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Armando Bacot Commits

5-Star center Armando Bacot announced Thursday evening he will attend North Carolina.
5-Star center Armando Bacot announced Thursday evening he will attend North Carolina. (Rivals.com)

Armando Bacot, a 6-10, 235-pound 5-star center from Richmond, VA, has committed to play basketball at North Carolina, he announced Thursday evening.

Bacot, who is rated the No. 16 overall player in the class of 2019, chose UNC over Duke. He told THI on Wednesday night why he was going to pick the Tar Heels.

"Just Coach’s loyalty to me and how much he was there to see me and his consistent message to me,” Bacot said, about UNC Coach Roy Williams.

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Williams was a regular at Bacot’s games during the three live evaluation periods in July. It showed the big man how much Williams wanted him and cared about him. "I would say at the end of July, just based on as much as he had come to see me,” Bacot said. “It really showed how much he believed in me."

Bacot has transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, where he will team with two more prominent UNC targets for the class of 2019 in Josh Green, whom the Heels offered a couple of weeks ago, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who also has a UNC offer.

Few people know Bacot’s development over the years and where his game is right now than Brandon Ward of Team Loaded. Ward has trained Bacot over the years, going back to his middle school days.

"When I first met him he was slow and out of shape,” Ward told THI. “We sat down and talked about a plan that we would be thoroughly committed to. He did it and we are watching the world recognize him."

And now, with Bacot popping for the Tar Heels, the reality of just how much his game is settling in with Ward.

Team Loaded's Brandon Ward Says...

"He has improved so much it’s ridiculous,” Ward said. “He’s recognized areas of improvement and he’s attacked them furiously."

THI basketball recruiting analyst Clint Jackson first watched Bacot four years ago and has been writing about him since the player’s freshman year in high school. Jackson has seen Bacot play in high school and AAU games and also watched him work out doing drills. Jackson knows the Bacot situation well.

Clint Jackson Says...

"Roy Williams won this one with his classic, genuine approach. He recruited Armando Bacot with such a consistent, disciplined approach. No coach was at more of his games. No coach worked harder. No coach made more trips to Richmond. And no coach built as strong of a rapport with the family.

"Bacot has been sold on Carolina for quite a few months now. They earned his loyalty and now they've earned his commitment.

"I've watched him for what seems like ten years. When I first met him, he was a soft-bodied, out of shape kid. But he had size. He had soft hands and he had touch and pivot skills. Fast forward a few years later, and you've got a 6-10 kid who is leaner, quicker, more agile, has more lift and bounce. And as good as his skills were, they've gotten better.

"This is a huge close for UNC. Bacot is a five-star big man who has post instincts and he's a rebounder extraordinaire. He's also a great passer in the half-court set. I mean a GREAT PASSER too. And his jumper and handle have improved immensely over the past year."

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