Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: What to watch for in 2016-17

By Blake Cockrum

Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kenny Williams (24), guard Nate Britt (0), and forward Kennedy Meeks (right) react during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kenny Williams (24), guard Nate Britt (0), and forward Kennedy Meeks (right) react during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Which Kennedy Meeks will we see this year?

Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks (3) calls for the ball against Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Bonzie Colson (35) during the second half in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

In three years at the University of North Carolina, senior forward Kennedy Meeks has seen his share of ups and downs.

Meeks got off to a quick start in his junior season, averaging 12.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game over the first nine contests. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury that forced him to miss the next seven games. After returning to the lineup he never completely regained his original form, scoring double digits in only four of the final 18 regular season games. He finished the season averaging 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

When he returned to the court, he struggled to regain his shooting touch. His game wasn’t flowing within the offense quite as well as it had in times past. He was also playing fewer minutes per game than he had in two years (20.6 minutes per game as a junior, 23.3 as a sophomore). From the outside looking in, we simply weren’t sure what the difference was.

What we did see was the dominant play of senior forward and eventual first team All-American Brice Johnson. We saw the emergence of 6-foot-8 junior forward Isaiah Hicks and the team continuing to hit their stride despite seeing less and less of Kennedy Meeks throughout the second half of the season.

And Meeks? Well, he seemed okay with it all.

Okay in the sense that he was supportive of the team and of his teammates, despite his own struggles. He was even supportive when he was removed from the starting lineup in favor of Hicks.

He remained positive about the situation even though he was struggling. He was there for his team and he was prepared when he was called upon. Admittedly, Meeks was struggling, but he continued working hard to achieve the best results he could.

In his final season at UNC, with senior forwards Brice Johnson and Joel James no longer present, he’ll have to regain his former paint presence and shooting touch. It will be imperative for him to play a lot of minutes and be a dominant post presence while on the court. He and running mate Isaiah Hicks will be the primary play-makers in UNC’s front court this year.

Roy Williams will call his number early and often.

Will Meeks be ready to answer the call?

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