North Carolina basketball’s Armando Bacot made his way to a table inside Dick’s House of Sport in Fayetteville on Saturday and a fan had tears of joy streaming down her face as she waited to see the Tar Heels‘ big man.
UNC’s all-time leader in double-doubles and rebounds, Bacot spent an hour and a half meeting and greeting fans, signing autographs and posing for photos with more than 200 people in a section of the 100,000-square-foot store.
“North Carolina’s such a huge brand and we have fans everywhere,” said Bacot, who decided in March to return for a fifth and final season with the Tar Heels.
“A lot of times, fans don’t get the opportunity to see me in an intimate, close setting. Just doing stuff like this is always cool.”
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In an exclusive interview with The Fayetteville Observer, Bacot discussed a number of topics ranging from UNC’s roster changes to his health and why he wanted to spend one more year in college.
Why Armando Bacot wanted one more season with UNC basketball
Bacot limped out of Greensboro Coliseum in March after a season-ending loss to Virginia in the ACC Tournament. On that night, Bacot thought he might have played his last game as a Tar Heel.
A season that started with such promise ended in disappointment with UNC being left out of the NCAA Tournament. Bacot didn’t want that to be his final memory.
“Being able to play in front of these fans for another year and get a chance to kind of fulfill what I really, ultimately want to do here, I think it’s just a great opportunity,” he said.
“I definitely didn’t want to leave (last year) like that’s the last thing you think of with me playing. I definitely didn’t want to go out like that. It’s just great to get another opportunity.”
After dealing with sprained ankles and a bruised shoulder last season, Bacot said he feels a lot better physically ahead of the 2023-24 season.
“I think this summer I definitely got a good opportunity just to rehab and get back to myself. I thought going into last year, I really didn’t focus hard enough on my body and feeling better,” he said.
“I think I just kind of tried to push it. I had a lot of different things going on last summer and just a lot of distractions, so I didn’t get that opportunity to get my ankles back healthy and be in the right place. I think, this summer, I got a lot done in that area.”
Bacot, RJ Davis ready to lead UNC Tar Heels
In addition to Bacot, lead guard RJ Davis is a returning starter for the Tar Heels. Both players experienced the high of a run to the national championship game in 2022 and the low of missing the NCAA Tournament in 2023.
“It’s our…
Read More: Armando Bacot talks UNC basketball, changes with Tar Heels 2023-07-29 19:35:24