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Walker Kessler wins Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year award
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Walker Kessler was a blocking machine this year for the Auburn Tigers, swatting a nation’s best 155 shots.
His defense was a huge reason Auburn was able to earn the SEC regular-season title, as the Tigers went 15-3 in league play.
On Sunday, in New Orleans, Kessler was named the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year, as you can see in the video below:
Breaking: Auburn’s Walker Kessler wins Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year award in New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/iryu828YJc
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) April 3, 2022
Kessler won the award over 3 fellow big men — Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Mark Williams.
Now, Kessler faces a tough decision. Should he go pro or return to Auburn for one more season? He’ll likely declare for the 2022 NBA Draft and will perhaps maintain his college eligibility in case he doesn’t get the feedback from the NBA that he wants.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
