North Carolina Basketball: This is Kennedy Meeks’ last chance to put it all together

North Carolina basketball’s Kennedy Meeks continues our “Comeback Season” series.

Over the next few weeks, Busting Brackets will be breaking down players who are set to rebound following a disappointing 2015-16 campaign.

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Our “Comeback Season” series will highlight top players across the country who are set to positively re-emerge into the national spotlight.  

As an underclassman, Kennedy Meeks looked to be one of the more promising young big men in the country.

Meeks burst onto the scene as a freshman with a 13-point, 12-rebound, 7-assist performance against reigning National Champion Louisville. In North Carolina’s early season upset win, Meeks showcased his ability to use his wide frame to create space underneath and showed off his incredible outlet passing.

Meeks went on to put together a solid freshman campaign, averaging 7.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He was then able to improve upon those numbers the following season when he was starting more consistently.

During his sophomore year, Meeks ended up finishing in the top ten in a stacked ACC in PER (player efficiency rating), and was expected to have a breakout junior season as his role continued to increase.

This junior year breakout never happened though.

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There are many explanations as to why Meeks regressed last season, and many of them are legitimate. Roy Williams likes to play a lot of big men and rotates them constantly to keep them fresh, so Meeks was never consistently playing more than 20 minutes a game.

It was also tough for any post player not named Brice Johnson to really shine for the Tar Heels. Johnson ended up being a First Team All-American and led Carolina in scoring and rebounding.

Meeks dealing with a deep bone bruise in his left knee for much of last season didn’t help matters either.

At the end of the day, Meeks never quite looked like the player UNC expected him to be. His per-40 minute numbers were the worst of his career and he seemed disinterested at times.

Seeing as how Meeks was sharing minutes with the likes of Isaiah Hicks, a bouncy, energetic big man who ended up being the ACC Sixth Man of the Year, he needed to be engaged on both sides of the ball to keep his spot in the rotation. This did not happen.

To get back on track this season offensively, Meeks needs to demand the ball in the post and stay active around the basket. Last season, Meeks had the best game of the season against NC State when he was getting deep post position and getting into his moves quickly.

Everything Meeks did in this game was right around the basket. He also showed off his great hands, as he was able to collect some tough offensive rebounds and poor passes and still convert them into points.

On the defensive side of the ball, Meeks’ improvement also lies in increasing his activity level. What he lacks in natural athleticism, he makes up for in wingspan and defensive instincts.

In this same game against NC State, Meeks had three blocks that came from either positioning himself well, or being able to make up ground if he got beat with his long arms. He cannot utilize his defensive strengths if he is not consistently engaged.

Coming off a heartbreaking loss in the National Championship, North Carolina is expected to once again be among the nation’s elite this season. While their two star seniors, Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson graduated, they still have the pieces to put together a title run if certain players step-up.

Meeks looked to be on a steady climb towards college basketball stardom in his first two seasons. If he can become the player so many thought he could be as a junior, the Tar Heels could find themselves right back in the Final Four.