North Carolina forward Brady Manek was named the Riley Wallace Award recipient on Friday morning, which is award annually to the nation’s top transfer in college basketball.

Manek arrived in Chapel Hill this season after a solid 4-year career at Oklahoma. The pandemic gave Manek an extra year of eligibility, which he has used to make a tremendous impact.

He’s the first ACC player to win this award, which has been given annually since 2015. It’s named for former Hawaii coach Riley Wallace.

Manek is averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game and, crucially, is shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range. His rebounding and passing abilities have also been key in driving North Carolina’s offense in recent weeks.

Manek’s ability to compliment first-team All ACC center Armando Bacot has been a huge reason for his impact. While Bacot spends his time in the paint, Manek can space the floor on the perimeter. He’s capable of hitting high-pressure 3-pointers or throwing an entry pass to Bacot in the post.

His arrival became even more important when Dawson Garcia left the team for personal reasons mid-season. Garcia started over Manek early in the year, but Manek was quick to step into that role when Garcia departed.

Manek has scored in double figures in 17 straight games. Over that span, he’s averaging 18.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest.

North Carolina and Duke will meet in the Final Four on Saturday night.