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ACC Basketball: Ranking the top 10 impact transfers of 2021-22 season

By Cooper Watson

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JANUARY 15: Alondes Williams #31 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons holds the ball during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on January 15, 2022 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JANUARY 15: Alondes Williams #31 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons holds the ball during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on January 15, 2022 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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ACC Basketball Brady Manek North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
ACC Basketball Brady Manek North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

3. Brady Manek – North Carolina

Manek’s transfer to North Carolina was an early sign of Hubert Davis’ vision for this program. Manek is a true stretch-four — a career 37.7% 3-point shooter on more than five attempts per game. Davis’ goal from day one has been to modernize UNC’s offense by bringing in more shooting and straying away from its more traditional, paint-crowding two-big system.

As a result, the Heels’ offense has seen a bit of a resurgence in comparison to the last two seasons, ranking 12th nationally in 3P% and 25th in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.

Manek was a four-year starter at Oklahoma before making the move to Carolina, averaging double-digit points in all four seasons. UNC knew what they were getting, which is exactly why he’s integrated into the system and rotation so smoothly. Manek’s experience and style of play were almost guaranteed to mesh with what Davis and UNC are trying to accomplish in Chapel Hill.

2. Jake LaRavia – Wake Forest

LaRavia has been excellent for Wake Forest all season, but his 31-point, 10-rebound performance in a 22-point win over rival North Carolina cemented him as an All-ACC level player. That showing also made him the first Wake player to score 30+ against UNC since Jeff Teague back in 2009.

The Indiana State transfer is averaging 15.1 points, 6.5 boards, and 3.6 assists on the season. According to Torvik, he leads all ACC transfers in box +/- and offensive rating.

At 6-foot-8, LaRavia is one of the most versatile players in the league. He plays most of his minutes at power forward but is capable of switching defensively and guarding multiple positions. He can stretch the floor offensively and is a capable low-post player but is at his best in the faceup game around 18 feet from the basket.

There was confidence surrounding LaRavia from his first day on campus in Winston-Salem this past summer. He has more than lived up to that hype as one of the best transfers in the country for a Wake Forest program that has found new life this season.