Will Armando Bacot Finally Receive His Shot in the NBA?

Similar to Caleb Love when he left high school and stepped on to UNC's campus during the 2020-2021 season, Armando Bacot, the former North Carolina big man who ended up as the school's all-time leader in rebounds, was seen as someone who would be a one-and-done kind of player. Bacot's freshman year will forever be memorable for fans, but not in a positive manner.

At the time, former head coach Roy Williams, a three-time NCAA champion, was questioned throughout the 2019-2020 season. A season that ended in an overall record of 14-19. Bacot, joined by then-five-star prospect Cole Anthony, along with Jeremiah Francis and Anthony Harris, featured in a usual season where odds were stacked against them more times than not. It was uncharacteristic of a UNC team to receive so much doubt.

Transfers Christian Keeling and Justin Pierce were in the mix, too. And all of them were led by senior and 2017 NCAA champion, Brandon Robinson, who shined the brightest that year compared to his earlier seasons as a freshman and sophomore.

But since that season, Bacot has blossomed into a reliable center who can match up with anyone on the interior, and more importantly, grab rebounds. If it were not for the ankle injury he suffered in the 2022 national championship game, then the results may have been different.

Bacot was a part of current head coach Hubert Davis' first team, and was a huge key to the team's success.

All things considered, the six-foot-ten and 240-pound center has yet to receive any minutes in the NBA. But his play on the court reveals that he's capable of competing with arguably the best basketball players in the world.

Look at him running in transition from end-to-end in the Memphis Grizzlies first NBA Summer League game: