The days of Bacot banging around in the post with the ball around his waist appear long gone. As a result, he’s averaging 18.0 points at a blistering 82.1% shooting through three games.
“We only allow him to have one pivot,” Davis said. “His freshman year, he would go pivot-pivot-pivot and then that would be a turnover. Then last year, he went to pivot-pivot, and this year, just one pivot. It’s really worked. He has tremendous footwork.
“When you’re talking about the progression and the improvement of a player, one of the things that he talked about is he wants to win a national championship here, but he wants to play in the NBA. I said, ‘you’ve got no chance if you don’t have perimeter skills, and you’ve got to get more athletic and more movement on the offensive end.’ This summer he worked so hard on his fitness, his ball handling, his shooting the ball from the outside. It’s interesting, working on those things have made him even better around the basket. I’m so pleased with him. He’s playing extremely well.”
After a quiet season opener, Bacot has turned in back-to-back 20-point, 10-rebound performances. More importantly, he’s led the team in plus-minus both games. UNC’s new look may emphasize NBA principles and perimeter shooting, but its traditional foundation resides in the post with the junior big man.
