Walker Kessler

[Jimmy Chitwood]

now a sophomore at Auburn, the former UNC Tarheel (where “for some reason” he was an after thought) has been a dominant force on the defensive side of the court since setting foot on campus in the SEC, and over the past six games he has emerged as a dominant playmaker on BOTH ends.

he’s scored in double figures in all six of those games, hitting for 20+ twice. his WORST shooting night over that stretch is a 5-10 night; yes, you read that correctly. that was his worst game. during this year, he’s gone 9-11, 7-11, 8-10, 5-10, 9-11, and 6-9. (he is shooting 62.9% for the season.) he appears to have finally realized that his combination of length and athleticism is unstoppable around the rim ... and he’s been dunking on heads ever since. he’s pulled down 10, 6, 7, 12, 9, and 12 rebounds in those games, as well.

defensively, he’s been simply phenomenal, and i’m not using that word lightly. his blocked shot totals are something perhaps unseen in the SEC since Shaquille O’Neal played for LSU. over the last six games, Kessler has swatted 7, 6, 2, 2, 4, and 8 shots. and he had a triple-double against the aforementioned LSU, swatting 11 shots while snagging 10 boards and scoring 16 (on 6-8 shooting).

Walker Kessler is an absolute monster.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

 

[Bucky]

Kessler is a big reason for Auburn's Number 1 ranking! Predictably, they are hyping his PF teammate as Top 5 pick. Well his name is Jabaari. Much more upside in that name than say Walker.

Between him and Holmgren, we have some ELITE Shot Blockers to watch come Tournament time.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Kessler is a big reason for Auburn's Number 1 ranking! Predictably, they are hyping his PF teammate as Top 5 pick. Well his name is Jakaari. Much more upside in that name than say Walker.

Between him and Holmgren, we have some ELITE Shot Blockers to watch come Tournament time.

to think what could have been ... Gonzaga really wanted Kessler, but he chose to transfer to Auburn. what a front line the Zags would’ve had with Holmgren, Kessler, and Timme. i can dream, right?

 

[Bucky]

That Gonzaga team would have been stacked JC!

 

[white lightning]

Kessler is the best defensive center in the NCAA. Then he can also beat you on offense. What an amazing basketball player.

 

[The Hock]

I caught part of game downtown and noticed this guy didn't know who he was but I quickly saw he was an impact player.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Walker had game-highs of 9 rebounds and 4 blocks, while chipping in with 2 steals and a coolly efficient 10 points (5-7 shooting) in 29 minutes for the #1-ranked Tigers in a narrow win over Georgia. he also only committed 1 turnover.

the long and athletic 7-foot post continues to outplay his darker, and more hyped, teammate, Jabari Smith (who many insist should be the first player drafted by the NBA), yet is barely getting any buzz as a potential draft pick himself.

these two would make an excellent Player A-Player B post, if time permits. one wonders what it takes to get the scouts’ attention ...

 

[Phall]

I remember scratching my chin when Walker Kessler picked Auburn to transfer to from from UNC. And the Tigers didn't welcome him in right away!

Now, he's the top exemplar on defense and one of the first few on the Tigers' offense, every night. Auburn hit #1 in the polls!

Weird reminder: two years ago, Hunter Dickinson was ranked #54 as a prospect out of high school, and Walker Kessler was ranked #42. I wonder which player will find an NBA home role first.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

here are a couple of recent articles on Walker Kessler:

https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball...bama-on-both-ends-of-court-in-auburn-win.html

Kessler has been the best interior defender in the country this season, and his two-way impact is one of the key reasons why Auburn has ascended to the top of the college basketball world. But he was relegated to little more than a spectator in the first rivalry matchup against Alabama, and he wanted to make amends the second time out.

And, boy, did he.

Kessler’s preposterous line — which was just the fourth time since 2010 a Division I player has posted at least 14 points, 12 boards, eight blocks and four steals, according to sports-reference data—helped Auburn dominate the interior on both ends against Alabama ... They blocked twice as many shots as Alabama (10-5), with Kessler registering an absurd block rate of 34.6 percent ...

Kessler finished the game as a plus-13 — the best among Auburn’s starters — and he finished with a game-high PER of 20.4 and a team-best 82.8 defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions). More than just his undeniable impact on the defensive end, though, Kessler’s efficiency in the post on the offensive side nearly matched it.

He finished with a 114.6 offensive rating, shot 6-of-8 inside the arc and had a true shooting percentage of 70 percent as he scored in double figures for the sixth straight game.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nc...list-for-kareem-abdul-jabbar-award/ar-AATuSz0

Walker Kessler has been named one of the 10 finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Friday.

Kessler has been a dominant force for the top-ranked Tigers. He is averaging 11.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks in his first season at Auburn. His 93 blocks are second-most in the country by one player and are more than 292 DI basketball teams have all season.

Kessler has recorded eight double-doubles and the second-ever triple-double in program history when he recorded 16 points, 11 blocks, and 10 rebounds against LSU.

 

[Truthteller]

Thanks for the updates on Kessler, JC.

 

[white lightning]

Number 1 ranked Auburn lost a close game in overtime today. Despite this loss, Walker Kessler was amazing! He might be the best all around player in the NCAA!

Walker Kessler 16 points, 19 rebounds and 7 blocked shots! Who does this? No one except Mr. Kessler. I think he is better than Holmgren at this point but
Holmgren is younger so that's to be expected. Kessler is the most dominant center in the NCAA. He should be a top 5 pic in the first round in a fair nba draft!

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Number 1 ranked Auburn lost a close game in overtime today. Despite this loss, Walker Kessler was amazing! He might be the best all around player in the NCAA!

Walker Kessler 16 points, 19 rebounds and 7 blocked shots! Who does this? No one except Mr. Kessler. I think he is better than Holmgren at this point but
Holmgren is younger so that's to be expected. Kessler is the most dominant center in the NCAA. He should be a top 5 pic in the first round in a fair nba draft!

Kessler was the best player on the court in this ugly but VERY intense game.

despite his big numbers, the reason Auburn lost was because his “teammates” froze him out. nearly all his shot attempts (outside his 3-pt attempts) were after he had hauled in one of his 8 offensive rebounds. if you think i’m exaggerating, take a look at the shot totals of the prominent Tigers in this outing:

starters:
Kessler : 6-11 field goals for 16 points in 33 minutes
Smith: 6-16 field goals for 20 points
Green, Jr.: 9-21 field goals for 19 points
Johnson: 1-7 field goals for 2 points
Flanagan: 2-5 field goals for 6 points
off the bench:
Williams: 1-7 field goals for 2 points in just 14 minutes
Cambridge: 2-8 field goals for 5 points in 27 minutes
Cardwell: 3-4 field goals for 6 points

as you can see, only two other players on his team approached his efficiency, yet the inept affletes were chucking up shots like mad.

i’m curious what Kessler’s mindset is the day after ...

 

[icsept]

Wtf? Kessler with 12 blocks against Texas A&M!

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Wtf? Kessler with 12 blocks against Texas A&M!

it was also his second triple-double of the season: 12 points on 5-7 shooting, 11 rebounds, and the aforementioned 12 blocks. as an aside, he outperformed his teammate, Jabari Smith (who is expected to be a top-3 pick in the nba draft) in nearly every measurable category. again.

just imagine what he could do if he was talented!

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

i’ll link some recent reports below, which include some eye-popping comparisons regarding what Kessler is doing this season and some “interesting” double speak. seriously, how do these guys wrap their minds into such pretzels? (no quotes from the links due to my lack of time at the moment)

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/walker-kessler-named-co-sec-005831744.html

https://www.tennessean.com/story/sp...e-player-unc-transfer-bruce-pearl/6767181001/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nc...le-oneal-roy-rogers-with-this-feat/ar-AATNpgz

 

[El Gringo]

i’ll link some recent reports below, which include some eye-popping comparisons regarding what Kessler is doing this season and some “interesting” double speak. seriously, how do these guys wrap their minds into such pretzels? (no quotes from the links due to my lack of time at the moment)

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/walker-kessler-named-co-sec-005831744.html

https://www.tennessean.com/story/sp...e-player-unc-transfer-bruce-pearl/6767181001/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nc...le-oneal-roy-rogers-with-this-feat/ar-AATNpgz

“He’s not the Tigers best player, but he is there most valuable player” Is pretty much the narrative the sob’s are pushing. Thanks for the updates on this kid JC. You know thing s have to be bad caste wise in North Carolina when Kessler is thriving under Bruce Pearl rather than the Tar Heels.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

“He’s not the Tigers best player, but he is there most valuable player” Is pretty much the narrative the sob’s are pushing. Thanks for the updates on this kid JC. You know thing s have to be bad caste wise in North Carolina when Kessler is thriving under Bruce Pearl rather than the Tar Heels.

hahaha!!! yes, sir! that little snippet caught my attention, too.

and it’s not like (((Pearl))) is a friend of the White athlete by any stretch, but even his cheating ass can see how dominant Kessler is. just goes to show how far Cryin’ Roy Williams has fallen since his days with the Kansas Jayhawks.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

in Auburn’s 26 games thus far, Kessler has blocked 4+ shots in 18 of them (and blocked at least 6 nine times). perhaps equally as impressive, he’s managed to avoid picking up the ubiquitous “defending while White” fouls that are so common, having only fouled out of 3 contests up to this point.

he is the premier shot blocker in the country.

 

[Phall]

Kessler is shooting up draft boards and has reached the projected top 25. He wasn't considered an NBA prospect AT ALL as of November 2021. His game log stat lines keep getting beefier.

https://www.tankathon.com/players/walker-kessler

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Kessler is one of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. he was also named as a third-team AP All-American.

i still think of what could’ve been if he’d joined Gonzaga’s frontline ... but he’s certainly shined this season. he is the only men’s Division I player to have two triple doubles this year.

 

[white lightning]

Kessler is one of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. he was also named as a third-team AP All-American.

i still think of what could’ve been if he’d joined Gonzaga’s frontline ... but he’s certainly shined this season. he is the only men’s Division I player to have two triple doubles this year.

I love watching this guy play. To compare him to a black player from the past I would say possibly Kevin Garnet. Kessler is a far better shot blocker though than Garnet, Durant
or many other nba all stars from the past and present. In a fair world he should be a top 10 pick. The guy has the best all around game in all of the NCAA in my honest opinion.