WATCH: Brady Manek hit with elbow in first half of national title game
North Carolina‘s Brady Manek crashed hard to the floor thanks to an inadvertent elbow by Kansas‘ David McCormack after a missed basket in the first half of the national championship game.
Manek, who made a 3-pointer in the game’s first five minutes, stayed on the floor after the hard shot which forced an official’s timeout. He popped back up after the trainers checked on him and Manek checked right back into the game following the timeout.
The last thing the Tar Heels need with the national title on the line is another injury. Junior big man Armando Bacot injured his leg in North Carolina’s Final Four victory over Duke, and was seen limping on and off the court during the beginning of the game.
One wrong landing and Bacot could be gone, and the Tar Heels would need to rely on Manek on the perimeter more often. While Manek checked back in, it remains unseen if the elbow and hard fall will effect his play throughout the night.
Roy Williams reveals who he is rooting for between Kansas and North Carolina
With Kansas and North Carolina set to tip off in the national championship Monday, Roy Williams had a decision to make on who to cheer for. Although he coached both the Jayhawks and Tar Heels in his illustrious career, Williams said his choice was a no brainer.
Because he also played for UNC from 1968-69 and also got his start there as an assistant, he told Sporting News he is rooting for the Tar Heels.
“I look at this Kansas team and I really enjoy them,” Williams said. “I have love for the program. But with North Carolina (my allegiance) is quite thicker and deeper because it’s a school where I went, where I was an assistant there and where all my family went.”