Kennedy Meeks

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Kennedy Meeks

| image = 20130403 MCDAAG Kennedy Meeks.JPG

| caption = Meeks in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game

| position = Center

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 250

| league = Taiwan Professional Basketball League

| team = Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers

| number = 10

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|2|5|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.

| high_school = West Charlotte
(Charlotte, North Carolina)

| college = North Carolina (2013–2017)

| draft_year = 2017

| career_start = 2017

| years1 = 2017–2018

| team1 = Raptors 905

| years2 = 2018–2019

| team2 = SeaHorses Mikawa

| years3 = 2019–2020

| team3 = Levanga Hokkaido

| years4 = 2020–2021

| team4 = Seoul Samsung Thunders

| years5 = 2021

| team5 = Changwon LG Sakers

| years6 = 2021–2022

| team6 = Cholet Basket

| years7 = 2023–2024

| team7 = Taoyuan Pauian Pilots

| years8 = 2024–present

| team8 = Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers

| highlights =

NCAA champion (2017)
ACC All-Freshman team (2014)
McDonald's All-American (2013)

}}

Kennedy Rashod Meeks (born February 5, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL).{{Cite web|date=2021-09-29|title=Kennedy Meeks signs for Cholet Basket in France|url=https://tarheelinternational.com/2021/09/29/kennedy-meeks-signs-for-cholet-basket-in-france/|access-date=2021-11-06|website=Tar Heel International|language=en-US}} He played college basketball for North Carolina. He is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina.

High school career

Meeks attended West Charlotte High School, where he averaged 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks as a senior. He was named to the McDonald's All-America team in 2013.{{cite news|last1=Wimberley|first1=Nate|title=Meeks named to McDonald's All American team|url=http://www.wbtv.com/story/21347214/meeks-named-to-mcdonalds-all-american-team|accessdate=12 April 2015|work=WBTV|date=13 March 2013}}

College career

=Freshman season (2013–14)=

As a freshman, Meeks averaged 7.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. He worked with North Carolina strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian to slim down in the offseason.{{cite news |last1=Auerbach |first1=Nicole |title=For North Carolina's Kennedy Meeks, less is more |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/acc/2014/10/08/north-carolina-tar-heels-center-kennedy-meeks-weight-loss/16843593/ |accessdate=11 April 2015 |work=USA Today |date=8 October 2014}}

=Sophomore season (2014–15)=

As a sophomore, Meeks was named an honorable mention All-ACC performer.{{cite web|title=ACSMA 2015 All-ACC Basketball Teams Announced|url=http://www.theacc.com/news/acsma-all-acc-basketball-teams-announced-03-08-2015|accessdate=29 April 2015|work=Atlantic Coast Conference|date=8 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425010314/http://www.theacc.com/news/acsma-all-acc-basketball-teams-announced-03-08-2015|archive-date=25 April 2015}} He sprained his left knee in the Tar Heels' Round of 32 NCAA Tournament victory over Arkansas. At the time, he was averaging 11.6 points, second behind Marcus Paige and he led the team in rebounds with 7.4 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game.{{cite news|title=North Carolina's Meeks sprains knee; Sweet 16 status unclear|url=http://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/north-carolina-tar-heels-kennedy-meeks-injury-knee-sprain-tests-032215|accessdate=29 April 2015|work=Fox Sports|date=22 March 2015}} He was in the midst of a scoring slump before the injury, scoring more than 10 points only once in the last eight games.{{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=C.L.|title=Tar Heels' Kennedy Meeks works out|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2015/story/_/id/12553915/kennedy-meeks-north-carolina-tar-heels-goes-drills-knee|access-date=July 17, 2015|work=ESPN|date=March 24, 2015}}

=Junior season (2015–16)=

As a junior, Meeks scored a career high 25 points against Temple University.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/400809426|title=Kennedy Meeks scores 25 points, pulls 11 rebounds as UNC rolls Temple|publisher=ESPN|access-date=November 13, 2015}} On January 16, 2016, Meeks scored 23 points and 6 rebounds in a 67–55 victory against NC State.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400839811|title=Meeks scores 23 to guide Tar Heels past rival NC State|website=ESPN.com|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=January 16, 2016}} He injured his left knee and was out for two weeks mid-season.

He returned and helped lead UNC to the National Championship game, where they lost to a buzzer beater by Villanova's Kris Jenkins.

= Senior season (2016–17) =

In his senior season, he helped the Tar Heels reach a second consecutive NCAA championship game, and he grabbed 10 rebounds to help his team beat the Gonzaga Bulldogs 71–65. Meeks registered a strong run of performances at the end of the season, breaking Tyler Hansbrough's school record for the most rebounds in an NCAA tournament.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/north-carolina-finds-redemption-beats-gonzaga-to-win-ncaa-championship/2017/04/04/18a314e8-18a0-11e7-855e-4824bbb5d748_story.html|title=North Carolina finds redemption, beats Gonzaga to win NCAA championship|last=Culpepper|first=Chuck|date=April 4, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=April 4, 2017}}

College statistics

| style="text-align:left;"| 2013–14

| style="text-align:left;"| North Carolina

| 34 || 17 || 16.3 || .548 || - || .586 || 6.1 || .8 || .3 || .8 || 7.6

| style="text-align:left;"| 2014–15

| style="text-align:left;"| North Carolina

| 37 || 32 || 23.3 || .562 || .000 || .641 || 7.3 || 1.1 || .6 || 1.2 || 11.4

| style="text-align:left;"| 2015–16

| style="text-align:left;"| North Carolina

| 33 || 28 || 20.6 || .563 || – || .708 || 5.9 || 1 || .8 || 1 || 9.8

| style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17

| style="text-align:left;"| North Carolina

| 40 || 40 || 24.3 || .555 || – || .622 || 9.5 || 1 || 1 || 1.2 || 12.5

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

| 144 || 117 || 21.3 || .557 || .000 || .634 || 7.3 || 1 || .7 || 1.1 || 10.4

[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kennedy-meeks-1.html]

Professional career

=Raptors 905 (2017–2018)=

After going undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft, Meeks was signed by the Toronto Raptors for their Summer League team and for training camp. He was waived by the Raptors on October 7, 2017.{{cite news|title=Raptors waive Rautins, Meeks, Wiltjer|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2017/10/07/raptors-waive-rautins-meeks-wiltjer.html|accessdate=October 7, 2017|work=Toronto Star|date=October 7, 2017}} As an affiliate player, he was picked up by the Raptors 905.

=SeaHorses Mikawa (2018–2019)=

On November 24, 2018, Kennedy Meeks signed with the SeaHorses Mikawa of the Japanese B.League.

=Levanga Hokkaido (2019–2020)=

On June 30, 2019, Meeks signed with the Charlotte Hornets for the Summer League.{{cite web |title= UNC Basketball Alumni: Meeks, Hicks to play for Charlotte |date=30 June 2019 |url=https://keepingitheel.com/2019/06/30/unc-basketball-alumni-meeks-hicks-to-play-for-charlotte/amp/ |publisher= Keeping it Heel |accessdate= July 1, 2019}}

On September 26, 2019, Meeks signed with Levanga Hokkaido of the Japanese B.League.

=Seoul Samsung Thunders (2020–2021)=

On December 20, 2020, Meeks signed with the Seoul Samsung Thunders of the South Korean KBL to reunite with former Tar Heel teammate Isaiah Hicks.{{cite web |title= UNC Basketball: Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks are teammates again |date=23 December 2020 |url=https://keepingitheel.com/2020/12/23/unc-basketball-kennedy-meeks-isiah-hicks-teammates/ |publisher= Keeping it Heel |accessdate= January 9, 2021}}

=Cholet Basket (2021–2022)=

On September 29, 2021, Meeks signed with Cholet Basket of the LNB Pro A.{{Cite web|date=2021-09-29|title=Kennedy Meeks signs for Cholet Basket in France|url=https://tarheelinternational.com/2021/09/29/kennedy-meeks-signs-for-cholet-basket-in-france/|access-date=2021-11-06|website=Tar Heel International|language=en-US}}

= Taoyuan Paiuan Pilots (2023-2024) =

On September 23, 2023, Meeks signed with Taoyuan Pauian Pilots of the P.League+.

= Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers (2024-present) =

On October 1, 2024, Meeks signed with the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL).{{cite news |title=攻城獅網羅「季後賽強敵」簽下內外兼具大前鋒米克獅 |url=https://sports.ettoday.net/news/2827159 |date=October 1, 2024 |work=ETtoday |access-date=October 1, 2024 }}