The UNC basketball program had a fantastic 2020 recruiting class headlined by five-star recruits Caleb Love, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Walker Kessler. They also signed four-stars R.J. Davis, Kerwin Walton, and Puff Johnson, putting together a heck of a class.
But two of those key recruits, Sharpe and Kessler, spent just one season on campus and departed in separate ways. While Sharpe went to the NBA Draft where he was selected by Brooklyn, Kessler opted to transfer after just one season in Chapel Hill.
The Georgia native picked UNC over Duke with offers from Michigan and Virginia as well, giving the Tar Heels a legit prospect. However, he then opted to go to Auburn and while rumors swirled, the decision was based on the offensive system. Kessler wanted to be more of a stretch player, playing on the perimeter and did a bit with UNC but he was looking for more of a natural fit.
On Selection Sunday, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl talked to CBS and revealed how he landed Kessler:
“Opportunity. I mean Carolin had a deep front line last year,” Pearl said on an appearance on CBS. “Walker wasn’t able get some time. He improved a lot at North Carolina, he loved Roy Williams. One of the hardest things he had to do was leave North Carolina. He loved his old coach. But he also knew that our system might have been better for him. More of an uptempo system, a system where he would facing, where there would be ball screen and roll and pop as opposed to more of his back to the basket. Because he’s not a back to the basket center.”
Interesting. While some may see it as a subtle shot, Pearl does have a point.
That does line up with the rumors and reports of why Kessler wanted to leave in the first place. The Tar Heels do like to run a system that gets out on the break but with Kessler wanting to stretch the floor more, he obviously didn’t see that happening under Hubert Davis.
Kessler averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game with UNC and has upped that production to 11.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game with Auburn this season.
Oh, what could have been with Kessler and Armando Bacot on this front line.
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