Inside Steven Pearl’s sales pitch to Walker Kessler

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Inside Steven Pearl’s sales pitch to Walker Kessler

By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

9-11 minutes

A desire to be closer to his home in Newnan combined with a Steven Pearl-led reworked sales pitch finally brought Walker Kessler to Auburn. Kessler picked Auburn after entering the transfer portal following the 2020 season at North Carolina.

“I didn’t realize how important it was to me until going kind of far away from home. And I understand how important being close to family is now,” Kessler said in a sit-down interview with AL.com after a recent Auburn practice. I missed home cooking; I missed dropping off my laundry. Being close to home has been unbelievable because my family and then we also have a lake house near Lake Martin, which is an hour away from Auburn; it has been the perfect location for me.”

Kessler’s ascension for No. 2 Auburn Tigers (16-1, 4-0 SEC) started well before earning the second triple-double in men’s basketball history during Auburn’s 70-55 December 29th victory against LSU.

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Kessler scored 16 points, which was the most he scored in a Tiger uniform for the 7′1 sophomore center. He added 11 blocks and 10 rebounds to get a triple-double in the Tigers SEC-opener.

Kessler had already garnered acclaim for blocking shots and rebounding, but adding scoring to the equation has made his pairing with freshman Jabari Smith one of the best big man duos in the country. He and Auburn got a second chance to fall for each other after Kessler’s freshman season at North Carolina.

Kessler was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of Woodward Academy after winning the first state title in the school’s history. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl and assistant coach Steven Pearl noticed a lanky freshman at a side gym during an AAU tourney in Atlanta three years before Kessler picked North Carolina over Auburn, Duke, and others.

“We told his dad that he’s going to be a really good player,” Steven Pearl told AL.com after a recent Tigers practice. “He said, “don’t tell my son that I don’t want him getting a big head.” BP said that when you’re okay letting us offer him, let us know.”

Success for Kessler, in some ways, shouldn’t surprise acute basketball observers. He’s the son of Chip Kessler, the nephew of Alec Kessler, and brother of Hunter Kessler. Chip played at Georgia and was drafted in 1987 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Chip got cut in camp, but is now a successful surgeon. Uncle Alec is Georgia’s No. 2 career-scoring leader at 1,788 points, a 1990 All-American, and a 1990 lottery pick (12th overall) of the Houston Rockets.

Kessler gets acknowledged quickly by older fans in the conference who remember those who came before him.

“In the southeast, primarily, the name Kessler is known by basketball fans,” Kessler said. " And so being recognized, and that, you know, I get, it’s just, it’s an honor, you know, to be a part of, like, you, it’s not just me, like, my whole, like, my family has done great things. And even not in basketball. My brother played basketball at Georgia; he’s gone and has become a lawyer. He passed the bar in Georgia and Alabama, and my sister has become an ER nurse. I’m happy to be a part of the Kessler name.”

Family factored into Kessler’s decision to transfer to Auburn after averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds during his freshman season at North Carolina. Kessler got off to a rough start with the Tar Heels but finished the season strong. In February, Kessler showed flashes of that McDonald’s All-American talent, scoring at least 10 points per game during a four-game stretch. The highlight was 20 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks in a comeback win over Florida State. He also dominated Notre Dame in the ACC tournament, going for 16 points, 12 rebounds, and eight blocks.

Kessler had a lot of suitors when he announced his entry into the portal. Auburn landed Kessler over major powers such as Michigan, Duke, and Gonzaga.

“Coach Steven and the Auburn coaching staff were the first schools to offer me and recruit me. And I’ve always had a great relationship with him being close with them.” Kessler told AL.com, “You know when he called when I entered the transfer portal, and it meant the world to me, you know because I still had that relationship with him and to see that he still didn’t have, you know, harsh feelings towards me.”

Steven acknowledged there were some hurt feelings.

“We were under the impression that he was visiting North Carolina as a courtesy. He goes to North Carolina and falls in love with it,” Steven Pearl said. " He called us on a Sunday night and told us he was going to North Carolina. We were heartbroken. We had developed a good relationship with him and his family. It was tough for us to swallow.”

Of course, the heart can mend quickly when getting an opportunity to rekindle a relationship.

“We got an opportunity to show what we’ve done with our big men that shoot well,” Steven said. “We had to re-do our presentation on how’d we’d use Walker. Playing with Jabari was a big selling point. Jabari asked if he could join a Zoom himself when we were recruiting Walker.”

Kessler takes the pressure off Smith on the defensive end as a rim protector. On offense, Kessler can spread the court with his three-point shooting or his work around the rim with tip-back dunks. He shot 5-5 for 10 points on January 4th against South Carolina in a win with shots mainly in the paint.

“You don’t even know. Just being able to pressure the ball knowing you’ve got the best shot-blocker in the country behind you is just a joy to have,” Smith, who averages 16.6 points a game, said about Kessler after the triple-double against LSU. “When you think you’re beaten, he’s just blocking it to help you, or he’s altering the shot. It’s just great to have him. He’s playing great. He’s a great teammate. He’s a big reason why I came here.”

As great as Kessler had been, he needed a bounce-back game on Saturday night in Oxford. Kessler fouled out in consecutive games in wins against Alabama and home against Florida. With Kessler out, the Gators and Tide scored at the rim with more ease. Auburn won both contests, but Kessler’s absence was noticeable.

“When you look at Walker, he’s one of the best defensive players in the league because he’s one of the best shot blockers in the country,” Bruce Pearl said before the Ole Miss game. “The game plan would be to try to go at him and get him in foul trouble. So they’re going at him. And verticality is verticality. And hopefully, he can continue to be vertical. And they’re going to keep going at him, and he’s going to continue to be vertical and block shots. Not much more I can say.”

Ole Miss had a 14 point lead against Auburn before Kessler found his groove. Kessler matched career-high with 20 points, adding 10 rebounds, seven blocks, and four steals. The points were important, but his rim protection was even more critical as Auburn outscored the Rebels 42-27 during the second-half comeback.

Head coach Bruce Pearl lauded Kessler’s effort as Auburn enters Wednesday’s game against rival Georgia on a 13-game winning streak. Kessler spent extra time working on slide drills and not getting called as often for fouls leading into the Ole Miss game. The work paid off in the Auburn win.

“We go to Ole Miss. They go right at Walker,” Bruce Pearl said. “He gets one, but he doesn’t get any more than that. And he’s able to dominate the paint. He’s able to dominate the rim, both offensively and defensively, pretty much for about 30 minutes of that basketball game.

“So good for him to have the mental toughness and fortitude to be able to bounce back and help us get that win.”

Kessler will need to show a different type of fortitude when the Dawgs come to visit. He grew up regularly attending games at Georgia.

“Whenever we went to Georgia to see games, we got to see my uncle’s jersey and see my dad’s picture on the walls,” Kessler said. It was fantastic to be around that and see what the school meant to my family.”

It’s one thing to pick North Carolina out of high school, but Kessler wanted to get closer to his family in Newnan, Georgia, after a tough season in Chapel Hill. He could’ve gone to Georgia, but Auburn’s pitch and growth as a program swayed Kessler. His joining the Tigers and KD Johnson transferring from UGA (5-12, 0-4 SEC) factor into why Auburn could be a championship contender while the Bulldogs are underdogs.

“It’s absolutely a trap game, but it’s a trap game against our rival. It’s a trap game that we split the last two years with,” Bruce Pearl said. I can point very easily to Saturday night when Ole Miss came out, and the first 17 minutes, it’s like being in a boxing match and just getting absolutely pounded.”

Athens is under two hours away from his ancestral home near Lake Martin. Auburn is less than an hour from there, giving him ample opportunities to see his mom and dad. Oh, and playing for a potential Final Four run isn’t so bad either.

“It’s a blessing to be able to drive over the house and see my folks for a bit and get back to Auburn the same night,” Kessler said. I couldn’t ask for a better fanbase with the Auburn family. I’m thankful that I’m an Auburn Tiger.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nwilborn19