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Armando Bacot injury update: Is UNC basketball star playing tonight vs. Virginia?

By Cody Williams

Mar 8, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot (5) hops off after being injured in the first half of the second round at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot (5) hops off after being injured in the first half of the second round at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Armando Bacot injury put a damper on the UNC basketball win over BC in the ACC Tournament. Will he play in the quarterfinals against Virginia?

March Madness hopes still hanging in the balance, UNC basketball has the task of stringing together wins in the ACC Tournament if they want to see themselves in the bracket on Selection Sunday. But an Armando Bacot injury in the Tar Heels’ first game of the conference tournament gave everyone a scare.

Near the end of the first half against Boston College, Bacot rolled his ankle and had to come out of the game. He did return to play the start of the second half before heading to the bench for the rest of the game with the outcome no longer in question in a blowout win for North Carolina.

But now UNC basketball has arguably its biggest game of the year in terms of their March Madness hopes as they face Virginia in the quarterfinals on Thursday evening. The big question everyone’s asking, though, is if the Armando Bacot injury will keep the North Carolina star off the floor for that game.

Armando Bacot injury: Will UNC basketball star play vs. Virginia in ACC Tournament?

Though there is no official word on if Armando Bacot will play, all signs are looking good.

Bacot is listed as a game-time decision but reports from Greensboro have his trainer saying that “he’s good” along with head coach Hubert Davis remarking that he’s never seen a player recover as quickly from ankle injuries as Bacot has.

Bacot’s presence is huge for the success of UNC basketball as a whole, but particularly against Virginia. The Tar Heels don’t have another true big with the battle-tested experience of Bacot on the roster and that’s a great way to attack the Cavaliers’ zone defense. The proof is in the results as North Carolina lost in Charlottesville with Bacot out with a previous injury but won in Chapel Hill having him back in the lineup.

The good news is that all signs point to him taking the floor on Thursday night for this crucial matchup for the Tar Heels.

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