DURHAM — Five days before Saturday’s game against Duke, Kennedy Meeks took to Twitter to voice his frustration.
After receiving criticism regarding his recent play and his spot in the starting lineup, he expressed his support for teammate Isaiah Hicks — who started the second half of Monday’s win against Syracuse — and Coach Roy Williams.
“It’s a love-hate thing. People love you when you’re doing good, people hate you when you’re doing bad,” said Hicks about Meeks’ tweets. “We were just like, ‘Don’t worry about that. Play your game. You can’t worry about other people that aren’t in here.’”
And with the ACC regular season championship at stake, Meeks tuned out the naysayers and delivered.
With 12 points and 14 rebounds — which tied his career high on the boards — the junior forward recorded his first double-double since the season opener in UNC’s 76-72 win over the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Since returning from a bruised bone in his left knee on Jan. 9 against Syracuse, Meeks was averaging 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game heading into Saturday.
“It’s been hard, but at the same time, that’s what the team is for,” said Meeks of his struggles. “Everybody keeps each other’s spirits up. I think my teammates are the greatest group on earth. I have the greatest coaches on Earth, just to keep me motivated.
“That’s what players need when they’re in a slump.”
But in the early minutes of Saturday’s win, Meeks hardly looked like the player of recent weeks, providing eight points and five rebounds before the second media timeout.
