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.
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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)
| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams (MAX-ih-mo) | F | 6–7 | 220 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | G | 6–5 | 180 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita (SIGH-on KAY-tuh) | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–6 | 205 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neo Avdalas — W (NEE-oh ahv-DOLL-lus) | G | 6–9 | 220 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 185 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| 22 | Junior | Alexandros Samodurov (Alex-ANN-drose SAH-muh-DUHR-off) | C | 6–11 | 225 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 180 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young (JAY-din) | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson (JARE-in) | F | 6–10 | 220 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z (BRIZZ-ee) | G | 6–3 | 200 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V (Fenz) | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 200 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Coach Michael Malone’s coaching staff — Associate head coach Chuck Martin; assistant coaches Bryan Tibaldi (tih-BALL-dee), Sean May, Jorge Sanz (HOR-hey sahnth), Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson; Director of player development Deon Thompson.
Players who entered transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
UNC schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday, 7 p.m. | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday afternoon | at Georgetown |
| 15 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| 30 | Wednesday | vs. California |
| January | ||
| 2 | Saturday | at Boston College |
| 5 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | at Louisville |
| 9 | Saturday | vs. N.C. State |
| 13 | Wednesday | at Florida State |
| 16 | Saturday | vs. Stanford |
| 19 | Tuesday | vs. No. 17 Virginia |
| 23 | Saturday | at Syracuse |
| 26 | Tuesday | vs. SMU |
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
| February | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Notre Dame |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 8 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. Louisville |
| 13 | Saturday | at No. 4 Duke |
| 20 | Saturday | at Wake Forest |
| 22 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. No. 24 Miami |
| 27 | Saturday | at Virginia Tech |
| March | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. No. 4 Duke |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
