Brady Manek

Manek was born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma and started playing basketball from a young age against older competition.[1] He often played against future college teammate Trae Young while attending elementary school.[2] His family moved to Harrah, Oklahoma, where he began playing varsity basketball for Harrah High School in his freshman season.[1] Between his freshman and sophomore years, Manek greatly improved his dunking ability.[3] He was named Little All-City Player of the Year by The Oklahoman in each of his final two seasons.[4] As a senior, Manek averaged 24.3 points and 11.6 rebounds, leading Harrah to the state quarterfinals.[5] 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.[1]

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.[2] 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.[6][7] He averaged 12.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection.[8] 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.[9] Manek scored 30 points on February 1, in an 82–69 victory over Oklahoma State.[10] As a junior, he averaged 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, earning Third Team All-Big 12 honors.[11]

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 at the college level.[12]

• Oklahoma Sooners bio