UNC basketball forward Armando Bacot adapting to fourth frontcourt mate in four years

Four games into his fourth season at North Carolina, forward Armando Bacot is still getting used to his fourth different frontcourt pairing.

As a freshman, it was Garrison Brooks.

As a sophomore, it was Walker Kessler and Day’Ron Sharpe and, with Brooks remaining, it was the only time there was carryover.

As a junior, Bacot welcomed Brady Manek and Dawson Garcia.

Adding to the mix of Bacot’s adjustment, the Tar Heels shifted from playing in a traditional two-big system under coach Roy Williams that utilized high-low play, to a system that emphasizes spacing under coach Hubert Davis and can sometimes play five out.

Now, Bacot is playing alongside Northwestern graduate transfer Pete Nance (and freshman Jalen Washington will soon be joining the rotation).

“Playing with Garrison and Day’Ron and Walker, it was kind of jumbled up and it was a two-big system,” Bacot said. “Then Brady, he’d just like to exclusively really shoot. And then it’s like Pete, he can get down there (in the post), but he also likes to stretch the floor. “It’s definitely an adjustment because you’ve got to get used to how they play, but I mean, I kind of think I can fit with anybody.”

Developing chemistry

Davis has tried to facilitate the process by keeping Bacot and Nance together in practice, as opposed to having them face each other. It helped speed up their knowledge of things like where they like the ball and their favorite spots on the court.

“In the four years that Armando has been here, he’s had four different running mates,” Davis said. “So it was really important for him and Pete to be able to develop that type of chemistry and I love the way that they work together. Their skills complement each other. They enjoy being on a floor together. It just works.”

It’s clear from the opening three games that Bacot and Nance are still a work in progress. They’ve yet to even play a half where they were both playing at their best at the same time.

Consider when Bacot scored 28 against College of Charleston, Nance had seven points and a rebound. When Nance had his breakout, first-half performance against Gardner-Webb, scoring 16 points, Bacot had two points on 1-for-7 shooting. Bacot picked up his performance in the second half of that game with eight points, but Nance attempted just two shots and scored just two points.

Sunday’s game against James Madison will provide another opportunity to smooth things out before the No. 1 Tar Heels head to Portland, Oregon, for the Phil Knight Invitational on Thursday.

“Obviously, we haven’t played a ton together because I haven’t been here,” Nance said. “But I feel like our communication has been great and it’s only going to get better as the season goes on.”

Kessler would agree.

Now in his rookie season with the Utah Jazz, Kessler recalled Bacot “taking me under his wing, teaching me a lot of things,” during their lone season together in 2020-21. Kessler said what made Bacot easy to play alongside was just how positive and encouraging he was in practice.

“It’s not very hard to play with a guy with that kind of IQ — extremely physical, a great rebounder, great finisher around the rim,” Kessler said. “He’s someone who’s unselfish, someone who ultimately just wants to win more than anything.”

‘Armando and Pete’

It appears Bacot and Nance have already figured out how to co-exist defensively. Bacot and Nance have combined for 12 blocked shots — only Georgia Tech’s Ja’Von Franklin and Jalon Moore have more as a frontcourt. But the Heels are off to a better start than the 3.9 average blocks per game they had as a team last season. Overall, Carolina’s 22 blocked shots and 7.3 average per game leads the ACC and is tied for eighth nationally.

“Coach Williams and then Coach Davis, they do a good job of kind of indoctrinating us early on in the season and in practices and scrimmages kind of always putting us on the same team,” Bacot said. “So it kind of allows us to get a flow and kind of get an understanding how we want to play together.”

For all the time they spend together on the floor, Davis said it’s just as important the two know each other away from basketball.

Nance had that opportunity when he joined Bacot and the rest of the starters for an autograph session during the summer on the outer banks. Between the long ride East and hanging out after the event, it provided invaluable time to bond. Davis said it all makes a difference on the floor.

“I know Armando and Pete spent a lot of time together outside of the court understanding their tendencies and personalities that that make it easier to complement each other out there on the floor,” Davis said. “And just like last year, with Armando and Brady, that chemistry continues to develop throughout the season. That’s what is being done right now and I expect it to continue to improve during this season with Armando and Pete.”