Armando Bacot discusses how he ‘hated Carolina’ before committing to UNC

Armando Bacot’s North Carolina career is officially over after five big years in Chapel Hill. The Virginia native leaves the program with the most rebounds in history and finished No. 2 in total points .

He’s considered among the best to play for the program, leaving behind a legacy. But growing up, Bacot hated North Carolina as he was a Duke fan.

It’s well known that Bacot was a Duke fan and the Blue Devils were involved in his recruitment. He committed to North Carolina, however, and the rest is history.

Bacot recently appeared on Theo Pinson’s “Run Your Race” podcast where he discussed growing up a Duke fan and ‘hating Carolina’ before committing to the program.  And it sounded like he was a die-hard fan who hated the other rival, like fans tend to do of their rival.

“Committing to Carolina for me was crazy because a lot of people don’t know this but I grew up a Duke fan,” Bacot said to Pinson. “You can go to my Facebook, it has surfaced on Twitter a little bit but there’s pictures of me, I went to the Duke basketball camp, everything. I grew up a Duke fan. I loved Jhalil Okafor, Jabari Parker, those were my two favorite players.”

“So I grew up a Duke fan, I hated Carolina. But I had some what allegiance to them because Ed Davis went there. Kenny Williams was from Richmond, I was a young bull when he was coming up so I watched him a little bit. But even committing to Carolina for me was like out of nowhere. Even through the process, I visited. I loved coach Davis, I loved coach Williams. But I was just like ‘Ah, that’s tough for me even rocking with Carolina.”

In the end, Bacot picked the Tar Heels in his recruitment and teamed up with his friend Cole Anthony. While he hated Carolina, he put that aside to go to the program and be coached by Roy Williams.

Pinson then told Bacot that he also grew up a Duke fan but he never hated North Carolina. Instead, he respected the program. Bacot didn’t have the same experience, saying that he was such a die-hard Duke fan, that he really hated Carolina.

“See, I was a die-hard Duke fan so I hated Carolina,” Bacot said. “They are going to tear me up for this, but I hated Carolina.”

It worked out for Bacot, leaving behind a legacy in Chapel Hill and falling in love with the school that he would die for. He even left by winning his final game in Durham, just two years after helping spoil Coach K’s final home game as well.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.