All Tar Heels

Armando Bacot May Reach No. 2 on All-Time UNC Basketball Scoring List

The UNC basketball graduate big man should pass several more Tar Heel greats shortly.

Matt Giles

UNC basketball center Armando Bacot (Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
In this story:

Fifth-year UNC basketball center Armando Bacot finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-16 shooting from the field and a 5-for-6 clip at the line in the Tar Heels' 86-70 home win over Radford on Monday night to begin their 2023-24 campaign on a positive note.

In doing so, the 23-year-old, now sitting at 1,834 points as a Tar Heel, bested Joel Berry II's career points total (1,813) to move into 13th place on the program's all-time scoring list.

And Bacot has a realistic shot at climbing three more notches and into 10th place as soon as the next outing, a home matchup against Lehigh at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.

A full-time UNC basketball starter since his first year on campus, Bacot trails No. 12 on the list, Bobby Lewis, by only two points, No. 11 Marcus Paige by 10 points, and No. 10 Walter Davis, who passed away last week at age 69, by 29 points.

So, he needs a 30-point outing to reach No. 10 on the list the next time out (his career-high is 29 points, which he's posted on two separate occasions).

He'd need to average over 26.5 points — and that's if he and the Tar Heels play 40 games this season — to pass Tyler Hansbrough (2,872 points) at the top of the list. That's highly unlikely.

However, Armando Bacot needs only 457 more points to overtake Phil Ford at No. 2. Even if the Tar Heels were to play only 32 games (due to a loss in their first ACC Tournament game and no NCAA Tournament invite), he'd need to average only 15.1 points per game, assuming he was on the court for all of them, to accomplish that feat.

Five-Star UNC Commit Set to Officially Silence Rumors

Stay tuned to All Tar Heels on SI.com for more UNC basketball news.

Published
Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

Home/Basketball