After his lone season with the Tar Heels, Manek has gone on to find success overseas!
Brady Manek may have only played at North Carolina for one season, but his legend will not soon be forgotten. One of the most memorable transfers the Tar Heels have ever had, Manek was a leader, a sniper from three, and was never afraid of the moment. This past week, the North Carolina Twitter account posted a photo, showing that he was back in Chapel Hill. After originally playing at Oklahoma for four years, his decision to transfer to UNC is one that will be remembered for a long time.
Manek Mania
Always a good shooter, Manek provided exactly what North Carolina needed: floor spacing. He was ready on the wing, and his quick jumper made it hard for defenders to contest his shot. With the Tar Heels, Manek scored 15.1 points per game while also grabbing 6.1 rebounds. He shot over 40% from three, which made room for Bacot to work down low. However, Manek was no slouch in the paint himself. A quick layup, or big-time dunk was not surprising to see from the fan favorite.
Tournament Run
Manek had multiple big games in the tournament and was a matchup nightmare for opponents.
Marquette: Brady poured in 28 points to go along with 11 rebounds in North Carolina’s opening tournament game. He shot 66%, and was basically unstoppable. This game was over quickly.
Baylor: The Marquette performance was not an outlier. The next game, Manek had 26 points through 28 minutes before a questionable ejection saw him leave the game. It is no coincidence that Baylor began their comeback once Manek had exited for good.
UCLA: In a tournament classic of blue bloods taking punch after punch, Manek scored 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. This was one of the best games of the tournament, and gave North Carolina even more momentum.
St. Peter’s: Shooting 63%, Manek scored 19 points along with 8 rebounds. He and Bacot launched the Heels to a win over Cinderella.
Duke: In one of the most hyped games in NCAA history, the greatest rivalry had all eyes on it. North Carolina and Duke battled for 40 minutes in an all-time classic. Manek hit a couple of huge shots down the stretch to help the Tar Heels advance to the title game. His final stat line was 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
Kansas: You hate to speculate, but Manek was elbowed early in the game and looked to be concussed. That, paired with Armando Bacot playing on a bum ankle, made this a tough game. Either way, North Carolina did all it could before falling to the Jayhawks. In one of the greatest tournament runs of all time, Manek finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Overseas Brady
Playing in Australia for the Perth Wildcats, Manek’s rookie campaign finished with averages of 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 46% from the floor. The Wildcats will begin their next season on September 29th, with a game that will be on ESPN. Additionally, since the Australian season ended, Manek began playing with a club in Turkey. It seems that he is staying active and in basketball shape.
It is always good to see Tar Heels back in Chapel Hill for the Summer, and now Brady is part of that family.
