When the North Carolina Tar Heels played team defense at a high level this season, each player on the court made their efforts known.
Harrison Ingram led the team in steals and ranked fourth in the ACC in defensive rebounds.
Seth Trimble’s defensive efforts off the bench were difference-makers in several games.
But time and again, Armando Bacot provided the steadiness that led to Carolina’s much-improved defense this season.
Bacot’s efforts on the defensive end of the floor earned him a spot on the ACC All-Defensive team. It was his first time honored on the All-Defensive team.
Bacot’s rebounding prowess is well-known. He ranked 13th in the nation and first in the ACC in rebounding. Bacot led the ACC in defensive rebounds (263), grabbing 22 more than the next player on the list.
Bacot led the team in blocks (56), ranking third in the conference.
When looking at advanced stats, Bacot led all starters in defensive rating, while ranking first for UNC in team defensive rebound percentage 24.9 and tied for defensive win shares 2.4 lead.
Bacot had a block percentage of 5.1 and a defensive box plus/minus of 3.8.
Beyond the stats, the most important difference in Bacot’s defensive game this season was his mobility. He was better on switches and closeouts and took on important responsibilities with perimeter defense.
Bacot made it a point in the offseason to get better on defense through increased mobility and education through video review.
He certainly achieved those goals this season on the best defensive Carolina team in several years.
Below are a few clips highlighting Bacot’s defense this season:
