Auburn basketball was the last school standing in the recruiting war for UNC transfer Walker Kessler. It was Bruce Pearl, the long-standing SEC coach who has brought excitement to the hardwood Tigers, that reeled in the former 5-star recruit out of the state of Georgia.
Kessler was recruited hard by Michigan, Gonzaga, and even the Tar Heels–who had to re-recruit him after the retiring Roy Williams buried him on the depth chart.
The Zags, who won their Final Four matchup by a hair over UCLA before being beaten down by Baylor, do not have a FanSided site.
The Wolverines and Tar Heels do, though, and each had their own opinions on the Georgia-born big making his way to the Plains instead of Ann Arbor and Durham, respectively.
GBMWolverine hopes Auburn basketball’s win means they’ll have a win of their own
GBMWolverine’s Chris Peterson is hoping that Walker Kessler committing to Auburn basketball means Big Blue has their own solution at the center position.
Instead of taking to the transfer portal, Peterson wants Hunter Dickinson to return to Michigan after a successful run that saw them fall just shy of the Final Four.
Keepin’ It Heel faces harsh reality with Kessler joining Tar Heel big man exodus
Things were far more grim over at UNC’s FanSided sister site, Keepin’ It Heel.
And Heel…er…real, they kept it.
Zack Pearson recognized that his departure is a problem, and his void further worsens the pivot plight the University of North Carolina faces:
"The news is disappointing for UNC fans as there was rumblings that he would consider coming back for another year with the Tar Heels. That was especially the case after Day’Ron Sharpe and Armando Bacot have decided to test the NBA Draft waters and senior Garrison Brooks announcing he’s entering the transfer portal.But with Kessler’s decision, UNC now doesn’t have a starting big man which puts a little wrench into Davis’ offseason."
As for Fly War Eagle’s reaction, you can check that out here.
War Eagle, and welcome to the Plains Mr. Kessler!