Armando Bacot on Playing Duke: Just Trying to Create a Moment in the Rivalry

Bacot remembers great moments from past Duke-Carolina games

Freshman big man Armando Bacot will have a major test in his first Duke game, trying to figure out how to defend Duke center Vernon Carey Jr.

“He’s just a good player,” Bacot said. “I’ve just got to go out there and try to front him, not let him get into a rhythm.”

Bacot is excited to play in his first game in the sport’s biggest rivalry.

“It’s surreal,” he said, “just to be in this moment. I’d be lying if I’m sitting here telling you I haven’t been thinking about it all week. I’m just excited. I guess that’s what makes it so fun. I know fans will be into it. Everybody will be into it. There’ll be millions of people watching. I can say for all the freshmen, it’s probably the biggest event we’ve all played in. So we’re just excited. Me and Cole (Anthony), we talked about it a little bit, just how excited we are to play. Just going out there and playing as hard as we can for the fans, just trying to create a moment in the rivalry.”

Bacot remembers plenty of previous moments in the rivalry.

“There are just so many moments,” he said. “I mean, you look back to when Tyler Hansbrough was all bloody, or when Austin Rivers hit the big shot, or just even last year, when we beat them two out of three, with me coming to the game (in Chapel Hill) last year. The atmosphere was just crazy—all those moments.”