Hubert Davis praises Brady Manek for versatility, experience ahead of Notre Dame matchup

North Carolina forward Brady Manek is quietly having a great season for the Tar Heels.

He’s accepted a bench role at UNC this season after being a four-year starter at Oklahoma. His experience paid off in a big way for North Carolina earlier this week when he was asked to step in for an injured Dawson Garcia.

Manek responded by scoring 17 points off the bench in UNC’s 91-65 win over Boston College. Earlier this week, coach Hubert Davis spoke about how valuable Manek has been to this team.

“Brady’s number was called and it was called a lot earlier, and he was ready,” Davis said on his radio show, via 247Sports

. “He is an unbelievable basketball player. Everyone initially points towards his ability to shoot the basketball and his size. Yes, he can do that but he’s a basketball player. He knows how to play on both ends of the floor. He’s a good defensive player.”

So far this season, Manek is averaging 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest in just under 25 minutes per night. He’s come off the bench in all but one of UNC’s 13 contests.

If Garcia isn’t able to go against N

otre Dame, Manek should be able to step in and fill that role. He’s a career 37 percent 3-point shooter and is a high-effort player on the defensive end of the floor.

“He’s one of those guys that is not afraid to be physical,” Davis added. “He can make plays, whether it’s rebounds or finishes around the basket in traffic. He’s a terrific passer and screener, he’s our best screener. He just understands how to play. You could see his experience of playing four years in the Big 12.”

North Carolina is 2-0 in ACC play and will have to continue to play well in those games if it expects to earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. Picking up a win over Notre Dame (7-5) is important.

Tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. ET.