The Walker Kessler case may be more complicated than we think.
When Carolina swooped in late and stole Kessler from Duke, it looked like a recruiting coup. Now, after Kessler entered the transfer portal and landed at Auburn, we are not sure what to make of it.
Kessler came out of high school as an honor student and 5-star prospect. He missed valuable time in COVID protocol before the season and only showed his potential late. But that wasn’t good enough for his family, which fashioned him as a 7-foot stretch 4-5 man who could shoot the 3-ball and take it to the hole, two skills Kessler has yet to demonstrate consistently on the college level.
Roy Williams offered to show Kessler’s father the practice tape and told him, “Players who make open outside shots can take them during games and players get the minutes they earn in practice.” Ol’ Roy has a short fuse when his 33 years of coaching is questioned.
It’s a generational story, parental interference, from Tom McMillen back in the 1970s to Shavlik Randolph in the 21st century. But the Kesslers going with Bruce Pearl, a convicted NCAA cheater who is still under scrutiny, leaves their choice somewhat puzzling.
Kessler’s brother is a lawyer in the town of Auburn, which makes the move somewhat easier to understand. It’s also similar to the McMillan family, where one brother worked at a bank in Chapel Hill and another was a former All-ACC player at Maryland.
And even returning to Carolina might have still labeled Kessler as a villain, perhaps seen as hastening Williams’ decision to retire.
Already, some Tar Heel fans are openly worried that promoting Hubert Davis is taking their basketball program down another Matt Doherty rabbit hole; that is wholly unfair when you compare Hubert’s training and basketball connections to Doherty’s thin resume.
Regardless, Davis has to meet the 60-year standard at UNC. He admitted he has to learn how to use the controversial transfer portal, and it may take him a year or two to decide how to combat that and other sleazy elements going on around the sport.
In the meantime, we can follow from afar whether Walker Kessler turns out to be an All-American like McMillen at Maryland, the bust Randolph was at Duke or something in between.
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Great piece and interesting perspective. To those worried about Hubert Davis and comparing it to the Matt Doherty situation, they should stop. I disagree with Art about Doherty’s resume. He was an assistant under Bob McKillop (a great college BB coach) for 3 years and 7 years under Roy Williams and his first game as Carolina’s HC was not his first game he’d been a college varsity HC – unlike Coach Davis. Similar coaching resumes, but it just didn’t work out with Matt Doherty. He and Hubert Davis are completely different people. Stay positive everyone.
Why hasn’t he singed the kid from marquite
Why in the world is Hubert Davis turning away 7 foot five star players when our team needs them next year I don’t understand him sorry
We need to go after 6’10 center out of Richmond VA..
The center from VA we need to get..
Lol. Good lord.