Armando Bacot etched his way into the UNC basketball history books during his five seasons in Chapel Hill, but that didn’t guarantee him a 2024 NBA Draft selection.
Bacot initially signed with the Utah Jazz‘ Summer League team, then later found his way onto the Memphis Grizzles, thanks to an Exhibit-10 contract. Bacot impressed in preseason ball with Memphis, but was later part of final roster cuts.
Now with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzles’ G-League affiliate, Bacot is already making a quick impression.
On Saturday, Nov. 9 in his G-League debut, Bacot registered a 17-point, 18-rebound double-double as the Hustle’s starting center. Memphis lost, 103-97, but Bacot showed why he can be a key eventual contributor in the NBA.
Bacot shot just 6-of-18 from the field, but what’s most impressive about his performance are the types of shots he made. Bacot drained three 3-pointers in nine attempts. If you recall Bacot’s time at North Carolina, he rarely shot the basketball outside the paint, not making a 3-pointer until the 2023-2024 campaign.
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Bacot led the Hustle in two categories: minutes played (37) and rebounds (18). One of Bacot’s teammates, former Oregon Duck Miles Morris, also recorded a double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds).
In his five seasons as a Tar Heel, Bacot set the program record for rebounds (1,715) and double-doubles (87). You’d think this would be enough to get Bacot an NBA Draft Selection, but today’s professional big man is someone who can both play down low and shoot outside jumpers.
If Bacot keeps dominating at the G-League level like he did Saturday, it won’t be long before an NBA team is calling his name again.
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