North Carolina's Armando Bacot should be celebrated for gutsy national title game performance | Opinion

NEW ORLEANS — Armando Bacot sat on a raised podium with his head resting on his right hand, a dazed look across his face reflecting the disbelief and pain of losing 72-69 to Kansas in Monday's national championship game.

A right ankle rolled in the Final Four win over Duke on Saturday had not healed 48 hours later. He winced as he walked up the stairs onto the raised court at the Caesars Superdome and moved gingerly during pregame warmups.

"Right before the game I really couldn't even jump," he said.

He didn't on the opening tip, allowing Kansas to take possession as he hobbled down the floor. The Jayhawks took a quick 7-0 lead and Bacot's first shot was effortlessly blocked by KU big man David McCormack.

But then his ankle began to loosen. It took him just over four minutes to make his first shot. Then another. His confidence grew as the pain blended with the screams of over 70,000 fans.

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All told, Bacot finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the half, tying David Robinson's NCAA single-season record for double-doubles at 31. Bacot finished this NCAA tournament with 99 rebounds in six games, second-most in event history. La Salle's Tom Gola had 102 in five games in 1954.

At the 13:30 mark in the first half, Bacot waved off coach Hubert Davis' attempt to take him out as R.J. Davis shot free throws. He had missed the NCAA Tournament as a freshman and last year, the Tar Heels were eliminated in the first round.

Bacot wasn't going anywhere.

"We all really wanted to win," he said. "We came this far and this was a huge goal for us was to just hang up a banner. And we just really wanted to win. I really wouldn't let anything stop us from getting to that point."

Davis missed his second attempt and Bacot grabbed the offensive board before being fouled on the putback. He played 18:41 of the first 20 minutes as the Tar Heels held a commanding 40-25 halftime lead. UNC entered the evening 46-0 in the NCAA Tournament when leading by double digits.

"It was not just tonight," said Hubert Davis, who completed his first season as UNC's coach with a remarkable run through the NCAA Tournament as an eighth-seed. "The type of season that Armando has had, I've had the privilege of seeing all of his hard work that he did in the offseason. He put himself in a position to be successful this year. I've seen the commitment that he has had and the desperation for him to make this team successful."

The Jayhawks stormed out of the gate in the second half and used a 31-10 rally to take a 56-50 lead with 10:08 left in the game. Both teams fought tooth and nail for the final 10 minutes. Brady Manek gave UNC a 69-68 lead on a second-chance layup at the 1:45 mark before McCormack put Kansas back in front on the next possession.

With his team down by one, Bacot wanted the ball in his hands. He drove on McCormack but his ankle buckled under him, finally giving out after 38 minutes of gallant play with 38 seconds left on the clock.

He put his hands over his head and grimaced as he finally felt the searing pain. He had been able to return against Duke, but now, his night was over.

"I really couldn't put any weight down on my right leg," he said. "And I don't know, right then and there I probably knew I was done at that point."

Bacot, who finished the game with 15 points and 15 rebounds, hopped off the court and had to watch from the sideline as Caleb Love's final 3-point attempt fell short and Kansas players spilled onto the floor in celebration.

He had needed help from a Carolina staff member as he walked up the podium steps after the loss. He listened to his coach answer questions from the media about his effort and the way, even on one foot, he had pushed the Jayhawks to their limit.

Davis spoke of pride: the way he felt about his team's effort and what they had accomplished together. For a program that is measured in banners, this season seemed destined to be forgotten.

Instead, the Tar Heels fell one game short of a seventh championship — a season worth remembering and a gutsy performance from Bacot that was indicative of this team's fight.

"The thing that I shared with them in the locker room is along the way, as they were experiencing it, they were giving me more stories and testimonies and memories by just having a front-row seat to be around them," Davis said. "I can't remember a time in my life where I should be disappointed, but I'm just filled with so much pride. I'm so proud of these guys for what they have done for themselves individually, as a team, and the way that they have represented our university, this program, and our community."

David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Armando Bacot leaves it all on the floor for UNC in championship game