Brady Manek

Manek was born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma and started playing basketball from a young age against older competition.{{cite web |last1=Engelbrecht |first1=Chandler |title=Brady Manek’s family, high school coach reflect on his journey from Harrah to Norman |url=http://www.oudaily.com/sports/ou-mens-basketball-brady-manek-s-family-high-school-coach-reflect-on-his-journey-from/article_bf8b692e-4bcc-11ea-a5fd-e330274d5217.html |website=The Oklahoma Daily |accessdate=August 7, 2020 |date=February 10, 2020}} He often played against future college teammate Trae Young while attending elementary school.{{cite web |last1=Rohde |first1=John |title=Brady Manek: The Sooners’ other prize freshman |url=https://rohdeonsports.com/say-hello-sooners-prize-freshman/ |website=Rohde on Sports |accessdate=August 7, 2020 |date=January 26, 2018}} His family moved to Harrah, Oklahoma, where he began playing varsity basketball for Harrah High School in his freshman season. Between his freshman and sophomore years, Manek greatly improved his dunking ability.{{cite web |last1=Stavenhagen |first1=Cody |title=Harrah’s Brady Manek is another OU freshman earning a big role |url=https://tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/ousportsextra/ou-basketball-harrah-s-brady-manek-is-another-ou-freshman-earning-a-big-role/article_2eae3120-dcf0-5cfe-a599-2d755fd9409e.html |website=Tulsa World |accessdate=August 7, 2020 |date=November 7, 2017}} He was named Little All-City Player of the Year by The Oklahoman in each of his final two seasons.{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Scott |title=Little All-City Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Harrah's Brady Manek pushing himself as college nears |url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5545593/little-all-city-boys-basketball-player-of-the-year-harrahs-brady-manek-pushing-himself-as-college-nears |website=The Oklahoman |accessdate=August 7, 2020 |date=April 15, 2017}} As a senior, Manek averaged 24.3 points and 11.6 rebounds, leading Harrah to the state quarterfinals.{{cite web |last1=Coldagelli |first1=Ben |title=Introducing: Brady Manek |url=https://soonersports.com/news/2017/7/30/211658336.aspx |publisher=University of Oklahoma |accessdate=August 7, 2020 |date=July 30, 2017}} Rated either a three-star and four-star recruit by several services, he committed to play college basketball for Oklahoma after his sophomore season of high school.

File:Brady Manek.jpg in 2018]]

As a freshman at Oklahoma, Manek averaged 10.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 32 appearances. He and Trae Young were the highest scoring freshman duo in the NCAA Division I. Manek recorded 59 three-pointers, the fourth-most by a freshman in school history. In his sophomore season, he made national headlines for his resemblance to Larry Bird.{{cite web |last1=Carroll |first1=Charlotte |title=Seeing Double? Larry Bird Has an Identical Twin in Oklahoma's Brady Manek |url=https://www.si.com/college/2018/10/03/larry-bird-brady-manek-identical-twin-indiana-state-oklahoma |website=Sports Illustrated |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |date=October 3, 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Hunsinger Benbow |first1=Dana |title=Larry Bird has an identical twin (Brady Manek) playing college basketball at Oklahoma |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2018/10/02/larry-bird-has-identical-twin-playing-college-basketball/1501765002/ |website=The Indianapolis Star |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |date=October 2, 2018}} He averaged 12.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection.{{cite web |last1=Coldagelli |first1=Ben |title=Manek Named to Malone Award Watch List |url=https://soonersports.com/news/2019/10/17/mens-basketball-manek-named-to-karl-malone-award-watch-list.aspx |publisher=University of Oklahoma |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |date=October 17, 2019}} On January 18, 2020, Manek scored a career-high 31 points and seven three-pointers, while reaching 1,000 career points, in an 83–63 win over TCU.{{cite web |last1=Bitterman |first1=Abby |title=Brady Manek joins Sooners' 1,000-point club in 83-63 win against TCU |url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5652696/ou-mens-basketball-sooners-beat-tcu-led-by-career-performance-of-brady-manek |website=The Oklahoman |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |date=January 18, 2020}} Manek scored 30 points on February 1, in an 82–69 victory over Oklahoma State.{{cite news |title=Manek scores 30, leads Oklahoma past Oklahoma State 82–69 |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401169724 |accessdate=August 9, 2020 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=February 1, 2020}} As a junior, he averaged 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, earning Third Team All-Big 12 honors.{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Derek |title=Austin Reaves, Brady Manek named to All-Big 12 teams |url=https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/2020/03/08/austin-reaves-brady-manek-named-to-all-big-12-teams/ |publisher=Sooners Wire |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |date=March 8, 2020}} In his senior season, Manek averaged 10.8 points and five rebounds per game. Following the season, he transferred to North Carolina.{{cite web |last1=Kosko |first1=Nick |title=Brady Manek announces transfer to North Carolina |url=https://247sports.com/Article/Brady-Manek-transfer-UNC-basketball-Oklahoma-forward-North-Carolina-Tar-Heels-164261950/ |website=247Sports |access-date=April 16, 2021 |date=April 16, 2021}}

File:Brady Manek North Carolina.jpg in 2021]]

After four years at Oklahoma, Manek transferred to North Carolina as a graduate student. He took advantage of the extra year of NCAA eligibility granted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to play in Chapel Hill. After being used primarily as the sixth man for the first part of the season, Manek was inserted to the starting lineup following an injury to Dawson Garcia. Manek's elevation to the starting five coincided with a turnaround in the Tar Heels' fortunes, as the team was able to play their way to a tie for second place in the ACC regular season standings and the third seed in the conference's tournament. He scored 20 points in the Tar Heels' 94–81 victory in the regular-season finale against Duke. Following the regular season, Manek was named Honorable Mention All-ACC.{{cite press release|url=https://theacc.com/news/2022/3/6/athlete-awards-acc-unveils-2021-22-mens-basketball-awards.aspx|title=ACC Unveils 2021-22 Men’s Basketball Awards |publisher=Atlantic Coast Conference |date=March 7, 2022 |accessdate=March 7, 2022}} In the first round of the NCAA tournament against Marquette, Manek scored a season-high 28 points, three shy of his career high.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4277902/brady-manek|title=Brady Manek|website=ESPN.com|access-date=March 23, 2022}} He scored 26 points in just 28 minutes of action against Baylor in the second round of the tournament. Manek was ejected from the game following a flagrant 2 foul on Baylor's Jeremy Sochan. At the time, the Tar Heels held a 25-point lead. Following the ejection, Baylor was able to come back and force overtime, but the Tar Heels held on and advanced to the Sweet 16, 93–86.

On April 1, 2022, Manek was named as the recipient of the Riley Wallace Player of the Year Award, given to the top transfer player in college basketball.{{cite web|url=https://www.wallaceallamerica.com/|title=North Carolina's Brady Manek is the recipient of the 2022 Riley Wallace award, presented annually to the top impact transfer.|website=CollegeInsider.com|access-date=April 1, 2022}}

After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Manek joined the Charlotte Hornets for the 2022 NBA Summer League.{{Cite web |title=Charlotte Hornets 2022 NBA2K23 Summer League Roster |url=https://www.nba.com/summer-league/2022/vegas/team/1610612766/hornets |access-date=July 5, 2022 |website=NBA.com}} On August 1, 2022, he signed with the Perth Wildcats in Australia for the 2022–23 NBL season.{{Cite web |title=Perth Wildcats sign Brady Manek as third import |url=https://www.wildcats.com.au/news/perth-wildcats-sign-brady-manek-as-third-import |access-date=August 1, 2022 |website=Wildcats.com.au |date=August 1, 2022}}

On February 24, 2023, Manek signed with Tofaş of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).{{Cite web|url=http://tofasspor.com/haber-2749-brady_manek_tofasta|title=BRADY MANEK TOFAŞ'TA|last=|first=|date=February 24, 2023|website=tofasspor.com|publisher=|language=Turkish|access-date=February 24, 2023}}

On July 21, 2023, Manek signed a two-year (1+1) deal with Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague.{{Cite web|url=https://basketnews.com/news-192388-zalgiris-complete-roster-with-brady-manek.html|title=Zalgiris complete roster with Brady Manek|last=|first=|date=July 21, 2023|website=basketnews.com|access-date=July 21, 2023}} In September 2024, Manek suffered an ankle injury during practice which would have him sidelined for a few weeks.{{cite web |title=Zalgiris rules out Brady Manek for three weeks, defeats Nevezis |url=https://www.eurohoops.net/en/others/1720483/an-injury-setback-for-brady-manek-disrupts-zalgiris-early-in-the-2024-25-campaign/ |website=Eurohoops |access-date=15 October 2024 |language=en |date=29 September 2024}} Manek fell out of the rotation in his second season, averaging less than nine minutes of action in the EuroLeague. On April 18, 2025, he was loaned to Mersin MSK of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) for the remainder of the season.{{Cite web|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/official-brady-manek-goes-on-loan-to-mersin/|title=Official: Brady Manek goes on loan to Mersin|website=Sportando|date=April 18, 2025|access-date=April 18, 2025}}

On June 10, 2025, he signed with Leones de Ponce of Baloncesto Superior Nacional.{{Cite web|url=https://leonesponcebsn.com/2025/06/10/brady-manek-es-el-nuevo-importado-de-los-leones/|title=Brady Manek es el nuevo importado de los Leones|last=|first=|date=June 10, 2025|website=leonesponcebsn.com|publisher=|language=es|access-date=June 11, 2025}}

{{Euroleague player statistics legend}}

{{Euroleague player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24

| style="text-align:left;"| Žalgiris

| 28 || 6 || 18.9 || .425 || .407 || .789 || 3.4 || .6 || .6 || .1 || 7.5 || 6.9

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|Career

| 28 || 6 || 18.9 || .425 || .407 || .789 || 3.4 || .6 || .6 || .1 || 7.5 || 6.9

{{S-end}}

{{NBA player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18

| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma

|| 32 || 26 || 23.7 || .466 || .383 || .600 || 5.2 || .5 || .3 || .7 || 10.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19

| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma

|| 34 || 34 || 27.8 || .469 || .358 || .764 || 5.9 || .8 || .7 || .7 || 12.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20

| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma

|| 31 || 31 || 30.5 || .453 || .380 || .779 || 6.2 || .9 || .5 || 1.2 || 14.4

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21

| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma

|| 25 || 20 || 25.1 || .422 || .375 || .767 || 5.0 || .8 || .5 || .8 || 10.8

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22

| style="text-align:left;"| North Carolina

|| 39 || 27 || 30.4 || .493 || .403 || .697 || 6.1 || 1.8 || .6 || .7 || 15.1

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

|| 161 || 138 || 27.7 || .465 || .382 || .733 || 5.7 || 1.0 || .5 || .8 || 12.7

{{S-end}}

Manek's older brother, Kellen, was his basketball teammate at Harrah High School for three years and played for Oral Roberts and Southeastern Oklahoma State.{{cite web |last1=McCoury |first1=Caleb |title=Brady Manek plays older brother Kellen Manek in front of family, hometown crowd |url=http://www.oudaily.com/sports/ou-men-s-basketball-brady-manek-plays-older-brother-kellen-manek-in-front-of-family/article_3764cc4c-faba-11e9-960e-03ea3be0a524.html |website=The Oklahoma Daily |accessdate=August 7, 2020 |date=October 29, 2019}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [https://nbl.com.au/player/3692/1887686/brady-manek NBL profile]
• [https://goheels.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/brady-manek/22533 North Carolina Tar Heels bio]
• [https://soonersports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/brady-manek/14148 Oklahoma Sooners bio]
• [https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/brady-manek/012715/ EuroLeague profile]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manek, Brady}}

Category:1998 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American sportsmen

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Australia

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Lithuania

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Turkey

Category:American men's basketball players

Category:Basketball players from Oklahoma

Category:BC Žalgiris players

Category:Mersin MSK players

Category:North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players

Category:Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball players

Category:Perth Wildcats players

Category:Power forwards

Category:Small forwards

Category:Sportspeople from Edmond, Oklahoma

Category:Tofaş S.K. players