By R.L. Bynum
Armando Bacot is coming back to Carolina for a fifth season.
Jeff Goodman of Stadium broke the news Wednesday afternoon after talking to Bacot.
“The primary reason I am coming back is because I don’t want to leave North Carolina this way. But I also know I need to improve and feel like this is the best place to do that,” Bacot told Goodman after the Tar Heels finished 20–13 and missed the NCAA tournament. “I’m using my last year of eligibility,” Bacot said. “I felt it was the right decision for my future.”
Bacot is UNC’s career leader in rebounds (1,003), double-doubles (68) and double-figure rebounding games (75). He earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press, Sporting News and USBWA this season and also was a third-team pick in 2021-22. He was the only ACC player on the first-, second- or third-team AP or USBWA All-America teams. Bacot has averaged 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds over his career, including 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds (which led the ACC) last season after averaging 16.3 and 13.1 as a junior.
Bacot will be the second UNC player to get two senior days and play five seasons after Leaky Black returned for a fifth season.
The news came on the same day that Puff Johnson became the fourth Carolina player to enter the transfer portal, joining Justin McKoy, Dontrez Styles and Tyler Nickel.
Bacot, who became the 19th Tar Heel to earn multiple All-ACC first-team honors, has a chance to rewrite many record books.
He is fifth in ACC history with 1,335 rebounds. Bacot has 68 double-doubles, eight more than any other UNC player, which is 19 off of Tim Duncan’s ACC record.
For his career, Bacot has 1,809 points, 1,003 rebounds and 160 blocks. Sam Perkins is the only other Tar Heel with more than 1,800 points, 1,000 rebounds and 150 blocks (2,145, 1,168 and 245).
Bacot and Cole Anthony were freshmen on the 2019–20 UNC team. Anthony will play his fourth NBA season as Bacot plays his fifth college season.
Bacot career-highs
Points: 29 vs. Virginia (Jan. 8, 2022) and Georgia Tech
(Jan. 15, 2022)
Field goals: 12 vs. Virginia (Jan. 8, 2022)
Free throws: 9 six times (last time vs. Duke, March 4, 2023)
Offensive rebounds: 9 vs. Virginia (Jan. 8, 2022) and vs. Syracuse
(Feb. 28, 2022)
Rebounds: 23 vs. James Madison (Nov. 20, 2022)
Assists: 7 vs. Miami (Jan. 25, 2020)
Blocks: 6 vs. Oregon (Nov. 29, 2019), at Charleston
(Nov. 16, 2021) and vs. N.C. State (Jan. 29, 2022)
Steals: 4 vs. Elon (Dec. 11, 2021)
Key events, dates
April 27 (at 11:59 p.m. ET) — Deadline for players to submit their names to the NBA draft
May 1 — Transfer portal closes
May 11–12 — NBA G League Elite Camp in Chicago
May 12–19 — NBA Combine in Chicago
May 17–19 — Evaluation for high school players at NCAA-certified events (EYBL in Indianapolis is on those)
Potential 2024-25 UNC men’s roster
No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | Freshman | James Brown (4 star) | 5 | 6–8 | 225 |
— | Freshman | Ian Jackson (5 star) | 2 | 6–4 | 180 |
— | Freshman | Drake Powell (5 star) | 2 | 6–5 | 185 |
2 | Soph. | Elliot Cadeau | PG | 6–1 | 180 |
1 | Soph. | Zayden High | 4 | 6–9 | 225 |
13 | Junior | Jalen Washington | 5 | 6–10 | 230 |
55 | Senior | Harrison Ingram | 4 | 6–7 | 235 |
Eligible for fifth season | |||||
5 | Graduate | RJ Davis | PG | 6–0 | 180 |
24 | Graduate | Jae’Lyn Withers | 4 | 6–9 | 215 |
Walk-ons eligible for 5th season | |||||
14 | Graduate | Creighton Lebo | PG | 6–1 | 180 |
22 | Graduate | Rob Landry | 2 | 6–4 | 190 |
2023–24 UNC players to enter transfer portal
Class | Player | Date entered | Pos. | Hgt. | Next school |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senior | James Okonkwo | April 5 | F | 6–8 | Akron |
Junior | Seth Trimble | April 9 | G | 6–3 | TBA |