Walker Kessler has a big season ahead in the NBA, while in college basketball, a player is looking to follow in his footsteps.
In the NBA offseason the LA Lakers executed a big trade to acquire center Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz. Speaking at his preseason press conference, GM Rob Pelinka spoke about how rare a player with his profile is.
Kessler entered the NBA in the 2022 Draft after spending a year at the Auburn Tigers, where he transferred from North Carolina.
At their latest press conference, Auburn Tigers head coach Steven Pearl cited Kessler as his inspiration for their newest recruit, Owen Freeman. He spent last year at the Creighton Bluejays.
Pearl, who took over from father Bruce in 2025, explained: “If you look at some of our teams recently and the success that we’ve had offensively, to be able to have a guy like Johni Broome or Jaylin Williams or Walker Kessler or guys that can score with their back to the basket, we have a lot of built-out offense for guys that can do that.
“So going and recruiting Owen was very intentional because Owen is a guy that can really score with his back to the basket. He’s got good hands. He’s got good footwork. He can finish with either hand around the rim.
“Going to get him, that adds a different dimension to that front court and his ability to play four and five.”
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Kessler became the first player in Auburn history to win the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year and was also named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, among a host of other accolades.
Johni Broome, now on the Milwaukee Bucks, went on to win the SEC Player of the Year Award, and was named Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year.
Owen Freeman is going to be a name to watch over the coming year, and beyond.
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