Tall for his age, Manns looked like a can’t miss prospect for the basketball team. The next four years, though, were a continual learning process and, on Thursday, Manns got his reward for being a good student on the court.

Manns signed a scholarship offer with N.C. Central University, where he will play for former Eagle star LeVelle Moton.

Manns, at 6’8”, 230 lbs., expects his on-court education to continue at Central, where he hopes to earn playing time right away.

Central is moving from a Division II NCAA basketball program to Division I status.

At Knightdale, Manns was one of just three players in school history to play varsity ball all four years.

He tallied 614 points for the Knights and snared 250 rebounds. Manns was an all-conference performer in the Greater Neuse River Conference in 2007-08 and was part of 73 wins at KHS, where he played on the 2007 team that won the regular season title and the 2009 squad that took the conference tournament championship.

Knight coach Battle Watkins said Manns will bring some unusual skills to the Eagles.

“Most players his size are able to play inside and post up. He can do that, too, but he’s also comfortable moving outside a little bit and facing the basket where he can hit a shot from 10 or 12 feet,” Watkins said.

Manns expects the transition to college hoops to be a tough one. But he says the environment at Central was a welcoming one.

“When I took my visit, the coaches and all the people I met were very encouraging. They paid attention to me and made me feel like I was wanted,” Manns said.