West Charlotte graduate suits up for Tar Heels in championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Millions of people will watch Kennedy Meeks in the NCAA championship game Monday night, but before he became a Tar Heel, he was a member of the West Charlotte family.

When Meeks was playing basketball for West Charlotte High School, it was easy to tell that he was someone special, and off the court his presence was just as meaningful off the court, his friends and supporters said.

"He had the best smile and attitude you could want in a kid, and he was always positive," Baronton Terry, his high school coach, said.

Meeks is quickly becoming loved around the country. He traded in his maroon and gold for Carolina blue and white and has played a major role in getting the Tar Heels to the national championship.

Despite all the success, his former coach says he has remained humble.

"It's encouraging to watch Kennedy, who came from this community, go out and let some of the other kids know you can be successful -- you just have to work," Terry said.

His attitude transforms West Charlotte every time he steps inside the school, and no matter what the outcome is Monday night, his principal said Meeks has already made an impact.

"We can kind of push students and say, 'You can do anything you want to do if you put your mind to it and work really hard,'" Dr. Tinisha Barnes-Jones, principal of West Charlotte, said.

The Tar Heels also have another player suiting up for them from the Charlotte area: Luke Mayes, an alumnus of Hough High School.

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