Carolina's Trio Of Transfers Welcomed With Open Arms

CHAPEL HILL – There might be a perception that North Carolina Basketball is this almost-forbidden universe in which precious few ever really experience it or are welcomed.

It is a unique club, and entry is extended to very few.

It has been and remains a special place among college basketball programs. Fabled, historic, and even international, Carolina is, after all, the place where Michael Jordan fine-tuned much of his amazing craft.

It has also been known for keeping things in-house, as transfers out of and into UNC have been rare. But times have changed, and transfers are a normal part of the collegiate athletics landscape, including at Carolina.

First-year coach Hubert Davis had a serious need when he took over for legendary predecessor Roy Williams, who announced his retirement on April 1. Less than a week later, Davis, who played at UNC and then 12 years in the NBA, was at the helm.

His need? Big men. And shooters.

So, he brought some into the program. First it was Virginia transfer Justin McKoy, then a couple of weeks later Oklahoma’s Brady Manek was on board. Two months after that, Davis welcomed Marquette transfer Dawson Garcia into the Carolina culture.

Three players 6-foot-8 or taller, and each of whom possessing an ability to hit perimeter shots and use much of the floor. Quest satisfied.

But maybe the perceived harder part might have been their assimilation into the UNC program and how the holdover and former players received them.

All has gone quite well, Davis said.

“All three of them have just been fantastic on and off the court,” the rookie head coach said. “Going into the summer, we looked at our team and just, ‘What do we want and what do we need?’ We needed versatile bigs. We needed more depth.

“When I took the job, the only true big that we had was Armando (Bacot), and so we needed more depth, we needed more versatility. After losing Garrison (Brooks), Day’Ron (Sharpe), and Walker Kessler, Armando needed some help. I couldn’t have asked for three better players to join our team.”

McKoy, a 6-foot-8 junior, played 298 minutes in 31 games in two seasons at UVA, appearing in 19 games last season while starting four times. He shot 48.3 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent (3-for-9) from three-point range. He averaged 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest for the season.

At 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, Manek left Oklahoma as the program’s 14th all-time leading scorer with 1,459 points. He is the tallest player in Big XII history to convert 200 three-pointers in a career and became the first player ever in the conference to make 200 threes and block 100 shots. He is the only OU player to collectively hit the following milestones: 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 three-pointers, and 100 blocks.

Last season, Manek averaged 10.8 points and 5.0 rebounds while playing 25.1 minutes per contest.

Garcia, who is 6-foot-11, led the Golden Eagles in scoring with 13.0 points per game and rebounding at 6.6 per contest. He attempted 106 free throws, converting 78.3 percent. He made the Big East All-Freshman team, and in an upset win over the Tar Heels in February in the Smith Center, Garcia scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, plus he was outstanding defensively that night.

One might think the holdover Heels might have viewed their entries into the program as a threat, but that wasn’t at all the case. Former Caroluna studs, too.

“All three - Dawson, Justin, and Brady - have individually come to me and commented that they’ve been shocked and surprised at the interaction from the former players,” Davis said. "Dawson came up to me and he was like, ‘I can’t believe they knew my name.’”

The returning players first embraced McKoy and Manek in May. Davis says he’s preached to the players the importance of having a true Carolina experience, and that means winning a lot of games and playing in big ones, often on the national stages.

So, the players recognized right away bringing in McKoy and Manek would help them win games. Then came Garcia, a workout partner and former AAU teammate UNC sophomore Kerwin Walton.

The current players didn’t need any introducing. They surely vividly remember what Garcia did to them in February, but Walton could vow for what kind of guy Garcia is, and the kids opened their arms to him, too.

And so did the former players, as Davis said. And that is what truly makes a UNC basketball player a forever part of the family.

“Luke Maye, Nassir Little came in last week, Day’Ron Sharpe, Coby White, Justin Jackson, everybody,” Davis said. “We’ve had over 35, probably over 40 former Carolina players that have played professionally, played in the NBA, come back this summer. And the interaction between them and our current players and our three transfers has just really made them feel at home…

“There are so many unbelievable programs around the country, but having three transfers come from other great programs, and for them to come into this place and see the uniqueness and how special this place is, it just really confirms what Carolina is all about.”

And it’s an experience Manek, McKoy, and Garcia have already had, and then some.