Walker Kessler College Days: How Auburn Turned a Backup Into an NBA Defensive Force

There’s a version of Walker Kessler‘s story where none of this happens. Where a rough NCAA Tournament performance defines him, where the questions about his athleticism stick, and where he quietly fades into the background of professional basketball. That version didn’t work out. However, it was close enough to be significant.

Kessler was raised in a family that was familiar with the appearance of an NBA locker room in Newnan, Georgia. His father, Chad, played college ball at the University of Georgia and was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1987. His uncle Alec was a first-round pick in 1990 — 12th overall, which is a real number that carries real weight. Walker’s father’s tales and shaky old footage are the main sources of information about Alec, as he lost his uncle when he was still a small child. That has a subtle poignancy to it. A family legacy handed down not through shared experience, but through memory and tape.

He arrived at the University of North Carolina as a five-star recruit, which is about as promising a start as college basketball offers. But promising starts don’t guarantee playing time. Behind starter Armando Bacot, Kessler appeared in 29 games as a reserve during the 2020-21 season, averaging just over four points and three rebounds. That must have hurt for a player with his physical advantages, such as his 7-foot-2 stature, long arms, and exceptional timing. Perhaps things would have gotten better on their own, but Kessler didn’t wait to find out.

At the time, the move to Auburn seemed risky. Transferring is rarely presented as the obvious right thing to do at the time. However, what followed made the choice seem almost prophetic. Kessler averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and a nation-leading 4.6 blocks per game while starting all 34 games during the 2021–22 campaign. It’s worth sitting with that final figure. Being the top block scorer in the nation is more than just a statistic; it speaks volumes about the type of player he was. The Associated Press selected him for the third team All-America, and the SEC named him Defensive Player of the Year. He was perhaps the most disruptive defender in college basketball for a single season. Miami followed.

Kessler experienced what he has described as one of the most trying times of his career when he got into foul trouble against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Nothing made sense. His draft prospects, which were already in doubt due to concerns about his athleticism and foot speed at the next level, suffered. He slid to the 22nd pick. After choosing him, Memphis traded his rights to Utah right away. Before joining the Jazz as part of the Rudy Gobert trade, he spent less than a month as a Timberwolf.

It’s hard not to notice the strange chain of events that brought him there. A bad game led to a draft slide, which led to a trade, which led to another trade, which placed him on a rebuilding team where he could actually play. The Jazz gave him minutes, gave him a role, and gave him room to become what scouts had been arguing about for months.

Kessler told The Athletic that losing to Miami made him mature in ways that winning had not. He’d never ended a season that way. As a self-described perfectionist, he had to learn — really learn — that one game doesn’t define a career. The lesson seems to have taken place. His averages of 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks during his rookie campaign were impressive. Three Rookie of the Month awards. a choice for the All-Rookie First Team. a place in the Rising Stars Competition.

Walker Kessler in college, who sat behind Bacot and fouled out against Miami, seems like a completely different person than the center who now gives NBA ballhandlers serious second thoughts in the paint. But that’s precisely how he arrived here, despite all the detours and difficult times along the way. Sometimes it’s necessary to take every wrong turn in order to arrive at the right place.