UNC looks nothing like Tar Heels team UCLA first prepared for thanks to Brady Manek
UCLA associate head coach Darren Savino scouted North Carolina in preparation for their scheduled game on Dec. 18.
Then Savino was prepared to coach the game, as head coach Mick Cronin tested positive for COVID-19 and, as he described it, he “wasn’t one of those asymptomatic dudes.”
Then the game didn’t happen, as the outbreak spread through the program, and Carolina played Kentucky instead.
Savino’s work was in vain. That scouting report from December can be dumped in a recycling bin, because the Tar Heels that will face the Bruins on Friday in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia look nothing like the team they would have played in Las Vegas.
And that’s not just because Carolina used its alternate black uniforms.
“I feel like they understand who they are a little more now — that comes with time and experience,” UCLA senior guard Jules Bernard. “So as the season has come along, I feel like they’ve sort of found that identity and they’re playing really well right now.”
UNC forward Brady Manek is at the forefront of their turnaround. Back in December, Manek was still coming off the bench while sophomore forward Dawson Garcia started 12 of the first 13 games.
Garcia left the team before their Jan. 24 win over Virginia Tech to return to Minnesota for personal reasons. While that, along with guard Anthony Harris’ ineligibility, were a major blow for Carolina’s depth, it paved the way for Manek’s emergence.
Not only has Manek’s production increased in every shooting category in Garcia’s absence, the stretch he’s on is better than his career numbers at Oklahoma, too.
Over the past 17 games without Garcia, Manek is averaging 17.4 points (up from 12.9 through the first 18 games), while shooting 50.9 percent from the field (up from 47.8 percent) and 42.3 percent from 3-point range (up from 36.1 percent).
It’s not hyperbole to say Manek is playing the best basketball of his career.
“Brady is playing at such a high level right now, it didn’t matter who we had on the team, he would be out there on the floor,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “At times, even when we had our full lineup, when Brady was in a rhythm on both ends of the floor, I kept him out there on the floor.”
Manek downplayed his impact to simply having more time on the floor. His minutes increased from 25.5 per game with Garcia up to 33.8 per game without Garcia.
“I think I’m doing the same thing as I was before, just getting more opportunities, playing longer,” Manek said. “(I’m) really stepping into that 4 man role and just been playing well, playing a lot more.”
But there’s more to it than that. Manek’s shooting and his consistency has helped open up opportunities for others in the offense.
“With Manek, he just kills your defense,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “The way he’s been shooting it, the confidence he’s been playing with, he just stretches you to death. It makes them like a pro team offensively.”
It helps that Davis said the chemistry between Manek and forward Armando Bacot “has worked from day one,” because their skills complement each other.
During the last 17 games, it hasn’t just been limited to Bacot. The Heels actively seek out Manek in a way they did not earlier in the season.
He doesn’t just hover around the 3-point line waiting to jack up shots. Manek is hard to guard because he stays on the move.
Remember Caleb Love driving on the final possession against Clemson? Manek rolled to the basket on instinct, the play actually called for him to stay on the perimeter. The result was Love’s dish to Manek for the game-winning layup.
Against Baylor, half of Leaky Black’s six assists came on baskets made by Manek. The first was when Manek cut backdoor for a dunk as Black came from the opposite direction through the lane.
“A lot of my buckets have come from... something along the lines of they probably have a good shot but they pass it to me off for a better shot,” Manek said. “It’s really awesome that they trust me to shoot that ball and I think it’s helped pay off with everybody.”
The Bruins will try to counter by primarily using a four guard offense and making Manek defend in space. The game’s outcome could be determined by who wins that battle. Do the Bruins’ take advantage of Manek, or does he destroy the smaller defenders they throw at him?
Bacot is betting on the latter.
“I just tell him to keep doing what you’re doing,” Bacot said. “Brady’s playing like the best player in the whole world. He’s been on fire.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 12:00 AM.