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Manley had six points and 10 rebounds in 10 minutes on Friday.
Photo by: J.D. Lyon Jr.
GoHeels Exclusive: Manley Makes Most Of Minutes
March 17, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
CHARLOTTE — In the days leading up to their first-round NCAA Tournament game against Lipscomb, North Carolina's veterans advised the freshmen on how to handle the emotions that arise this time of year.
Still, when Sterling Manley entered Friday's game for the first time, he couldn't help but recognize the magnitude of the moment.
"My heart was racing when I checked in," he said. "I was so nervous. I felt like I had a big lump in my throat."
But Manley quickly regained his composure. And in UNC's 84-66 win at the Spectrum Center, he made the most of his 10 minutes of playing time, scoring six points and tying for the team lead with 10 rebounds.
His 10 rebounds were his most since finishing with 13 against Bucknell on Nov. 15. They also marked the most by a Tar Heel in their NCAA Tournament debut since Harrison Barnes and John Henson had 16 and 11, respectively, against Long Island University on March 18, 2011.
Before Friday, Manley was averaging just 2.8 points and 1.0 rebound over his last six games. But a message from Roy Williams provided some extra motivation.
"Coach just told us that he needs bench people to come off and do big things," Manley said. "So we knew today that we had to come out and play. Lipscomb was going to be ready for us and they were going to be fired up because we're North Carolina."
That prediction proved correct.
Behind a 4-for-9 start on 3-pointers, Lipscomb seized a six-point lead with about 13 minutes left in the first half. A free throw by Luke Maye cut UNC's deficit to five moments later. And with 11:40 left, Manley subbed in for the first time.
Manley said he still felt some nerves once he started playing. But he rid himself of those when Garrison Brooks received a pass from Theo Pinson and then fed Manley for a dunk.
Williams had rarely used the combination of Manley and Brooks before Friday. Yet with them on the floor together in the first half, the Tar Heels outscored Lipscomb by four points over 2 1/2 minutes to pull within one.
"When we come in, we've just got to be Ster and be G," Manley said. "That's the first time I feel like I got that good assist from him and dunked it. … We play well together. That's my roommate back at school, that's my roommate right now while we're on the road. We just try to feed off each other and play hard."
Manley's strong play continued once he returned to the game with 3:43 left until halftime. UNC led by one then. But with another dunk and five rebounds, he helped the Tar Heels enter the break with a 43-34 lead.
In the second half, Manley played about 4 1/2 minutes. UNC outscored Lipscomb 9-4 during that time. And for the game, the Tar Heels ultimately led by 17 points (24-7) when Manley was on the court and just one (60-59) when he was on the bench.
Manley has made similar contributions at times this season. But consistency remains the issue, something he said assistant coach Steve Robinson has often pointed out.
"If my effort could match my potential, I'll be a good player," Manley said. "So I've just got to get my effort up to meet my potential."
That will be critical Sunday, when UNC meets Texas A&M in the second round. The Aggies, who feature 6-foot-10 forwards Tyler Davis and Robert Williams as well as 6-foot-9 forward DJ Hogg, are the sixth-tallest team in the country, according to KenPom.com.
So could Manley see more minutes Sunday? That requires another question. Did he ever pass that last of three conditioning tests?
"Nah," Manley said, "I'll handle that next year once we're holding a ring up."
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CHARLOTTE — In the days leading up to their first-round NCAA Tournament game against Lipscomb, North Carolina's veterans advised the freshmen on how to handle the emotions that arise this time of year.
Still, when Sterling Manley entered Friday's game for the first time, he couldn't help but recognize the magnitude of the moment.
"My heart was racing when I checked in," he said. "I was so nervous. I felt like I had a big lump in my throat."
But Manley quickly regained his composure. And in UNC's 84-66 win at the Spectrum Center, he made the most of his 10 minutes of playing time, scoring six points and tying for the team lead with 10 rebounds.
His 10 rebounds were his most since finishing with 13 against Bucknell on Nov. 15. They also marked the most by a Tar Heel in their NCAA Tournament debut since Harrison Barnes and John Henson had 16 and 11, respectively, against Long Island University on March 18, 2011.
Before Friday, Manley was averaging just 2.8 points and 1.0 rebound over his last six games. But a message from Roy Williams provided some extra motivation.
"Coach just told us that he needs bench people to come off and do big things," Manley said. "So we knew today that we had to come out and play. Lipscomb was going to be ready for us and they were going to be fired up because we're North Carolina."
That prediction proved correct.
Behind a 4-for-9 start on 3-pointers, Lipscomb seized a six-point lead with about 13 minutes left in the first half. A free throw by Luke Maye cut UNC's deficit to five moments later. And with 11:40 left, Manley subbed in for the first time.
Manley said he still felt some nerves once he started playing. But he rid himself of those when Garrison Brooks received a pass from Theo Pinson and then fed Manley for a dunk.
Williams had rarely used the combination of Manley and Brooks before Friday. Yet with them on the floor together in the first half, the Tar Heels outscored Lipscomb by four points over 2 1/2 minutes to pull within one.
"When we come in, we've just got to be Ster and be G," Manley said. "That's the first time I feel like I got that good assist from him and dunked it. … We play well together. That's my roommate back at school, that's my roommate right now while we're on the road. We just try to feed off each other and play hard."
Manley's strong play continued once he returned to the game with 3:43 left until halftime. UNC led by one then. But with another dunk and five rebounds, he helped the Tar Heels enter the break with a 43-34 lead.
In the second half, Manley played about 4 1/2 minutes. UNC outscored Lipscomb 9-4 during that time. And for the game, the Tar Heels ultimately led by 17 points (24-7) when Manley was on the court and just one (60-59) when he was on the bench.
Manley has made similar contributions at times this season. But consistency remains the issue, something he said assistant coach Steve Robinson has often pointed out.
"If my effort could match my potential, I'll be a good player," Manley said. "So I've just got to get my effort up to meet my potential."
That will be critical Sunday, when UNC meets Texas A&M in the second round. The Aggies, who feature 6-foot-10 forwards Tyler Davis and Robert Williams as well as 6-foot-9 forward DJ Hogg, are the sixth-tallest team in the country, according to KenPom.com.
So could Manley see more minutes Sunday? That requires another question. Did he ever pass that last of three conditioning tests?
"Nah," Manley said, "I'll handle that next year once we're holding a ring up."
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