Former UNC forward Kennedy Meeks — who won a national championship with the Tar Heels in 2017 — agreed last week to a deal with the Samsung Thunders of the Korean Basketball League.

Meeks will join his frontcourt partner from that Tar Heel national title team, Isaiah Hicks, who was already on the team’s roster.

Hicks currently leads the Thunders with averages of 17.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. The team is 13-11 through the season’s first 24 games, good enough for fourth place in the league standings.

Both Meeks and Hicks played four years at UNC after arriving in Chapel Hill with McDonald’s All-American status prior to the 2013-14 season.

Meeks averaged 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in college, while Hicks had career averages of 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Neither player was drafted into the NBA, but both spent time in the NBA G-League. Hicks ultimately earned a chance to play limited minutes in 21 career NBA games with the New York Knicks.

Meeks most recently played professionally in Japan. Hicks spent last season in Russia prior to signing in South Korea.

 

Photo via Todd Melet

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Men's Basketball at NC State (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will make the short drive over to Raleigh Tuesday night to visit NC State at the Lenovo Center. It will be the only meeting of the regular season between the Tar Heels and Wolfpack. Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to listen on the radio can do so at 97.9 FM and 1360 AM, or by streaming the […]
Battered and Bruised, UNC Men's Basketball Shows its Flexibility vs. Pitt
After scoring a season-high 19 points and playing almost 36 minutes in UNC’s 79-65 win against Pitt Saturday at the Smith Center, forward Jarin Stevenson walked into the interview area with a heavy ice wrap on his right elbow. “I fell on it. It’s like a golf ball in there almost, it’s a little swollen,” […]
UNC Men's Basketball Beats Pitt Without Caleb Wilson or Henri Veesaar
Playing without its top two scorers, UNC nevertheless did more than enough to beat visiting Pitt at the Smith Center Saturday afternoon, using a hot shooting start to cruise past the Panthers 79-65. HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/6sOuEEux3n — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 14, 2026   Caleb Wilson’s absence was expected after the star freshman […]
Chansky's Notebook: Breaking News
UNC star Caleb Wilson's fractured left hand, suffered during Tuesday night's loss at Miami, casts the rest of the season in a new light.
UPDATE: UNC Men's Basketball Star Caleb Wilson Suffers Fractured Left Hand at Miami
UNC star freshman forward Caleb Wilson suffered a fractured left hand in the first half of Tuesday night’s 75-66 loss at Miami. The injury was initially reported to be a sprained left wrist and was confirmed as such by a program spokesman, but a release published Thursday afternoon clarified the injury as a fracture. Caleb […]
UNC Men's Basketball vs. Pitt (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will return home to the Smith Center and celebrate Valentine’s Day Saturday afternoon when it hosts Pitt in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels are looking to rebound from a loss at Miami Tuesday night. If you aren’t attending the game, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to listen […]
Chansky's Notebook: Desperation
Anyone who has experienced a hangover understands at least part of the explanation for UNC’s loss at Miami on Tuesday night.
UNC Men's Basketball Falls Flat in Loss at Miami
UNC fell behind early and never led Tuesday night at Miami, falling to the upset-minded Hurricanes 75-66. Miami used red-hot early shooting to build a lead as large as 10 points at 22-12 inside of eight minutes played. After missing their first two shots of the game, the Hurricanes promptly made 11 of their next […]
Chansky's Notebook: The Hangover
UNC will need to avoid a classic trap game when it faces a dangerous Miami Hurricanes team tonight in Coral Gables.
UNC's Caleb Wilson Named ACC Freshman of the Week, National Player of the Week
After leading the Tar Heels to wins against Syracuse and No. 4 Duke, UNC star freshman was named the ACC Freshman of the Week and the Naismith National Player of the Week Monday afternoon. Another one for Caleb 📈 🔗 https://t.co/Gph3xXuFZT pic.twitter.com/TQbBStDu3F — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 9, 2026 National Player of the Week 😮‍💨 […]
›