After a crucial, emotional home win over rival Duke, No. 3 North Carolina will aim to put another tally in the win column Tuesday when it hosts Clemson in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Tar Heels (18-4, 10-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) were led by a season-high-tying 25 points from Armando Bacot on Saturday against Duke. The fifth-year center also grabbed 10 rebounds and tied his season-high in assists with five.
Bacot became the first UNC player since Charlie Scott in 1970 to total at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists against Duke. It was also the first time Bacot topped 20 points in a single game since UNC’s Nov. 29 win over Tennessee. And it was Bacot’s fourth double-double against the Blue Devils.
Bacot’s big game came after he had a one-on-one meeting with coach Hubert Davis earlier in the week.
“I wanted to talk to Armando this time, not just about life, but about basketball,” Davis said. “It’s really important to me for Armando to finish out his career the right way. And I just wanted to hear how he was feeling. … For us to be the best team that we can be, we need (Bacot) being a dude.”