THI’s annual series taking a look at individual Tar Heels as we gear toward the coming season continues. It must be noted that North Carolina added two freshmen and three transfers to the roster.

This will be Hubert Davis' first season at the helm of the Tar Heels.

Today, we look at super senior forward Brady Manek:

Davis wanted a true stretch four and he got just that in Brady Manek, securing him less than a month after replacing Roy Williams at the head of Carolina's program. In fact, not only was Manek perhaps the best and most accomplished stretch four in the transfer portal this past spring, he might have been the best match from the portal give UNC's need at the time.

Carolina later picked up Dawson Garcia from Marquette, also a terrific and needed get, but he and Manek are different players and should not have any problem co-existing with the Tar Heels.

Manek to UNC was a big-time win for the program.

“Brady is the perfect player for what we wanted and what we needed,” Davis said in a release by the school after Manek signed. “We needed a player that had size, but from an offensive standpoint, had the versatility to score around the basket with either hand and be just as effective on the perimeter. And that’s what Brady has done for four seasons at Oklahoma.

“He’s not just a shooter, even though he’s a great three-point shooter. He can handle the ball, can put it on the floor and make plays and is an excellent passer. Plus, he’s a really good defender and rebounder.”

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. He had higher scoring averages as a sophomore and junior, a year he was at 14.4 points per game and made the All BigXII team. A year ago, Manek shot 42.4 percent from the floor, including 37.5 percent from three-point range after converting 48 of 128 attempts. For his career, Manek has shot 45.4 percent overall, including 37.4 percent (235-for-628) from beyond the arc.

Manek scored 15 or more points 42 times as a Sooner, 18-plus 22 times, 20-plus 12 times, and he hit the 30-point mark twice. His high game was 31 points in a win over TCU in 2020. He also went for 30 versus Oklahoma State in 2020.

The native of Harrah, OK, had some struggles last season, however. He scored in double figures in just half of OU’s 30 games, and he totaled five or fewer points in six games, including his last as a Sooner, when Manek tallied only three points in a loss to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Manek started 111 of the 122 games in which he played at Oklahoma averaging 26.8 minutes per outing over his career.

One of his greatest attributes is as a catch-and-shoot player. Manek has a supremely quick release from the perimeter, and with his length, rarely are his outside shots contested. He has a solid inside game and played the five some at OU, including more last winter than previously, with some who cover the program saying that affected his production.

Manek spoke about his struggles late in the season.

“Yeah, a little bit. You don’t make many shots, yeah, it wears on you,” Manek told the Tulsa World in early March, when asked about being stressed some. “You go into games and you’re wide open and missing them, and you don’t know what’s going on,. Then you turn it around like the other night and I have a good game, and now I definitely don’t know what’s going on because you go from one extreme to another.

“Then the other games I was getting tons of rebounds, and it was just a weird scenario. It definitely goes up and down, especially when I had a cold streak there for a couple of games. It was wearing on me a little bit. Hopefully we can go off this last one and finish strong.”

Carey Murdoch, publisher at Sooner Scoop in the Rivals.com network, says UNC is getting a player that can help.

“Still a lot of potential there,” Murdoch said before referring to this past campaign. “He did have some games where he made big plays to win games.”

Manek was at his best last season as March approached, as he scored 19 or more points in three of the Sooners’ final six games, including against Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Missouri, the latter was in Oklahoma’s first-round win in the NCAA Tournament.

No returning UNC player has close to the overall experience as Manek. He has had huge games on big stages and almost always performed well in OU’s rivals games versus Oklahoma State. He carried the Sooners at times and has the ability to do those things for the Tar Heels. With Garcia coming on board as well, Hubert Davis can more take advantage of Manek’s strengths, so look for some nights when he just blows up. This was an excellent addition to the Heels.

Manek will play a lot and score quite a bit at times. He might have big games in situational opportunities, and some games he may not produce a lot. But having someone with his experience, proven ability to stroke threes and change defenses is huge for the Tar Heels. He will do all of those things enough to have a considerable impact on the team’s success.