UNC Basketball vs. Boston College: Player of the Game - Brady Manek

With a win as comprehensive as the Heels’ 91-65 smashing of Boston College, you’re going to have plenty of candidates to choose from for player of the game.

Caleb Love led all scorers with 22 points and was extremely efficient, going 7-11 from the field, 4-6 from distance, and 4-4 from the free throw stripe. He also point-guarded really well, not giving up a single turnover.

Armando Bacot continued to pile up double-doubles, this time going for 18 points and 11 rebounds. He also hit his first career triple last night.

RJ Davis was even more efficient than Love, scoring 17 points on 5-5 shooting (with two 3’s) and going 5-5 from the free throw line.

But for me, the player of the game was Brady Manek. Manek has been Carolina’s sixth man for most of the season, with Dawson Garcia starting in the front court opposite Bacot. Early in the game after a scuffle for a loose ball, Garcia had his head crushed by a falling BC player, and appeared woozy. He was held out for the rest of the game.

This meant that Manek had to provide starters’ minutes to the team. He came out with a purpose. He wasn’t as efficient as some of Carolina’s guards, but he was all hustle, scoring 17 points and grabbing 7 boards. He hit back-to-back 3’s at one point, and was putting up shots at the rim, including a beautiful putback dunk from a (rare) Caleb Love miss.

Hopefully Dawson Garcia will be ready to go when Carolina travels to South Bend to take on Notre Dame. If he’s not, Manek seems up to the task of keeping the Heels in the + category rebounding, and he can trade 3’s with Nate Laszewski.