Armando Bacot returning to North Carolina for fifth and final season

It's not all bad news this March for North Carolina basketball.

Stadium basketball analyst Jeff Goodman reported Wednesday afternoon that Tar Heels senior and two-time first-team All-ACC forward Armando Bacot isn't leaving.

"I'm using my last year of eligibility. I felt it was the right decision for my future," Bacot told Stadium.

“The primary reason I am coming back is because I don’t want to leave North Carolina this way. But I also know I need to improve and feel like this is the best place to do that.”

The Tar Heels (20-13) didn't make the NCAA Tournament field this season for the first time since 2010 and they opted not to play in the NIT.

North Carolina forward Armando Bacot says he's returning for the 2023-24 season.
North Carolina forward Armando Bacot says he's returning for the 2023-24 season.

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Bacot averaged 15.9 points and 10.1 rebounds for UNC this season, and he was instrumental in the Tar Heels' Final Four run last year as he became the first player to notch six double-doubles in one NCAA Tournament.

His return would be huge for a team under second-year head coach Hubert Davis that has lost four players to the transfer portal recently — Puff Johnson, Justin McKoy, Tyler Nickel and Dontrez Styles.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Armando Bacot returning to North Carolina for 2023-24 season