Auburn basketball star Walker Kessler will enter the 2022 NBA Draft

Auburn basketball's Walker Kessler is entering the NBA Draft.

Zac Blackerby | Apr 3, 2022

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Walker Kessler will enter the 2022 NBA Draft and forgo his remaining eligibility by hiring an agent per multiple reports.

"I am fully committed to the NBA draft," Kessler told ESPN. "I am not planning on returning to college."

Most NBA draft analysts see Kessler as a first-round pick. Most mock drafts have Kessler going in the middle of the first round to one of the last selections of the first round.

"This season was a blast for my teammates and I," Kessler told ESPN. "Winning the SEC regular season and being the No. 1 ranked team in the country for the first time in Auburn history was a dream. I really valued all the time I spent with the coaching staff and everyone around the program. It was so much fun."

Kessler was named the Naismith and NABC National Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-American. He was a key part of Auburn's SEC regular-season championship run.

Kessler's 7-foot-1, 245-pound frame will be desired by several NBA teams that will see how they could use his 7-foot-5 wingspan to help their organization take a step forward.

Kessler's presence around the basket was special this season and altered almost every opposing shot once they got around the basket. His length and ability to time his jumps were crucial in Auburn's defensive performance.

The NBA draft combine will be held next month, May 16-22, in Chicago, Illinois. The NBA draft will be June 23 in Brooklyn, New York.

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Published Apr 3, 2022

ZAC BLACKERBY

Zac Blackerby is the publisher of Auburn Daily and Braves Today. He is also the host of Locked On Auburn and the College Channel Manager for the Locked On Podcast Network. Blackerby was previously the program director of the Auburn Network and hosted shows on ESPN 106.7 and WANI. He also used to be the editor for Auburn Wire and Fly War Eagle.