BIO: Brady Manek was born in Edmond, Oklahoma (USA) and grew up playing basketball with friend and college teammate Trae Young. His family moved to Harrah, Oklahoma where he attended Harrah High School. Whilst there he was named Little All-City Player of the Year by The Oklahoman in each of his final two seasons. As a senior, Manek averaged 24.3 points and 11.6 rebounds, leading Harrah to the state quarterfinals. 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.
FAMILY: 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.
Brady Manek made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 24 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.
After missing the playoffs for the first time in 35 years, Perth Wildcats coach Scott Morrison stepped down after one season to return home for family reasons. The Wildcats appointed former Townsville Crocodiles star John Rillie as their new head coach on a three-year deal. Looking to regain their competitive edge, Perth retained most of their roster, re-signing Bryce Cotton (3-year deal), Todd Blanchfield (3-year deal), and Jesse Wagstaff (1-year deal). Development player Kyle Zunic was promoted to the full roster, and Corey Webster joined as a free agent. To round out their roster, the Wildcats added imports TaShawn Thomas (via France) and Brady Manek (via North Carolina) to bolster their scoring.
The Wildcats started the season strong, winning their first three games and topping the NBL ladder. However, a five-game losing streak followed, during which Manek faced mounting pressure after scoring just 25 points across four games. Speculation arose that Perth might replace him with another import. In a critical moment, Manek silenced critics with a breakout performance against Adelaide, coming off the bench to hit six three-pointers and convert eight of his 10 field goal attempts, finishing with 25 points and securing a much-needed win.
Brady Manek put on a show last night at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. 😎
Relive all his best bits from the win! pic.twitter.com/N460Y9ua71
— Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) November 6, 2022
Manek continued his strong form with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in a 103-96 victory over South East Melbourne. However, inconsistency plagued him throughout the season. In December, his performances included a scoring stretch of just 2 points (vs. Adelaide), 3 points (vs. Melbourne), 11 points (vs. Cairns), and a scoreless game in 19 minutes against Brisbane.
With six games remaining, the Wildcats signed Tai Webster, who had been released from his Turkish team, reuniting him with his brother Corey. Corey Shervill was released from Perth’s roster to make room for the signing.
In the final three games of the regular season, Perth suffered a critical loss to Tasmania (102–94) after being outscored 27-15 in the fourth quarter, followed by a defeat to Cairns (84-71). Facing elimination, the Wildcats needed to beat the league-leading Sydney Kings in the last round to secure a playoff spot. Despite Sydney limiting Cotton to just 7 points, Perth pulled off a remarkable upset thanks to standout performances from Corey Webster (26 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), Luke Travers (22 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists), and Brady Manek (21 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals). The Wildcats clinched a 96-84 victory and sixth place on the ladder, earning a spot in the inaugural play-in tournament.
In the play-in tournament, Perth faced South East Melbourne in a game where they trailed until the fourth quarter. The Wildcats outscored the Phoenix 41-23 in the final period, securing a seven-point victory (106-99) and advancing to the next round. There, they faced Cairns for a chance to reach the semifinals as the fourth seed. Although Cairns played without their leading scorer and rebounder Keanu Pinder, DJ Hogg delivered a historic performance with 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. His record-setting playoff performance for the Taipans ended Perth’s season with a 91-78 defeat.
Manek played in 30 games for the Wildcats, averaging 13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Despite some ups and downs, his contributions were crucial in helping Perth return to the postseason after missing the playoffs the previous year.
Brady Manek played one season in the NBL. He averaged 13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 30 NBL games.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | 24 | Perth | 15-13 (6) | 30 | 836.0 | 394 | 160 | 50 | 44 | 116 | 21 | 14 | 25 | 54 | 141 | 304 | 46% | 77 | 189 | 41% | 35 | 44 | 80% | 61% | 59% | 25 | Totals | 30 | 836 | 394 | 160 | 50 | 44 | 116 | 21 | 14 | 25 | 54 | 141 | 304 | 46.4% | 77 | 189 | 40.7% | 35 | 44 | 79.5% | 61% | 59% | 25 |
SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | 24 | Perth | 15-13 (6) | 30 | 27.9 | 13.1 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 3.9 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 4.7 | 10.1 | 46% | 2.6 | 6.3 | 41% | 1.2 | 1.5 | 80% | 61% | 59% | 25 | Total | 30 | 27.9 | 13.1 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 3.9 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 4.7 | 10.1 | 46.4% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 40.7% | 2.6 | 6.3 | 79.5% | 61% | 59% | 25 |
POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 25 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
---|
After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Manek joined the Charlotte Hornets for the 2022 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging seven points and four rebounds per game, in just over 14 minutes of action.
Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 76% | 71% | 68% | 80% | ||||||
2 | 0 | 25 | 5 | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Total | 141 | 304 | 46.4% | 77 | 189 | 40.7% |
YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | 24 | Perth | 15-13 (6) | 30 | 836.0 | 394 | 160 | 50 | 44 | 116 | 21 | 14 | 25 | 54 | 141 | 304 | 46% | 77 | 189 | 41% | 35 | 44 | 80% | 61% | 59% | 25 | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
After spending his first season as a pro with the Perth Wildcats, he went on sign a deal to play in Turkey with Tofas Bursa, where he averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in the teams last eleven games.
On July 21, 2023, Manek signed a two-year (1+1) deal with Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague.
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. Manek recorded 59 three-pointers, the fourth-most by a freshman in school history. In his sophomore season, he averaged 12.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and was a All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection. On January 18, 2020, Manek scored a career-high 31 points and seven three-pointers, while reaching 1,000 career points, in a 83–63 win over TCU. Manek scored 30 points on February 1, in a 82–69 victory over Oklahoma State.
As a junior, he averaged 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, earning Third Team All-Big 12 honours. In his senior season, Manek averaged 10.8 points and five rebounds per game. Following the season, he transferred to North Carolina.
After four impressive years of college basketball at Oklahoma, Manek transferred to North Carolina and played a essential role in UNC’s run to the 2022 NCAA championship game. He transferred to North Carolina as a graduate student. He took advantage of the extra year of NCAA eligibility granted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to play in Chapel Hill.
After being used primarily as the sixth man for the first part of the season, Manek was inserted to the starting lineup following a injury to Dawson Garcia. Manek's elevation to the starting five coincided with a turnaround in the Tar Heels' fortunes, as the team was able to play their way to a tie for second place in the ACC regular season standings and the third seed in the conference's tournament. He scored 20 points in the Tar Heels' 94–81 victory in the regular-season finale against Duke. Following the regular season, Manek was named Honorable Mention All-ACC.
In the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Marquette, Manek scored a season-high 28 points, three shy of his career high. He scored 26 points in just 28 minutes of action against Baylor in the second round of the tournament. Manek was ejected from the game following a flagrant 2 foul on Baylor's Jeremy Sochan. At the time, the Tar Heels held a 25-point lead. Following the ejection, Baylor was able to come back and force overtime, but the Tar Heels held on and advanced to the Sweet 16, 93–86.
On April 1, 2022, Manek was named as the recipient of the Riley Wallace Player of the Year Award, given to the top transfer player in college basketball.
-King Mindaugas Cup winner (2024)
- Riley Wallace Award (2022)
-
Third-team All-Big 12 (2020)
Whilst we try to source as much information as we can for every player who has ever played in the NBL some information on a player profile may be missing. If you have additional information on a player you'd like us to add to a profile, please send it to us using the enquiry form below.
Submissions are then sent to info@aussiehoopla.com
POS | TEAM | W | D | L | PTS |
1 |
|
21 | 3 | 3 | 66 |
2 |
|
20 | 4 | 3 | 64 |
3 |
|
19 | 4 | 4 | 61 |
4 |
|
18 | 2 | 6 | 56 |
5 |
|
18 | 2 | 4 | 56 |
Sydney Kings captain Xavier Cooks has served most of his one-month suspension for testing positive for cocaine but may still face additional disciplinary action from his club. He was provisionally suspended in early February after returning an adverse analytical finding just two days before the Kings’ sudden-death clash against Adelaide. Basketball Australia later confirmed the ban, though the club initially cited “personal leave” as the reason for his absence. Despite the violation, Sydney Kings officials reportedly want to retain Cooks, who remains under contract for…
READ MOREBelow is an up-to-date roster for each NBL team and a list of rumours and potential signings derived from discussions with NBL staff and media. Players listed as contracted come from information supplied by the National Basketball League. * = Denotes import player ** = Naturalised Australian DP = a member of the team's development roster SRP = the previously named Asian player exception denoting an Asian player who qualifies as a local in the NBL. MP = Marquee players listed as known Click here…
READ MOREThe recent FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in Traralgon showcased not just Australia's dominance in the region but also why Australian basketball is becoming an invaluable asset for Asian nations looking to grow their game. The Boomers' commanding victories over Indonesia (109-58) and Thailand (114-64) were not just displays of superior talent but reflections of an elite system that consistently produces world-class players. For Asian basketball federations seeking a model to learn from, Australia offers an ideal blueprint—one that balances elite player development, a thriving professional…
READ MOREA second Sydney NBL team is expected to be the league’s next expansion franchise, with Gold Coast, Darwin, and Canberra all encountering significant roadblocks in recent months. It’s believed the Harbour City Stars is the leading candidate for the team name, following a branding strategy similar to how San Francisco’s Golden State Warriors use a regional moniker rather than the city’s name. This broader identity would emphasize the team’s connection to Sydney’s iconic harbor while avoiding geographical constraints within the city. In addition to Harbour…
READ MORESouth East Melbourne Phoenix Next Star Malique Lewis has had an incredible journey from Trinidad and Tobago to professional basketball. In his first NBL season, Lewis played all 29 of South East Melbourne’s regular-season games, as well as its seeding qualifier and play-in game, experiencing both life in the starting five and coming off the bench. Although his stats don’t immediately stand out—averaging 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game—his impact goes beyond numbers, particularly on the defensive end. Looking back, Lewis admits…
READ MORERising star Malique Lewis joins the podcast to discuss his incredible journey from Trinidad & Tobago to professional basketball. At just 16, Lewis left home for Spain, where he developed his game with Fuenlabrada, before making the leap to the G League with Mexico City Capitanes. Now, as a Next Star with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, he’s one step closer to his NBA dream. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Lewis opens up about the challenges of leaving his family behind, why he…
READ MOREThe Australian Boomers have reportedly found their next leader, with Washington Wizards assistant coach Adam Caporn set to take over as the national team’s head coach. The news, broken by SEN’s Andy Maher and Andrew Gaze, suggests that Caporn has been selected from a strong shortlist that included Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, former German national team coach Gordon Herbert, and Boomers assistant Will Weaver. “Did you hear anything about the head coaching position? Because I’m being led to believe that it is done…
READ MOREFormer West Sydney Razorbacks coach Mark Watkins joins the podcast to take us through the incredible highs and crushing lows of the franchise’s journey in the NBL. Watkins was with the Razorbacks from their inception in 1998 as an assistant coach and eventually took the reins as head coach in 2004. Across nearly a decade with the club, he witnessed the Razorbacks' rise from expansion team to Grand Final contenders before financial struggles ultimately led to their demise. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of…
READ MORE