Kennedy Meeks
Kennedy Rashod Meeks (born February 5, 1995) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Cholet Basket of the LNB Pro A.[1] He played college basketball for North Carolina. He is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina.
 Meeks in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game | |
| Taoyuan Pauian Pilots | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 5, 1995 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | West Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
| College | North Carolina (2013–2017) |
| NBA draft | 2017: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2017–present |
| Career history | |
| 2017–2018 | Raptors 905 |
| 2018–2019 | SeaHorses Mikawa |
| 2019–2020 | Levanga Hokkaido |
| 2020–2021 | Seoul Samsung Thunders |
| 2021 | Changwon LG Sakers |
| 2021–2022 | Cholet Basket |
| 2023 | Taoyuan Pauian Pilots |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
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.[2]
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.[3]
Sophomore season (2014–15)
As a sophomore, Meeks was named an honorable mention All-ACC performer.[4] 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.[5] He was in the midst of a scoring slump before the injury, scoring more than 10 points only once in the last eight games.[6]
Junior season (2015–16)
As a junior, Meeks scored a career high 25 points against Temple University.[7] On January 16, 2016, Meeks scored 23 points and 6 rebounds in a 67-55 victory against NC State.[8] 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.[9]
College statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | North Carolina | 34 | 17 | 16.3 | .548 | - | .586 | 6.1 | .8 | .3 | .8 | 7.6 |
| 2014–15 | North Carolina | 37 | 32 | 23.3 | .562 | .000 | .641 | 7.3 | 1.1 | .6 | 1.2 | 11.4 |
| 2015–16 | North Carolina | 33 | 28 | 20.6 | .563 | – | .708 | 5.9 | 1 | .8 | 1 | 9.8 |
| 2016–17 | North Carolina | 40 | 40 | 24.3 | .555 | – | .622 | 9.5 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 12.5 |
| Career | 144 | 117 | 21.3 | .557 | .000 | .634 | 7.3 | 1 | .7 | 1.1 | 10.4 | |
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.[10] 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.[11]
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.[12]
Cholet Basket (2021–2022)
On September 29, 2021, Meeks signed with Cholet Basket of the LNB Pro A.[13]
Career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | MPG | Minutes per game | FG% | Field goal percentage |
| 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game |
| PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high | Led the league | |
| Year | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Raptors 905 | NBA G League | 45 | 27.7 | .505 | .056 | .761 | 9.5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 12.9 |
| 2018–19 | Aishin Sea Horses | B.League | 37 | 32.0 | .493 | .222 | .695 | 11.0 | 5.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 14.7 |
| 2019–20 | Levanga Hokkaido | B.League | 31 | 34.1 | .514 | .364 | .825 | 11.0 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 21.0 |
| 2020–21 | Seoul Samsung Thunders | KBL | 8 | 17.6 | .429 | .000 | .500 | 7.6 | .9 | .6 | .1 | 8.6 |
| 2021-22 | Cholet Basket | LNB Pro A | 25 | 15.5 | .463 | .318 | .818 | 3.6 | .8 | .6 | .3 | 7.4 |
Playoff statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Raptors 905 | 5 | 5 | 25.3 | .488 | .250 | .727 | 9.4 | .8 | .8 | .4 | 9.8 |
| Career | 5 | 5 | 25.3 | .488 | .250 | .727 | 9.4 | .8 | .8 | .4 | 9.8 | |
References
- "Kennedy Meeks signs for Cholet Basket in France". Tar Heel International. 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- Wimberley, Nate (13 March 2013). "Meeks named to McDonald's All American team". WBTV. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- Auerbach, Nicole (8 October 2014). "For North Carolina's Kennedy Meeks, less is more". USA Today. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
- "ACSMA 2015 All-ACC Basketball Teams Announced". Atlantic Coast Conference. 8 March 2015. Archived from the original on 25 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
- "North Carolina's Meeks sprains knee; Sweet 16 status unclear". Fox Sports. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
- Brown, C.L. (March 24, 2015). "Tar Heels' Kennedy Meeks works out". ESPN. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- "Kennedy Meeks scores 25 points, pulls 11 rebounds as UNC rolls Temple". ESPN. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
- "Meeks scores 23 to guide Tar Heels past rival NC State". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
- Culpepper, Chuck (April 4, 2017). "North Carolina finds redemption, beats Gonzaga to win NCAA championship". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- "Raptors waive Rautins, Meeks, Wiltjer". Toronto Star. October 7, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
- "UNC Basketball Alumni: Meeks, Hicks to play for Charlotte". Keeping it Heel. 30 June 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- "UNC Basketball: Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks are teammates again". Keeping it Heel. 23 December 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- "Kennedy Meeks signs for Cholet Basket in France". Tar Heel International. 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
