As the 2021 NCAA Tournament continues, more news breaks about how next season will shape up. For North Carolina, some of that news has dropped for their team. After a lackluster season for UNC which ended in a loss to Wisconsin in the First Round, Walker Kessler enters the transfer portal. A 7-foot-1 center, Kessler had an alright freshman season. He was a top-25 player coming out of high school in the class of 2020.
— Walker Kessler (@WalkerKessler13) March 22, 2021
This season Kessler averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds this season in 8.8 minutes a game. He connected on 57.8% of his field goals this year. For Tar Heels fans this is a bit of a hit to next season. Although Kessler wasn’t a double-digit scorer, there is still so much upside to his game. Many felt that Roy Williams underutilized Kessler.
Rumors ran wild as the news broke. Some feel this could be the beginning of something bigger at Carolina. With just two members currently in their 2021 recruiting class, too many departures could put the Tar Heels in a tough spot. One rumor that caught my interest came from two writers from The Athletic. Kyle Tucker, who has covered Kentucky since 2011, and Brendan Marks, who currently covers UNC, feel one destination would make sense. Lexington, KY.
Not crazy at all. https://t.co/yqnqQ59b7p
— Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) March 22, 2021
Justin Powell has been mentioned as a Kentucky lean if he can get immediate eligibility. The potential for the two friends to both end up in Lexington has to have Wildcats fans excited for next season, especially after this one. John Calipari has been focusing on the transfer market almost as much as he is focusing on McDonald’s All-Americans lately.
With COVID-19 allowing players to take advantage of an extra season along with fewer transfer restrictions, there will be a very interesting offseason in college basketball.
