Armando Bacott made the All-ACC First Team; Universal Defensive Team Leaky Black Tabbed


CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina. North Carolina’s strong regular season approach was fueled by junior center Armando Bakot, who was named First Team All-ACC in a vote announced by the league’s office on Monday. senior wing holey black was also named to the ACC All-Defensive team.

Backot leads the UNC in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and field goal percentage. The Richmond, Virginia native is averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds, shooting 59.5% and 54 blocks. No other Tar Heel in the program’s history has achieved all four targets in a season.

Backot is averaging 14.1 league rebounds in ACC play, the highest average in a conference game since Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan averaged 14.9 rebounds per game in the 1996-97 season. He also ranks fourth in the ACC game in scoring (17.4), third in field goal percentage (57.9) and blocked shots (1.8), and 11th in free throw percentage (75.5). His 23 double-doubles equal a UNC single-season record (Bryce Johnson). Backot has scored at least 20 points in nine games this season, with 60% or better off-floor accuracy in 17 games. He also earned All-ACC honors for the third team in the 2020–21 season.

Joining Backot on the first team were Wake Forest’s Alondes Williams, Duke’s Paolo Bankero, Miami’s Cameron McGasty, and Syracuse’s Buddy Boheim. The junior center received the most votes in first-team All-ACC voting, but finished second in ACC Player of the Year voting for Williams.

Black raised his game to reach the high standard set by former head coach Roy Williams, who believed his 6-foot winger could become one of the best defensive players in recent Carolina history. The Concord, NC native became a lockdown quarterback and was assigned to the opposing team’s top offensive threat within a year.

Black made 89 starts in 114 career games. He averages 5.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 48.2% shooting from the floor and 40.5% from three. He boasts a 1.9:1 career assist-to-assist ratio (254 assists/135 assists) and has racked up multiple interceptions in 31 games.

2021-22 All-ACC Team
First team

Armando Backot, North Carolina, 380 years old.
Alondes Williams, Wake Forest, 373
Paolo Banquero, Duke, 372
Cameron McGasty, Miami, 315
Buddy Boheim, Syracuse, 241

Second team
Kev Aluma, Virginia Tech, 192
Dereon Cibron, N.C., 166
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 161.
Blake Wesley, Notre Dame, 148
Jake LaRavia, Wake Forest, 147

Third team
Dane Goodwin, Notre Dame, 131
Mark Williams, Duke, 119
Isaiah Wong, Miami, 119
Jaden Gardner, Virginia, 106
Michael Devow, Georgia Institute of Technology, 105

Honorable mention
Caleb Love, North Carolina, 84
PJ Hall, Clemson, 72
John Hagley, Pitt, 54
Charlie Moore, Miami, 42
Brady Manek, North Carolina, 38
Kehei Clark, Virginia, 22
AJ Griffin, Duke, 22
Paul Atkinson Jr, Notre Dame, 20
Terquavion Smith, NC State, 15
Rhys Beekman, Virginia, age 15.

Note. All-ACC team points are determined on a 5-3-1 system (five points for the first team, three points for the second team, one point for the third team).

ACC Player of the Year
Alondes Williams, Wake Forest, 41 votes
Armando Backot, North Carolina, 31
Paolo Banquero, Duke, 6 years old

ACC Freshman of the Year
Paolo Banquero, Duke, 72 votes
Blake Wesley, Notre Dame, 4
Terquavion Smith, NC State 1
Trevor Keels, Duke, 1

ACC Defender of the Year
Mark Williams, Duke, 46 votes
Rhys Beekman, Virginia, 20
Leaky Black, North Carolina, age 7
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 3
Charlie Moore Miami 2

Most Improved ACC Player
Dereon Seabron, NC, 33 votes
PJ Hall, Clemson, 28
Mark Williams, Duke, 4
John Hagley, Pitt, 4
Dane Goodwin, Notre Dame 3
Jesse Edwards, Syracuse 2
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 2
James Carnick, Boston College 1
R. J. Davis, NC 1

Sixth ACC Person of the Year
Matthew Cleveland, Florida, 52 votes
El Ellis, Louisville, 6
Anthony Walker, Miami, age 6
Khadim Sy, Wake Forest, 6
Kadin Shedrick, Virginia, age 5
Quinten Post, Boston College 2
Cam Hayes, NC State 1

ACC Coach of the Year
Steve Forbes, Wake Forest, 40 votes
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke, 19
Mike Bray, Notre Dame, 13
Jim Larranaga, Miami, 3
Mike Young, Virginia Tech 1
Hubert Davis, NC 1
Tony Bennett Virginia 1

All-ACC Defense Team
Mark Williams, Duke, 77 votes
Rhys Beekman, Virginia, 69
Leaky Black, North Carolina, 55 years old.
Charlie Moore, Miami, 45
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 33.

Rookie Team
Paolo Banquero, Duke, 77 votes
Terquavion Smith, N.C., 73
Blake Wesley, Notre Dame, 72
AJ Griffin, Duke, 66
Trevor Keels, Duke, 50