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University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Manek Quickly Finds Home
September 24, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
The Oklahoma native has adapted quickly to Chapel Hill.
By Adam Lucas
Brady Manek will readily admit he arrived in Chapel Hill on May 17 with only a very cursory knowledge of Carolina basketball history.
It's understandable. The new Tar Heel sharpshooter grew up in Harrah, Oklahoma, and spent four years in college 45 minutes away from home at the University of Oklahoma. You don't get a whole lot of Raycom/Jefferson Pilot broadcasts in Norman.
"I didn't know hardly anything," Manek says of Carolina, "except this is where Michael Jordan went to school."
But he learned plenty very quickly, as Hubert Davis made Manek a priority after accepting the head coach position. And by mid-April, Manek became the second transfer (joining Justin McKoy) to help reshape the UNC roster.
One month later, Manek and his parents packed his car—it's white with lime green racing stripes, and Manek has named it "Larry"—and drove halfway across America for their first look at Chapel Hill. It's one thing to walk around campus, see the Old Well, and meander down Franklin Street.
Manek got an even more personal introduction to Carolina Basketball.
"There were a lot of names I did not know," he says. "Now I either know who they are, or I've met them."
Or, just as likely, he's played on the same court with them. The program's all-time leading scorer, Tyler Hansbrough, has played pickup with the current players virtually every day this summer, giving Manek plenty of opportunities to work on his self-described underrated ability to "hold my ground in the post." Theo Pinson has been a Smith Center regular, Coby White has stopped by for multiple days, and Phil Ford addressed the team before a practice. In fact, it's been a very rare day when at least one letterman isn't in some way involved in practice, giving Manek the chance for a summer-long Tar Heel basketball history crash course.
The Oklahoma native has quickly become a favorite with his teammates because of his low-maintenance approach to the game and consistent ability to knock down perimeter jumpers.
Like his teammates, Tar Heel fans will very quickly learn to love Manek's personality. It helps that he's likely to put up big numbers in Hubert Davis's shooter-friendly offense, of course. As the Tar Heels were working on inbounds plays during a Wednesday afternoon workout, Davis stopped the drill when one player passed up an open shot.
"What do I want you to do if you get the ball right here and you're open?" he asked a series of Tar Heels, from Kerwin Walton to Caleb Love.
"LACE IT," Davis said, repeating his most frequently used phrase for knocking down an open jumper.
So there will be plenty of opportunities for Manek to "lace it" in his role as a big man who can stretch the defense. Don't let his easygoing style distract you from the fact that he can play—he's the first player in Big XII history with at least 200 three-pointers and 100 blocks, and his 37.5 percent three-point percentage and 48 made three-pointers would have ranked second for the Tar Heels in both categories. This isn't someone more interested in cultivating a look than producing on the court.
But remember, we're also talking about someone who named his car. And someone who relished the news that Hubert Davis will allow players to pick the pre-practice stretching soundtrack, because selections go in order of age and as the oldest player on the roster, Manek intends to be the only one to have country music blaring from the Smith Center speakers…on the very first day of practice. And, of course, there's Manek's nickname, bestowed on him by Jonas Sahratian during one of his very first weightlifting sessions—Big Sexy.
So even nearly 1,200 miles from home, it hasn't taken Manek very long to get comfortable with his new surroundings. And it all stemmed from a blind phone call several months ago.
"I didn't know anything about North Carolina and I didn't know anything about the East Coast," he says. "Coach Davis called at a really good time. He told me the scenario and what I would be and what he wants out of this year. I loved the way he talked, and he's proved it in person, too. It's a really good fit so far."
Brady Manek will readily admit he arrived in Chapel Hill on May 17 with only a very cursory knowledge of Carolina basketball history.
It's understandable. The new Tar Heel sharpshooter grew up in Harrah, Oklahoma, and spent four years in college 45 minutes away from home at the University of Oklahoma. You don't get a whole lot of Raycom/Jefferson Pilot broadcasts in Norman.
"I didn't know hardly anything," Manek says of Carolina, "except this is where Michael Jordan went to school."
But he learned plenty very quickly, as Hubert Davis made Manek a priority after accepting the head coach position. And by mid-April, Manek became the second transfer (joining Justin McKoy) to help reshape the UNC roster.
One month later, Manek and his parents packed his car—it's white with lime green racing stripes, and Manek has named it "Larry"—and drove halfway across America for their first look at Chapel Hill. It's one thing to walk around campus, see the Old Well, and meander down Franklin Street.
Manek got an even more personal introduction to Carolina Basketball.
"There were a lot of names I did not know," he says. "Now I either know who they are, or I've met them."
Or, just as likely, he's played on the same court with them. The program's all-time leading scorer, Tyler Hansbrough, has played pickup with the current players virtually every day this summer, giving Manek plenty of opportunities to work on his self-described underrated ability to "hold my ground in the post." Theo Pinson has been a Smith Center regular, Coby White has stopped by for multiple days, and Phil Ford addressed the team before a practice. In fact, it's been a very rare day when at least one letterman isn't in some way involved in practice, giving Manek the chance for a summer-long Tar Heel basketball history crash course.
The Oklahoma native has quickly become a favorite with his teammates because of his low-maintenance approach to the game and consistent ability to knock down perimeter jumpers.
Like his teammates, Tar Heel fans will very quickly learn to love Manek's personality. It helps that he's likely to put up big numbers in Hubert Davis's shooter-friendly offense, of course. As the Tar Heels were working on inbounds plays during a Wednesday afternoon workout, Davis stopped the drill when one player passed up an open shot.
"What do I want you to do if you get the ball right here and you're open?" he asked a series of Tar Heels, from Kerwin Walton to Caleb Love.
"LACE IT," Davis said, repeating his most frequently used phrase for knocking down an open jumper.
So there will be plenty of opportunities for Manek to "lace it" in his role as a big man who can stretch the defense. Don't let his easygoing style distract you from the fact that he can play—he's the first player in Big XII history with at least 200 three-pointers and 100 blocks, and his 37.5 percent three-point percentage and 48 made three-pointers would have ranked second for the Tar Heels in both categories. This isn't someone more interested in cultivating a look than producing on the court.
But remember, we're also talking about someone who named his car. And someone who relished the news that Hubert Davis will allow players to pick the pre-practice stretching soundtrack, because selections go in order of age and as the oldest player on the roster, Manek intends to be the only one to have country music blaring from the Smith Center speakers…on the very first day of practice. And, of course, there's Manek's nickname, bestowed on him by Jonas Sahratian during one of his very first weightlifting sessions—Big Sexy.
So even nearly 1,200 miles from home, it hasn't taken Manek very long to get comfortable with his new surroundings. And it all stemmed from a blind phone call several months ago.
"I didn't know anything about North Carolina and I didn't know anything about the East Coast," he says. "Coach Davis called at a really good time. He told me the scenario and what I would be and what he wants out of this year. I loved the way he talked, and he's proved it in person, too. It's a really good fit so far."
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