Hubert Davis: 'A year ago I didn't even know who Brady Manek was'

Brady Manek had a successful four seasons at Oklahoma from 2017-2021, but he has taken his game to another level during his fifth-year at North Carolina this season. After averaging 11.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game over his four years with the Sooners, Manek is now excelling with the Tar Heels.

Putting up 15.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 49.3% shooting, Manek has played a pivotal role in North Carolina’s success this season and is a big reason why the Tar Heels will be playing in the national championship of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night. Through North Carolina’s five March Madness games up to this point, Manek is averaging 20 points and 7.2 rebounds per outing.

Following North Carolina’s 81-77 win over longtime rival Duke in the Final Four on Saturday night, Tar Heels’ head coach Hubert Davis met with the media for the team’s postgame press conference and was asked how he was able to get Manek to transfer to UNC from Oklahoma.

“Well, it’s – a year ago I didn’t even know who Brady Manek was,” Davis said. “I had never met him, never spoken to him … and I can’t imagine a time not only not coaching him, but him not being in my life and his family not being in my family’s life. To think that somebody who had lived his entire life in Oklahoma and he decided for the first time to move to North Carolina and play for a first-year coach.

“I had spoken to him. … I had called him on Monday, I didn’t actually get in touch with him until Tuesday, and he had committed to Carolina by Friday. And the only thing that we had done is been on one zoom with him and his parents and a couple phone calls. He is the perfect example of a home run from a transfer. I don’t think you can get any better than him on and off the court. He’s just been unbelievable.”

North Carolina’s memorable run through the NCAA Tournament will continue Monday night, as Davis, Manek and the Tar Heels face off with Kansas in the national championship game. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. ET at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, with TBS carrying the national broadcast.