Four-star Armando Bacot a rising priority in 2019 class

HAMPTON, Va. – Four-star Armando Bacot is working his way into consideration for the top frontcourt prospect in the 2019 class. A mobile, active, skilled and improving ballplayer, Bacot has seen his recruitment jump through the roof this spring.

“It has just been great. Maryland and UCLA are my most recent offers but I have gotten a lot others, too,” Bacot said. “(UCLA) is all of the way out west and it is a Pac-12 school; that wasn’t something that I was expecting.

“They have a rich history with the most national championships. It was awesome to get.”

The 6-foot-10, 235-pound prospect enters the summer with programs such as Virginia Tech, Virginia, Kansas and Duke making him a priority.

Bacot spoke further on those in contention.

Maryland: “It just feels like a family there. It is a good school. I like the campus and where the players stay, the gym and their history.”

Virginia Tech: “It just seems like a family. Coach Web (Christian Webster) was the first coach to recruit me when he was at UCF, so him bringing that on to Virginia Tech and me being his first priority and his first offer means a lot.

“I know they are mainly just a guard school, but if they got a big like me, it would turn the whole program around.”

Virginia: “They were also one of the first schools to recruit me. Coach Cory Alexander trained me and stuff like that so that is how I got tied in with UVA.”

Kansas: “Frank Mason went there from Loaded, but I like coach (Kurtis) Townsend and their system. They have had great bigs like Joel Embiid and Cliff Alexander.”

Duke: “I know Coach K is a great coach and I visited there twice this fall. Coach (Jon) Scheyer likes my game. They have been to a couple of my games and once I talked to coach Scheyer on the phone, he said they haven’t offered the 2019s yet but that I am definitely who they are looking at.”

Bacot's recruitment won't slow down any time soon as he has hauled in over 30 scholarship offers within the past calendar year. He will finish out his junior summer on the adidas circuit running with the Team Loaded VA 17-under squad.

Bacot is already garnering comparisons to Jahlil Okafor that are not too far off. His low post skillset, size and hands are elite and so is the upside out of the Team Loaded product. Look for Virginia, Kansas and Duke to be in the mix until the very end with Virginia Tech as a dark horse for the big man’s commitment.