UNC Basketball: Neither Duke nor Kentucky will get Walker Kessler

Former 5-star recruit and rising freshman center Walker Kessler is leaving the UNC basketball program, but neither Duke nor Kentucky will play a factor in his relocation.

It’s been one week since freshman center Walker Kessler shook the North Carolina basketball program and its fans with his decision to leave the team after just one season.

Upon hearing the news of Kessler’s announcement to vacate Chapel Hill and enter the NCAA transfer portal — which happened just three days after the Tar Heels’ blowout loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64 — speculation about where the 7-footer would end up began running rampant among Tar Heel fans, and the college basketball world in general.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs, who were in Kessler’s original list of six finalists, immediately became the prohibitive favorite to land the former 5-star prospect. And to be clear, that really hasn’t changed in the days since Kessler’s announcement. There are, however, a few other teams to keep an eye on as one of the nation’s biggest and most talented bigs enters the ever-popular transfer portal.

According to Rivals’ recruiting analyst Dan McDonald, a quartette of national powers have a shot at keeping Kessler out of Spokane next season, whereas a couple of traditional blue bloods are not even in contention.

"“Gonzaga is firmly in the mix here,” McDonald writes. “It’s a style of play fit for him and a chance to play for one of the top programs in the country right now. There is a track record of development and production for players like him. Keep an eye on Auburn, Michigan and Virginia as well. Tennessee could also be in play. Duke and Kentucky have also put in calls, but don’t expect them to be key players here.”"

So, although both the Blue Devils and Wildcats have both reached out to Kessler, he apparently has no interest in playing for either one of the perennial powerhouse programs. That should give some degree of comfort to UNC fans that were hoping to see Kessler in a Carolina uniform for years to come, and would be absolutely devastated to see him in one of those other shades of blue in the years ahead.

I’m also fully aware that many of you have already completely moved on from Kessler, as he’s no longer a member of the Tar Heels. I, on the other hand, will enjoy seeing the path that Kessler takes to the NBA, and rooting for him the entire way. He’s an incredibly talented player with a really high ceiling, and I expect him to do great things in the game of basketball for many years to come.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the UNC basketball program.