Whether internally or with a transfer, UNC has options to replace Brady Manek

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Hubert Davis by no means shied away from the inevitable final season. It doesn’t matter what, he’d solely have Brady Manek in a Tar Heels uniform for a matter of months.

And sadly for North Carolina followers, time’s up.

Actuality hit house in full final week when Davis boarded a aircraft to Washington, D.C., the place Manek had a pre-draft exercise with the Washington Wizards. “I simply wished to present him a hug,” Davis mentioned on Wednesday, throughout his first summer time press convention, “and inform him how proud I used to be of him.” The 2 spoke for about an hour, Davis added, earlier than reiterating that he can’t think about how there isn’t a job for somebody like Manek, who averaged 15.1 factors and 6.1 rebounds per sport final season, whereas making 40.3 % of his 3s, within the NBA.

We’ll discover out for positive subsequent week through the NBA Draft. In the interim, although, Davis’ focus is much less on the place Manek finally finally ends up … and extra on substitute his valuable manufacturing.

The excellent news: UNC has various choices this offseason to assist fill the void left by Manek’s departure.

Choice 1, clearly, is inside enchancment. Neither Puff Johnson nor Dontrez Kinds performed critical minutes final season, however each had flashes of excellence through the NCAA Match. Kinds’ second-half and additional time efficiency towards Baylor was key to UNC making the Candy 16, and Johnson’s 11-point push within the title sport virtually swung the tide within the Tar Heels’ favor. With Manek’s 30.4 minutes per sport needing changing subsequent season, each have the within observe to assist achieve this.

“We’re not in search of Puff or Dontrez or anybody to interchange Brady,” Davis mentioned. “Brady’s Brady. And we’d like everyone — particularly Puff and Dontrez — to be themselves. To be the very best model of themselves.”

It’s pure to fit Johnson and Kinds into that emptiness, however anticipating a Manek-like influence is unreasonable, if not fully unfair. Final season, Johnson and Kinds mixed to make 9 3-pointers on 44 makes an attempt, or 20.5 %. Principally, half as environment friendly as Manek. And whereas progress is actually regular, particularly for a rising junior (Johnson) and rising sophomore (Kinds), anticipating any younger participant to out of the blue double their 3-point share is way too bold. Kinds, and particularly Johnson, will nonetheless have their share of 3-point appears, however that gained’t be the point of interest of both of their video games.

As a substitute, anticipate these two to elaborate on the strengths they’ve already proven. For Kinds, clearly, that’s as a defender and rebounder. Armando Bacot would be the staff’s main rebounder once more — and may set UNC’s all-time file in that respect if he stays wholesome — however per KenPom, Kinds was really the staff’s second-most environment friendly defensive rebounder final season, snagging 20.1 % of accessible boards. (Bacot was at 30 %, good for tenth nationally, with Manek at 16 %.) Regardless of solely standing 6-foot-6, Kinds has glorious size and athleticism, which permits him to out-rebound greater and longer wings. It’s additionally the explanation he averaged 1.333 factors per possession (PPP) in transition and 1.0 PPP on offensive putbacks, per Synergy, albeit in a smaller pattern measurement.

As for Johnson, amongst gamers who completed the season, he rated because the second-best offensive rebounder; solely Bacot, who snagged 14.8 % of accessible offensive boards, surpassed Johnson’s 8.2 %, per KenPom. After all, it helps that Johnson is 6-foot-8 together with his personal athletic presents — and that he’ll be ranging from a stronger place subsequent season, by advantage of lastly being wholesome this summer time. “Previous to final 12 months, it’s been like rehab,” Davis mentioned of Johnson. “So that is the primary full summer time that Puff can work out, and we could be on the market on the ground.” Johnson was already an environment friendly offensive participant throughout the board — he averaged 1.042 PPP general final season, per Synergy — however ought to solely enhance with extra on-court tutelage from the teaching employees.

No matter the rest, Kinds and Johnson are going to play extra this season. “I would like them to construct on the issues they did nicely final 12 months, so it could put them in place to have a much bigger position subsequent 12 months,” Davis mentioned. “We want them.” However their roles do stand to alter if UNC opts for Choice 2 in changing Manek: attempting to strike gold within the switch portal for a second straight offseason. Former Northwestern ahead Pete Nance — the son of former NBA All-Star Larry Nance, and the youthful brother of present New Orleans Pelican Larry Nance Jr. — is visiting campus this week, and really nicely might wind up with North Carolina’s last scholarship. Nance, who’s 6-foot-10 and 225 kilos, averaged 14.6 factors and 6.5 rebounds final season for the Wildcats, whereas additionally making 45.2 % of his 3s. Regardless of enjoying primarily at middle final season, Nance theoretically would match nicely alongside Bacot as an inside-out choice, and will even spot the staff beneficial minutes at middle.

“We’re at all times actively seeking to make our staff higher,” Davis mentioned. “Not simply this summer time — at all times. We’re at all times seeking to enhance our staff. However on the opposite finish, I actually like the place our staff is correct now.”

After which, there’s Choice 3: seeing what incoming freshman Jalen Washington is able to. Washington, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound ahead, was the No. 44 participant on this 12 months’s class, in accordance with the 247Sports Composite, however was listed as a five-star prospect earlier than knee surgical procedure in October price him his senior season of highschool. Washington remains to be rehabbing that knee, however Davis mentioned Wednesday the incoming freshman can do all the pieces now besides five-on-five work. “And he’ll be capable of do five-on-five proper originally when everybody comes again for the autumn semester,” Davis added. “So I’m actually enthusiastic about him.” There was thought at instances early final season that Washington might have the autumn — and even his whole freshman 12 months, in a worst-case situation — to get again as much as bodily velocity, however him already collaborating in particular person work and conditioning bodes nicely for his availability in the beginning of the season. If UNC doesn’t in the end add Nance, Washington is a perfect candidate to assist fill minutes at each frontcourt spots.

(Picture of Dontrez Kinds:  Kevin Jairaj / USA At the moment)