The North Carolina Tar Heels suffered a setback during their recent basketball game against UConn, as star player Armando Bacot sustained a knee injury. The injury occurred early in the Jimmy V. Classic, where Bacot showcased an impressive start to the game, scoring six of the team’s first eight points.
However, Bacot’s momentum was halted when he subbed out of the game after making a free throw attempt with 12:30 remaining in the first half. Assistant Coach Sean May and Head Athletic Trainer Doug Halverson attended to him on the bench, indicating a lower-body injury.
Despite the injury, Bacot returned to the game and played 35 minutes, but his performance was significantly impacted as he scored only six points for the remainder of the game. UConn’s defense also managed to hold him scoreless in the final 19:34 minutes of the second half.
In a post-game interview, Bacot shared his experience, stating, “At the beginning of the game, I shot a free throw, and I went to bend and, I don’t know, I don’t want to say it was a pop but I felt something in my knee. And then really the whole game I felt that I just didn’t have that pop anymore. It was definitely tough on me.” He added, “It was weird, too, because I just really don’t know why I have it. But (I) definitely felt it, too, when on the free throw line when I going to get in that bending motion, not really being able to bend my knees.”
Although Bacot downplayed the severity of the injury, mentioning the ten-day hiatus before their next game against Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic, it will be crucial to monitor his condition leading up to the Tar Heels’ trip to Atlanta.
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