Status of UNC’s Armando Bacot, Day’Ron Sharpe for Miami jeopardized by maskless party
Update: Monday’s Miami-UNC basketball game has been postponed.
The status of North Carolina forwards Armando Bacot and Day’Ron Sharpe for tonight’s game against Miami is unclear after the two appeared on a video maskless at a gathering Saturday night after beating Duke.
UNC spokesman Steve Kirschner said the school would follow ACC protocol to determine their availability. That means it will depend on their last test for COVID-19, which had to be administered within 48 hours after Saturday’s game. If they test negative, they are eligible to play. If they tested positive, they will be quarantined for at least 10 days and contact tracing could sideline more players on the team.
Kirschner also added in a text to the News & Observer that head coach Roy Williams will address the matter with the media following tonight’s game against the Hurricanes.
Later Monday, the ACC announced North Carolina’s game against Miami, scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, would be postponed.
Bacot, a 6-foot-11 sophomore from Richmond, Va., and Sharpe, a 6-foot-11 freshman from Greenville, N.C., were in the background of a Snapchat video obtained by the Daily Tar Heel miming lyrics to the song “Mo Bamba.” There were at least seven other people in the 11-second clip, none of whom appeared to be wearing masks.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz tweeted Saturday night in response to an impromptu celebration on Franklin Street, and reiterated in a letter with Provost Robert Blouin posted on Sunday, that students who violated the school’s COVID-19 Community Standards will face disciplinary action.
If Bacot and Sharpe don’t play, it would be a major blow to the Tar Heels’ frontcourt, which collectively played arguably their best game in the win over the Blue Devils. It was the first time this season that Garrison Brooks (12 points), Bacot (16) and Sharpe (11) each scored in double figures in the same game. Bacot leads the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game. Sharpe is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.8 per game.
It could mean more time for center Walker Kessler. The 7-foot-1 freshman has played in every game this season, but averages just 6.8 minutes.
The most experienced reserve in the frontcourt may still not be ready to play. Sterling Manley, a 6-foot-11 redshirt junior, dressed out for the first time this season against Duke. Manley has spent the better part of the last two seasons out with an injured knee.
This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Status of UNC’s Armando Bacot, Day’Ron Sharpe for Miami jeopardized by maskless party."