Hubert Davis reveals transfer portal strategy, talks new faces

First-year North Carolina basketball coach Hubert Davis jumped into the transfer portal quickly after taking the reigns at his alma mater. After years beside Hall of Famer Roy Williams, Davis stepped into the spotlight by bringing back some familiar faces.

First, he swooped into the transfer portal for three versatile big men who change the outlook of the Tar Heels play style, and their season. Oklahoma transfer Brady Manek joins with his addition year of eligibility, Dawson Garcia reunites with the man who recruiting him, and Justin McKoy returns closer to home.

The new trio offers North Carolina leadership and versatility, exactly what Hubert Davis hopes to get from the transfer portal year after year.

“The transition, one of the things I talked about is the transfer portal,” Davis explained Wednesday during his press conference. “If I can every year – if we need transfers – and if a can get a Brady Manek and a Dawson Garcia and a Justin McKoy, you can sign me up every year. They have been unbelievable for me. I’m so glad that they’re a Tar Heel and I’m so glad they’re on our team.”

Transfer portal additions

Hubert Davis’ early use of the transfer portal gets rave reviews. The new blood has brought renewed energy to the 2021-22 roster and offered a high ceiling in year one. During Wednesday’s press conference, he evaluated just what the trio of Brady Manek, Dawson Garcia and Justin McKoy can bring to the table.

“The good part about Brady, Dawson and Justin is they’ve played big-time college basketball before,” said Davis. “They understand the preparation that goes into it, they understand how hard you have to practice and they understand how hard you have to play just to put yourself in a position to possibly be successful. They have all been successful at their previous schools. And coming here, it’s been a really easy transition for me to coach.”

As a long-time North Carolina assistant coach, Hubert Davis also brings the kind of long-standing relationships that are hard to find. He is deeply entrenched on the North Carolina recruiting trail and continues leveraging relationships even after the initial recruiting battle.

“I had known Dawson since high school, so there was a relationship there,” said Davis. “Justin – he went to Panther Creek – right here in this area and actually played against my oldest son so I had known Justin for years as well. There have been previous relationships.”