Saturday night brought us one of the most anticipated games of the 2022 NCAA Tournament in a matchup of ACC blue bloods, North Carolina vs. Duke. The game certainly lived up to all of the hype.
It was a battle throughout, but ultimately the Tar Heels put an end to Mike Krzyzewski’s final season, winning 81-77.
A big reason for Tar Heels’ success was junior forward Armando Bacot. He was an essential part of the victory against Duke, grabbing a whopping 21 rebounds as well as adding 11 points.
North Carolina fans held their breath, however, when Bacot injured his ankle with 5:18 left in the second half. He appeared to turn it when he stepped on teammate Leaky Black’s foot, and he clearly grimaced as soon as it happened.
North Carolina star Armando Bacot exits the game with an injury. He has 19 rebounds. #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/TVo1OtDLyS
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) April 3, 2022
Bacot was able to return to the game, but many North Carolina fans were clearly concerned about how this injury could impact his ability in Monday’s National Championship matchup against Kansas.
North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis gave us an update on the extent of the injury for Bacot on Sunday.
“They did X-rays. All negative. Obviously, it’s sore,” Davis told college basketball insider Jeff Goodman. “He’s ready to play tomorrow night.”
Hubert Davis on Armando Bacot’s ankle: “They did X-rays. All negative. Obviously, it’s sore. … he’s ready to play tomorrow night.”
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 3, 2022
While he likely won’t be at 100 percent considering the quick turnaround for Monday, this is great news for North Carolina fans. They will certainly need Bacot to produce a similar stat line to what he had on Saturday, especially considering how well Kansas forward David McCormick played in their Final Four victory against Villanova.