**************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina junior forward Armando Bacot met with the media Thursday afternoon in advance of the Tar Heels’ game at Duke on Saturday evening to discuss the magnitude of the game, how the first meeting with the Blue Devils went down, and so much more.
Duke defeated UNC by 20 points at the Smith Center on Feb. 5, and that is something the Tar Heels have talked about a lot this week. In addition, this will be legendary Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. More than 100 of his former players, major sports and entertainment figures and other dignitaries are expected to be in attendance, plus it will be the most watched game in which any of the players have participated.
So, there were mostly questions surrounding those topics. UNC is 22-8 overall and 14-5 in the ACC, while Duke is 26-4 and 16-3.
Above is video of Bacot’s Q&A session, and below are some notes and pulled quotes from what he had to say:
*The Blue Devils jumped out on Carolina early in the first meeting and eventually won 87-67. Bacot picked up two early fouls and the Heels never recovered. He finished with 12 points and a season-low five rebounds, tying his output versus Purdue, a game he was also in major foul trouble and played only 17 minutes. Only twice since Dec. 14 has Bacot not grabbed at least 10 boards in a contest, with the Duke game being one of them.
It was one of UNC’s worst performances of the season, made worse to the players because it was against Duke and at home. The Heels have talked about that this week and it will serve as some of their fuel.
“I’d be lying to y’all if I sat right here and said I don’t replay that game in my head,” Bacot said. “It’s something I think about all the time. There were a lot of factors that didn’t go our way. We didn’t come to play, I was in foul trouble, too, early. I don’t think us as a team, players, we didn’t really grasp how big of a game it was. We’ve just got to be ready to play on Saturday, and I’ve got to stay out of foul trouble.”
*When watching or thinking about that first game, are the emotions frustration, anger, and how has he processed it? And, 48 hours from game time, what are the emotions of the Tar Heels in general?
“We definitely were all upset about it, because that’s one of the biggest games for the year for us,” he said. “Y’all know about the rivalry. But it’s something that we kind of have put past us a little bit, but we definitely are ready to go and (are) fired up.”
*UNC Coach Hubert Davis said Thursday that he has spoken to the team about the first meeting and is fine with that affecting their thought process and preparation for this game. But from Bacot’s perspective, what has been his coach’s tone with respect to the first game as this one gets closer?
“He’s been locked in all week,” Bacot said. “It’s something that we all want to go in there and do is win that game on Coach K’s last home game. Just his (Davis’) approach has been I guess a little bit different. He’s always serious, but even more serious coming into this game because it’s huge game for bragging rights. It would be a big-time win.”
*Duke’s front court of Paolo Banchero and Mark Williams presents major challenges to anyone, and it will certainly be part of the storyline Saturday one way or the other. Bacot is well aware of what he and the Heels are up against.
“I don’t know, I really don’t got a comment,” Bacot said.
*Last year’s game at Cameron was played in an empty arena. No fans were allowed at Duke’s home games, so it wasn’t anything close to the typical UNC-at-Duke experience. But this weekend, it could be crazier than ever before given what’s taking place and the exposure the game will get.
“I would say us personally, as players, we were just as fired up because it was Duke versus UNC,” Bacot said. “But it definitely will be a lot different because everybody in there will be against us, except for our little family section we have. It will definitely be a different feeling for sure.”
Stay with THI for much more coverage from what Bacot had to say as well as Hubert Davis as we continue to advance Saturday’s game.
