The No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region isn’t focused on the North Carolina big man’s heavy minutes or tough play. Instead, it’s the changes that have occurred throughout the course of a five-year collegiate career, which has been reduced to only five games.
However, as the Tar Heels prepare for a March Madness game against Michigan State on Saturday, Bacot has remained a constant amidst the seismic forces altering everything around him.
“I’ve been through three different eras of college basketball,” Bacot told reporters on Friday. “It’s been a roller-coaster my whole college career.”
Indeed. The 24-year-old has seen a few things.
A collegiate basketball world before the COVID-19 pandemic, which included Hall of Fame coach Roy’s only losing season.
Williams, one during and one after, with an additional year of eligibility. Williams’ retirement farewell. A unexpected run to the NCAA title game, which ended with Bacot hobbling after a brave effort, was followed by an even more shocking collapse from preseason No. 1 to missing the NCAAs altogether.
And that’s before we get into the regulation changes that allow collegiate athletes to benefit from their reputation and easily transfer, making roster creation a year-to-year job.
