UNC Basketball: Is Walker Kessler a star in the making?

Is Walker Kessler’s recent success a sign that the freshman big man is developing into a future star for the UNC basketball program?

On Saturday afternoon, the UNC basketball program picked up its most impressive win of the 2020-2021 regular season. After trailing by as many as 16 points, the Tar Heels battled back to defeat No. 11 ranked Florida State in the Dean Dome.

The first half was rough for Roy Williams’ team, but the Tar Heels were able to pick it up over the final 20 minutes of play to capture their 15th win on the season. If you’re looking for the team’s standout player, look no further than freshman big man Walker Kessler.

Kessler put together his best performance so far as a Tar Heel, and picked a great day to do so. The Fairburn, GA native set new career-highs in minutes played (24), field goals made (9), points (20), rebounds (8) and blocks (4). He shot 90% from the floor, and made both of his free throw attempts.

Armando Bacot and Day’Ron Sharpe dealt with foul trouble throughout the entire game, which led Williams to rely on Kessler more than usual. Luckily for the Tar Heels, Kessler was up for the challenge and made the most of his extra opportunities on the floor.

Now, is it too early to say that Kessler is on the verge of becoming a future star for the Tar Heels?

Based on his most recent stretch of games, it’s not out of the question to think that it’s very possible.

If you go back to the Tar Heels first matchup against Duke, it appeared as if Kessler’s role in the rotation was starting to be extremely limited. In the four games prior, the freshman logged just 13 total minutes of action, and saw the floor for just two minutes against the Blue Devils.

Ever since that epic win in Durham, Kessler’s role began to grow.

In five games since, Kessler has averaged 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game over 13.6 minutes played per contest. Kessler has shot 50% or better from the floor in each of those contests, as he’s been very effective with shot opportunities.

When he’s on the court, Kessler brings high energy and effort that definitely provides a spark for this Tar Heels team. He has shown the ability to run the floor, and is often very active on both ends of the floor.

It often takes time for a freshman to transition to the college game. Without a true summer and fall workout program, freshmen around the country were at even more of a disadvantage this year, as they have been forced to essentially learn and develop on the fly.

Kessler definitely was impacted by the factors that were simply out of the Tar Heels control. However, as the season goes along, you can tell that the freshman is becoming more comfortable with the college game.

We could go back in time and point out examples of former Tar Heel big men who had their fair share of bumps and bruises along the way. Fortunately, we don’t have to look too far back in the archives, as two of Kessler’s teammates are prime examples of Tar Heel big men development.

Let’s start with Garrison Brooks, who has developed into one of the best big men in the ACC. The now senior saw his role increase over his tenure at Chapel Hill, and his game has developed greatly over that span.

The aforementioned Bacot is a more recent Tar Heel big that you can point to. Bacot was solid during his first season, but definitely had his fair share of ups and downs. Now, just a year later, Bacot is leading the team in scoring and the case could be made that he’s been the Tar Heels best player.

Now, due to the Tar Heels depth in the front court, Kessler hasn’t been “thrown into the fire” as Brooks and Bacot were. However, this could benefit the freshman, as he has the opportunity to work with the Tar Heels talented core of big men without having the pressure of being thrusted into a major role early on.

Everyone’s path is different. Players develop and adjust to the college game at their own pace.

If you’re looking at recent data, you could make some conclusions regarding the future status of Walker Kessler.

For starters, you could make the case that Kessler is finally adjusting to the college game. More importantly, the freshman is starting to figure out the ACC and how the Tar Heels biggest foes operate, as he’s been very effective in the Tar Heels four most recent conference games. That’s a big step for a young player, as this helps them grow once they get used to the new level of play.

If you’re looking more towards the future, you could see that Kessler has the potential to be the next great big man in Chapel Hill. Based on his recent play, it looks as if his role will continue to expand over the Tar Heels last stretch of games, and it’s not out of the question to think that Kessler will be a starter for this team come the start of next season.

Now, don’t get confused. We’re not getting his jersey ready to hang in the rafters among the greatest Tar Heels ever. We know that Kessler still has a lot of time to prove himself.

However, based on his recent performance, it looks as if Roy Williams may have a future star player in the making.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Walker Kessler and the UNC basketball program.