Mar 23, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot (5) against Michigan State Spartans at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Former UNC star wanted to play for the Hornets before heading overseas

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 1:47 PM ET

There aren't a ton of players who've gone through the UNC to Charlotte Hornets pipeline, but there are some . Michael Jordan, Marvin Williams, Leaky Black, Raymond Felton, Tyler Hansbrough, Sean May, Marcus Paige, and Joe Wolf are among the most notable connections.

In recent years, that pipeline has slowed down a bit, and not too many UNC players have ended up down the road at the Spectrum Center. There was almost one more entry, though, before an international team swooped in.

Armanda Bacot wanted to play for the Hornets

Former UNC star big man Armando Bacot was intent on playing for the Charlotte Hornets after some Summer League action, but overseas basketball in Turkey took precedence for the former Tar Heel.

Bacot revealed that a few Euroleague teams, not Fenerbahce, had called, but he wanted to go to the NBA and stay local. "My intentions were to sign with the Charlotte Hornets, but Fenerbahce called me," he said via BasketNews. "I got a chance to talk with the coach and some people that play here and have been around this atmosphere, and I liked what they said. It was a no-brainer."

In fact, Bacot doubled down and noted that he was "a day away" from signing with the Hornets. "So they called me, like, late August. I was a day away from signing with Charlotte Hornets, and then I just kind of got a chance to talk to coach [Sarunas Jasikevicius], and I really liked their plan for me," Bacot continued.

He cited the EuroLeague championship Fenerbahce won last year, and he saw the team as an opportunity to get valuable minutes and improve, whereas it would've been harder to get on the court with Charlotte.

Would the pairing have worked? He was an absolute star and a fan favorite at UNC and the Hornets clearly need big men. He's also only 25. However, given the fact that he's not even on an NBA team right now, Bacot was clearly not the answer.

Long-time college players usually don't transfer to the NBA. If they were that good, they'd have been in the league by then. Bacot played five season with the Tar Heels, and he somewhat regressed as he went along, and he never did anything that screamed future NBA player.

He could rebound really well, but not so well that it catapulted him into draft conversations. He wasn't a good shooter, and he didn't pass all that well. He bodied college kids, but in the NBA, that's a lot harder to do. It would've been fun to see a local legend make it with the Hornets, but that pairing was never destined for greatness.