UNC Basketball: Manek major key in Tar Heels victory

In a wild night in Louisville, Brady Manek’s offensive output helped lead the UNC basketball program to a victory over the Cardinals. 

Oh what a night… literally.

It’s safe to say that the UNC basketball program’s contest against the Louisville Cardinals will go down as one of the wildest games we’ve witness in quite a while. It was a roller coaster type of performance for the Tar Heels, as they went from trailing at the half to taking a 10-point lead in the second half to blowing that lead which led them to an overtime victory.

Of course, between the almost three hour contest along with the poor officiating and constant Tar Heels hot and cold streaks, it was a stressful game to say the least. Luckily, it was a game that North Carolina couldn’t afford to lose, and luckily will leave Louisville with a much-needed win before their big matchup with rival Duke on Saturday night.

There are a few Tar Heels who deserve mention in this one, but we will only give out one “Tar Heel of the Game” award. Let’s dive into our two honorable mentions:

-Armando Bacot once again was a beast, scoring 19 points while hauling in 22 rebounds. With Malik Williams out for the Cardinals, it was expected that Bacot would have an advantage, but give Louisville credit for playing him tough in an effort to slow him down.

Bacot was the center of controversy in this one, as a few iffy calls centered around the Tar Heels big man. Regardless, the junior big man was outstanding once again, and had a big time performance when the Tar Heels desperately needed it.

-Leaky Black… three point specialist?!

Okay… we won’t get ahead of ourselves, but Black did knock down all four of his shots in this one, including three from beyond-the-arch! The senior finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists, and was once again a major factor in the Tar Heels success.

The duo of Bacot and Black had great performances in this one, but it was Brady Manek who earns our “Tar Heel of the Game” award.

Manek gave the Tar Heels some much needed offense in some very timely parts of the game. If Louisville hit a big shot, it was often that Manek offered a quick response on the other end of the floor. While North Carolina trailed, Manek made a few huge shots to keep the game very close, and his baskets paid major dividends in the Tar Heels effort to win the game.

Overall, the graduate transfer scored a team-high 24 points on 10 of 18 shooting. The forward recorded six rebounds and two blocks, and was once again asked to play a significant amount of minutes due to Dawson Garcia still being away from the team.

Simply put: North Carolina does not win this game without Brady Manek. Every time that it felt as if the momentum was shifting in the Cardinals favor, Manek provided an offensive spark that helped boost the Tar Heels. Hubert Davis’ starting five provided a lot of production, but it was Manek who was the difference maker in this one.

Brady Manek is well-deserving of this award, and the Tar Heels come up victorious for the fourth straight contest. Can they continue the streak this Saturday against their biggest rival from Durham?

Check back with the Keeping It Heel team to find out which UNC basketball player will earn our “Tar Heel of the Game” award for the big matchup against Duke on Saturday night.