The UNC basketball team from the 2021-2022 season is one that Tar Heel fans are very fond of.
Although the Tar Heels came up just short in their quest for another National Championship banner, the group, led buy first year head coach Hubert Davis, went from being a bubble team to a national finalist.
That run was special in itself for fans of the program, but it also seemed to impact high school recruits as well. One, in particular, noted how he enjoyed watching that team when he provided an updated on his recruitment to Zach Smart of Zagsblog.
“They are a blue blood program, a super legendary program. Hubert Davis is a great coach and I’ve heard great things about the school. I haven’t seen the campus yet, but I’m looking forward to visiting.
I really enjoyed watching those teams with Caleb Love, Brady Manek. I’ve built a good relationship with the staff and they really value what I bring to the table.”
Quinn Costello, one of the highest-rising prospects in the Class of 2026, had some great things to say about Hubert Davis and North Carolina, expressing his excitement about visiting campus as his recruitment process is heating up. Just a few weeks ago, Costello, a Boston, Massachusetts native, revealed his six finalists, a list that featured North Carolina as the lone ACC program still in the mix.
Brady Manek only spent one season in Chapel Hill, but the impact he made in just a few short months is nothing short of amazing. Since his departure, the Tar Heels have been actively seeking a stretch four caliber player that can shoot the ball like Manek did, and Costello just might be the guy they are looking for.
In fact, Costello recently was invited to participate in Stephen Curry's annual "Curry Camp," which goes to show how he's built a reputation as one of the top shooters in his recruiting class.
Quinn Costello remains a work in progress but is clearly trending in the right direction & fits a coveted archetype.
— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) August 18, 2025
6-10, 43% on open catch-and-shoot 3s, quick finisher, & pop off the floor athletically.
UAA Summer Scouting Series: https://t.co/zQC4eA7daV pic.twitter.com/4paUgeLCxo
If you're a guy like Quinn Costello, one who enjoyed watching the UNC basketball program's miraculous run to the 2022 national title game, you can't help but vision yourself playing a similar role as Manek did during that season. You can make a very strong case that Manek was actually the team's best player during that run, as it felt like he was not going to miss anytime he shot the basketball.
While his game is still a work in progress (and no, we're not saying he is exactly Brady Manek), Quinn Costello is an extremely intriguing prospect in this recruiting class for the UNC basketball program, as his skill set seems to fit perfectly with what Davis and the Tar Heels are looking to do offensively.
Who knows: maybe Costello strives to finish the job that the 2021-2022 UNC basketball squad came up just short of completing.