Carolina ops have taken their shots at Armando Bacot for returning to Chapel Hill for a fifth season. “Why wouldn’t he?” they’d ask mockingly, “He wasn’t going to get drafted.”
Well, that’s not necessarily his fault.
The NBA has changed dramatically since UNC’s heyday under Roy Williams. Teams do not covet big men who can carve out space, dominate the post, and grab rebounds. They prioritize spacing and shooting, something that Armando Bacot — a picture perfect fit for a Roy Williams double-post offense — does not excel at.
Let’s say that Bacot decided that four years was enough, and he’d throw his hat in the ring just to go ahead and begin his professional career.