No. 7 North Carolina cruised to an 84–51 victory against visiting Notre Dame on Tuesday night, marking the final game in Chapel Hill for Tar Heels legend Armando Bacot.
Bacot finished with 14 points, five rebounds and one block in the blowout win, putting his imprint on his final home game in powder blue.
“I may not have been the best player that ever played here,” Bacot told reporters afterward. “I may not have scored the most points. I did grab the most rebounds. I may not have blocked the most shots. But I think in terms of players, nobody has loved this school more than I have. And that’s something I can be proud of.”
Raw emotions from Armando Bacot last night. It has been an honor to cover this UNC legend. “I may not have been the best player to ever play here. Might not have scored the most points, …….but in terms of players no one has loved this school more than I have. pic.twitter.com/DWbl2CPpBC
— Juice Adkins (@RichardJAdkins) March 6, 2024
Bacot, who has become a frontcourt staple over his five seasons with the Tar Heels, will be remembered as a beloved figure by fans and teammates alike.
“It’s pretty fast how time has gone,” Bacot said on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. “I never really expected to be this loved by the fans and by the community. It’s so great to be a Tar Heel, and I’m so fortunate to do it for five years. I’m so grateful to be at a school like this.”
Bacot is UNC’s career leader with 1,640 rebounds and counting. He ranks third in Tar Heels history in career points (2,231) behind only Tyler Hansbrough (2,872) and Phil Ford (2,290).
While Tuesday was an appropriate send-off for Bacot after a fantastic collegiate career, there is certainly bigger business at hand with the ACC tournament and NCAA tournament on the calendar in the coming weeks. The Tar Heels are two seasons removed from a national championship game appearance, and they have aspirations to make another postseason run this year.
