The UNC basketball program entered this offseason needing to have a major roster turnover … and that’s exactly what it has done.
After getting the news of [autotag]Armando Bacot[/autotag] and RJ Davis returning to Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels had six players transfer out of the program. Since then, however, there have been four additions.
So how do they help the Tar Heels? Well, for starters, North Carolina has now surrounded Bacot with shooters. That’s something it didn’t have last season.
Bacot is undoubtedly one of the most dominant bigs in college basketball, but with the lack of shooting around him a season ago, double and sometimes triple teams formed around the UNC big.
So, with the newest additions to the roster, it makes Bacot one of the offseason’s biggest winners, wrote 247Sports.
“North Carolina’s offseason is not done yet, but it’s clear Armando Bacot is shaping up to be a huge winner. All four of North Carolina’s transfer portal additions help Bacot. Brown transfer Paxson Wojcik and Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan shred nets for a living. That limits the double teams Bacot should garner.”
Bacot averaged 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds a game last season and that followed a 16.3 point per game and 13.1 rebound per game year in 2021-22.
But, there was one significant stat that sticks out.
“Fifteen shots has been a magic number for UNC basketball in each of the last two years. In 2021-22, North Carolina was a perfect 4-0 when Bacot got at least 15 shots. The Tar Heels were 6-1 when Bacot got 15+ shots in 2022-23 and 14-12 when that did not happen. Feeding the big fella should be one of UNC’s top priorities in 2023-24.”
There is no doubt getting the ball in Bacot’s hands is critical to the success of North Carolina.
And now with the remade roster, it should be the case again next year.
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