Reunited and it feels so good!
While Saturday marked the home opener for the 2026 UNC football team, the UNC basketball program held a special weekend of its own.
Newly hired head coach Michael Malone has said from day one that his goal is to bring the "Carolina Family" feel back to Chapel Hill. He wasted no time doing that, setting up a very successful alumni reunion, one that brought nearly 200 former Tar Heels back to campus.
There were plenty of fan favorites included in that group, and there was strong representation from one of the best teams in Carolina Basketball history.
The 2017 National Champions reunite in Chapel Hill for alumni weekend
Kennedy Meeks, a key member of the UNC basketball program's 2017 national title team, shared an iconic photo that will surely bring the nostalgia for Tar Heel fans!
Roy Williams surrounded by a group of his 2017 national championship team.
— Jeremiah Artacho (@JeremiahArtacho) September 12, 2026
Joel Berry, Justin Jackson, Kennedy Meeks, Theo Pinson, Kenny Williams, Tony Bradley, Brandon Robinson and Luke Maye are pictured.
(Picture via Kennedy Meek's Instagram account "asapmeeks03") pic.twitter.com/4QYgS698uo
The above photo features some of the key members from that historic squad, one that won the ACC regular season title and went onto earn some "redemption" by winning the daggum national championship.
Not like these guys need any introductions, but included in the photo are (from left to right):
Joel Berry, Justin Jackson, Kennedy Meeks, Theo Pinson, head coach Roy Williams, Kenny Williams, Tony Bradley, Brandon Robinson and Luke Maye.
I don't know about you, but still to this day I watch highlights from that particular season!
Who could forget Maye's incredible shot to defeat Kentucky or Jackson's breakaway dunk that essentially sealed the deal in the national title game. Those are just a pair of the incredible moments that team provided us all with, a feeling we unfortunately haven't had since then.
Kudos to Malone, who is already working to restore the Carolina Family to what we all know it to be. Seeing so many alumni on campus for the event speaks volumes about the effort being put in on this end, as the hope is that those who have paved the way for the program to be where it is today will be heavily involved once again in the future.
Seeing photos like the one Meeks shared certainly brings the nostalgia, but it also reminds us of just how special that group was. A decade later, these Tar Heels are still proud of where they spent their collegiate careers, as it's so nice to see them spending time together, reflecting on the journey that led them to be the final team standing during the 2016-2017 season.
It was a very successful day in Chapel Hill. The football program improved to 2-0 on the year, but the more important storyline revolved around the Carolina basketball family reuniting in what turned out to be a very successful alumni weekend for the program.
As always, it's a Great Day to be a Tar Heel, and moments like this remind us all why the University of North Carolina is such a special place for all us, especially those who had the honor of competing for the UNC basketball program.
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