Welter: Carolina fans enjoying Manek Madness this March

By Pat Welter

Brady Manek can shoot, but can he shave?

"His beard is long," Hubert Davis laughed at Friday's press conference before UNC's round of 32 matchup with Baylor. "The way he plays and the type of person he is, he's a joy to be around."

Manek's beard has given him a borderline cult following among Tar Heels fans in a short time.

"Every time we are [in Chapel Hill] for a game we'll go eat and Brady will meet up with us for lunch," Brady's dad Cary Manek said. "It's crazy to see the number of fans that will come up to him and talk to him. They have really embraced Brady there."

"Going in as a graduate and only having one year you kind of worry about that," Brady's mom Tina Manek said. "To see the love and outpouring of love that he has been given at the University of North Carolina by everybody is just unreal."

Brady's decision to transfer to North Carolina has made a dramatic impact on this season. He's averaging 14.8 ppg and 5.9 rpg. His 28 points in North Carolina's 95-63 win over Marquette in the round of 64 led all scorers in the game.

"I was just really happy for him," Davis said. "It's hard for me to think about, to talk about what Brady has meant to this team, to this program and to me," Davis said.

Brady's decision to transfer from Oklahoma to North Carolina can be traced back to a game vs. Baylor last season. Brady collided with Baylor guard Mark Vital during the first half. After getting called for a foul he started bleeding from the mouth. He went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a pneumomediastinum, a condition where air leaks into the upper chest from the lungs. While in the hospital he also tested positive for COVID-19.

"Going into that game he was averaging about 15 points per game," Cary Manek remembered. "After that game he was out two, two and a half weeks, coach Kruger limited his play. Next thing we know he's averaging 7.5 points per game."

The injury occurred in January, by March Brady had started to put up his usual numbers again. Oklahoma would fall to No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament.

"All plans were to go and play overseas," Cary said. "He goes in to tell coach [Lon] Kruger that he's going to play overseas and next thing we know the next day coach Kruger retired."

With Kruger leaving Brady decided to see what else was out there and entered the transfer portal. Brady and his parents met with several teams and agents trying to decide whether to play overseas or transfer to another school using the NCAA's extra year of COVID eligibility.

"He loved coach Davis," Cary remembered. "I've never seen him get along with a coach like he did coach Davis. They were like comfortable from the start."

"For a kid that has never lived outside the state of Oklahoma," Davis said. "For him in five days to commit to play for me in my first year as head coach and to come to North Carolina and for this relationship to fit as perfectly as it has on and off the court I just don't think it happens like that all the time. It just doesn't."

For all that's gone wrong in sports since COVID-19 changed the way we live, work and play, Brady Manek is an example of something going right. A year ago he's looking at playing overseas, now he's a star at one of the most iconic programs in college basketball with a chance to advance further than he ever has in the NCAA tournament,

"I've said this 50,000 times the only bad part about coaching Brady is I get to coach him one year," Davis said. "I love that dude to death."

Davis likes to joke he wishes Brady could have a "double COVID year" of eligibility so he could get him back again. One season in Carolina has been enough to land Brady on NBA mock drafts. Brady has one word to describe his experience with North Carolina so far.

"It's special," Brady said. "It's very different than what I've been used to. It's awesome to be able to knowing that when I came in I only had one year, but being accepted by everybody having an awesome year; it's been unbelievable."

Brady's brother Kellen, who plays basketball at Southeastern Oklahoma State has shaved his beard. His parents aren't sure if Brady will follow suit. Davis pointed out that in his playing days Brady's iconic beard wouldn't have been allowed at Carolina under Dean Smith.

"You weren't allowed to have facial hair," Davis remembered. "If you wanted to have a beard you needed to go to coach Smith and give him a note from a doctor that said you had a skin condition in order that you couldn't shave. I wonder if coach Smith would allow Brady to play I would think he would. He would change that rule just a smidge for Brady to be out there."

The beard can stay. Carolina fans will be forever grateful that Brady made that decision after four seasons at Oklahoma to leave.