Less than 24 hours after the 2017 Tar Heels tied the nylon that once hung from the rims at University of Phoenix Stadium to the plastic snap closures on their national championship hats, Justin Jackson stepped up to the microphone.
He stood on the Smith Center’s makeshift stage, preparing to address the delighted fans welcoming the triumphant Tar Heels home. But before the ACC Player of the Year could look back on the season that so-famously redeemed the 2016 squad, the crowd voiced what it wanted for the future.
“One more year!" people chanted. "One more year! One more year!”
The junior flashed an ear-to-ear grin, taking his audience’s suggestion to stay for his senior season as a compliment. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t talk about which jersey he would wear next while he addressed the fans. He left the speculation to everyone else.
Seniors Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks and Nate Britt also gave their spiels in front of the crowd. But, of course, they couldn’t linger another year if they wanted to.
In effect, life without those three — North Carolina’s best rebounder, most efficient post scorer and most capable ball handler behind Joel Berry II — was already being imagined. And once Jackson and first-year forward Tony Bradley declared for the NBA Draft, the replacement of these key graduates turned into an afterthought for many North Carolina fans.
The reality is, though, the departure of Meeks, Hicks and Britt will spur just as many — if not more — questions for North Carolina this season as Jackson and Bradley's. After all, the Tar Heels won’t know exactly what to expect from their frontcourt or their No. 2 point guard for the first time in two years.
First, the big men. Meeks and Hicks led the most formidable rebounding frontcourt in all of college basketball last year, as North Carolina ended with the most offensive rebounds and highest rebounding margin in the country. They both averaged double-digit points in their final seasons, combining for 962 of 1,425 points scored by North Carolina’s post players.
Down the stretch of the NCAA Tournament, Meeks played some of the best basketball of his career. He peaked in the Final Four against Oregon, going off for 25 points and 14 rebounds, including an iconic one-handed offensive rebound snag that cemented UNC’s win. Against Gonzaga, Hicks notched a season-high nine rebounds along with 13 points — including the go-ahead shot with less than 30 seconds remaining. North Carolina never relinquished that lead.
