No one in the country suffered a more heart breaking end to the season than North Carolina, but Kennedy Meeks returning to school has to be the kind of news that can soften the blow and bring on some promise for a return to the Final Four.
Meeks struggled with his health as a junior, but still put up 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a non-featured big next to Brice Johnson. Still, when Meeks was effective, one could argue that UNC was at their best–yet he only scored in double-figures seven times after the New Year, three of which came in the NCAA Tournament.
As for his NBA Draft chances, Meeks wasn’t a guy that was expected to be picked with his health questions and having yet to prove himself to be a consistent difference maker (at an elite level, anyway) in college. Returning to school seemed like a no brainer, especially with it looking like the NCAA will pass over the men’s basketball program with its penalties. Meeks will finally have a chance to be the featured big man for Roy Williams next season and with a full offseason to get healthy, he could be in store for a huge jump in production and possibly even NBA potential.
Now, most of the attention in Chapel Hill turns towards the decision of Justin Jackson as he goes through the evaluation process of the NBA Draft. Kennedy Meeks returning to school won’t exactly be something that fully convinces Jackson to return, but the prospect of making another run in the NCAA Tournament could be an enticing factor in Jackson’s decision.
