"I'm crushed for Brady Manek! That kid did so much for UNC" - Fans show love to UNC star after he trips on himself on last play during NCAA championship game

Brady Manek and the North Carolina Tar Heels lost to the Kansas Jayhawks in a 72-69 national championship game on Monday. The loss ended Manek's collegiate career despite a strong run in his one season at UNC.

The end of March Madness saw a fantastic game between UNC (29-10) and Kansas (34-6), but only one team could come out as the winner.

Whichever team won needed an outstanding performance from their difference-makers, and Brady Manek and UNC came up short.

For Manek, the loss brings his collegiate career to a conclusion. As a result, fans paid respect to North Carolina's star.

Manek, who got clobbered twice in the first half, left everything out on the floor. He went through a challenging, physical game, leaving him worn out. He finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 36 minutes.

Manek's mistakes at the end of the game also drew criticism. However, the reasons for the mistakes are open to debate.

While Manek had two bad plays at the end of the game, he was one of the best players all season. For a team that made a magical run to the national championship game, being one of the best players is significant.

Brady Manek was great for UNC during the end of the season

Brady Manek's shooting helped get UNC to the national championship game.

Manek was one of the best shooters in March Madness, and his role was critical to getting the Tar Heels to the national championship game. While Caleb Love and Armando Bacot drew attention because of their superstar performances, Manek was consistently excellent. (Love and Bacot were named to the all-tournament team.)

Manek's ability to guarantee nine points per game plus anything extra, either rebounds or points, allowed his teammates to be more successful.

Consistent excellence is something opposing teams need to account for, and Kansas needed to account for Manek just like Duke and UCLA had to.

If Manek can recreate his performance in March Madness in the NBA, he could have a consistent career at the next level as a role player. NBA teams are always in need of good shooting. Depending on development, he could be even more successful at the next level than he was at UNC.

Manek was a graduate transfer from Oklahoma. He was playing in his fifth college season.

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