North Carolina forward Armando Bacot is back for his fifth and final season in Chapel Hill, hoping to get the Tar Heels back to the NCAA Tournament and make another run. After a disappointing 2022-23 season, Bacot will be the focal point, along with R.J. Davis in the Tar Heels’ starting lineup.
Not only is he the best player on UNC’s roster but he’s among the best players in all of college basketball.
On Wednesday, Bacot earned some national honors as he was named to the CBS Sports preseason All-American First Team. He was one of five players on the team joining Purdue’s Zach Edey, Marquett’s Tyler Kolek, Duke’s Kyle Filipowski and Kansas’ Hunter Dickenson.
Here is what Matt Norlander wrote on Bacot making the First Team:
Bacot channeling nine-year college legend Perry Ellis and maintaining a sense of humor and self-deprecation after being a part of one of the biggest letdowns in college hoops history is an encouraging sign. The fifth-year big man was unlikely to be drafted, and given that he had a healthy assortment of NIL deals on the table and he was obviously wanted back by the coaching staff and the fan base, it was a no-brainer.
Bacot (career averages: 13.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 55.6 fg%) is going to be the heart of a North Carolina squad that is determined to atone for last season’s embarrassing whiff on making the NCAAs after being preseason No. 1. Bacot is UNC’s leader in all-time rebounds (1,335) and double-doubles (68). Best of all, Bacot is an interesting and reliable quote at a time in college sports where that is not the easiest thing to find.
Bacot is the lone Tar Heel to make any of the three teams that CBS Sports has listed.
North Carolina begins their 2023-24 season by hosting Radford on November 6th.
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