CAREER HONORS
• 2021-22 Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year
• 2021-22 NABC Division I Defensive Player of the Year
• 2021-22 Associated Press All-America Third Team
• 2021-22 USBWA Men’s Division I All-America Third Team
• 2021-22 Sports Illustrated All-America Third Team
• 2021-22 SEC Defensive Player of the Year
• 2021-22 All-SEC First Team
• 2021-22 SEC All-Defensive Team
• 2021-22 NABC District 20 First Team
• 2021-22 USBWA All-District 10 Team
• John R. Wooden Award Finalist
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Finalist
• USBWA National Player of the Week (Jan. 4, 2022)
• Three-Time SEC Player of the Week
• School’s single-season record holder for blocks (155)
 
SOPHOMORE (2021-22)
National winner of the Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Award – the first in school history ... Third Team All-America selection by The Associated Press, USBWA and Sports Illustrated … Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award and John R. Wooden Award Finalist ... Honored as SEC Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-SEC First Team ... Became the first Auburn player in school history to earn SEC Defensive POTY honors ... Finished the season ranked No. 2 nationally in blocked shots per game (4.56) and No. 1 nationally in total blocks (155) ... Became Auburn’s single-season leader in blocked shots with his fourth blocked shot (2:47 minute mark of the first half) versus Ole Miss (2/23/22) … He broke Kyle Davis’ school record of 126 set in 2002-03 ... Ranked seventh all-time on the SEC single-season block chart ... Was the team’s fourth-leading scorer averaging 11.4 points … Led the Tigers in rebounding (8.1) and blocked shots (4.56) ... Three-Time SEC Player of Week honoree … Recorded his second career triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and career-high 12 blocks in a win over Texas A&M (2/12/22) ... Became the fifth player in SEC history with multiple career triple-doubles behind LSU’s Shaquille O’Neal (6) ... Turned in the program’s second-ever triple-double with 16 points, 11 blocks and 10 rebounds against LSU in the team’s SEC opener (12/29/21) ... Garnered USBWA National Player of the Week and SEC Player of the Week honors after his historic performance ... Registered 13 double-doubles during the season including his two triple-doubles ... Had a 12-game double-digit scoring streak starting at Ole Miss (1/15/22) and ending versus Ole Miss (2/23/22) … Averaged 15.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.6 blocks per game during that span of contests … Notched a career-high 21 points versus Oklahoma in the Big 12/SEC Challenge (1/29/22) ... Has his most complete game of season tallying 18 points, 12 rebounds, eight blocks, four steals and one assist versus rival Alabama (2/1/22) ... Brought down a career-best 19 boards in overtime at Arkansas (2/8/22) – the most by an AU player since Cinmeon Bowers in 2015 ... In SEC games, led the league in field-goal percentage (.650), blocks (5.0 bpg) and was third in rebounding (8.7 rpg) ... His .650 field-goal percentage in SEC games was the third best in the last 22 years of SEC play behind Anthony Davis (.674, 2012) and Joakim Noah (.656, 2006) ... Turned in a near triple-double performance with 13 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks in the team’s NCAA Tournament first-round win over Jacksonville State (3/18/22) ... His nine blocks marked a new school NCAA Tournament single-game record.
 
NORTH CAROLINA (2020-21)
Averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game during his freshman year at North Carolina ... Shot 57.8 percent from the floor ... Earned co-ACC Freshman of the Week honors for his performances against Marquette (2/24/21) and Florida State (2/27/21) ... Scored 94 of his 127 points and made 38 of his 52 field goals in the last 11 games of the season ... Scored in double figures five times with a season-high 20 at home against Florida State ... Grabbed 45 of his 94 rebounds (47.9 percent) on the offensive end ... Recorded his first career double-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and a season-high and UNC freshman record eight blocks in the Tar Heels’ ACC Tournament second-round win over Notre Dame (3/10/21) ... Set the all-time ACC Tournament freshman record with eight blocks … The record (6) was previously held by Duke’s Mike Gminski in 1977 and Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan in 1994 ... Previous UNC record for any ACC Tourney game was six by Eric Montross in 1994 ... Also made 7-of-11 field goals, had five offensive rebounds and two steals ... Blocked three shots in the team’s home win over Duke (3/6/21) ... Turned in a season-and game-high 20 points, nine field goals (in 10 attempts), five offensive rebounds, eight rebounds and four blocks in a 78-70 win over ACC-leading Florida State (2/27/21) ... Went 7-for-7 from the floor for 14 points (four more than his previous game high) in 12:18 of second-half action versus the Seminoles ... Dished out a season-high three assists, all in the first half, as UNC built a 48-29 lead … Scored 10 points and had two steals against Louisville (2/20/21) ... Had previous season highs in points (10), rebounds (7) and assists (2) versus Northeastern (2/17/21) ... Made his collegiate debut against College of Charleston with six points and four rebounds in just four minutes of play in the team’s season opener (11/25/20).
 
HIGH SCHOOL
Consensus five-star, Top 25 high school prospect … Ranked No. 14 overall by ESPN, No. 22 by 247 Sports and No. 24 by Rivals … Tabbed as the No. 1 player in the state of Georgia by ESPN and 247 Sports … Named a McDonald’s All-American while playing at Woodward Academy in College Park, Ga. ... Led the school to its first state championship title in its 120-year history ... Averaged 17.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.2 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.2 assists per game as a senior ... Earned a plethora of honors including the Gatorade High School Player of the Year, Georgia’s Mr. Basketball by the Atlanta Tipoff Club and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Georgia Player of the Year ... Put up career totals of 2,003 points, 1,185 rebounds and 524 blocks at Woodward Academy... Also gained experience by participating in the 2019 mini-camp for the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team.
 
PERSONAL
Son of Dr. Chad and Andrea Kessler ... Born on July 26, 2001 … Member of the National Honor Society ... His father, Chad, played basketball at Georgia from 1983-87, scored 675 career points, earned Academic All-America honors and was a fifth-round NBA Draft pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1987 ... His older brother, Houston, played at Georgia from 2013-17 ... His uncle, the late Alec Kessler, earned All-SEC honors at Georgia, where he led the Bulldogs to the 1990 SEC Championship ... Alec is UGA’s second all-time leading scorer and was selected by the Houston Rockets with the ninth overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft … Enrolled in the College of Business.

CAREER SUPERLATIVES
Points: 22 vs. Vanderbilt (2/16/22)
Field Goals Made: 9 (three times)
Field Goals Attempted: 14 vs. UCF (12/1/21)
3-Point Field Goals Made: 2 vs. Oklahoma (1/29/22), at Arkansas (2/8/22)
3-Point Field Goals Attempted: 5 at Arkansas (2/8/22)
Free Throws Made: 6 vs. Vanderbilt (2/16/22)
Free Throws Attempted: 7 Vanderbilt (2/16/22)
Rebounds: 19 at Arkansas (2/8/22)
Assists: 4 at Tennessee (2/26/22)
Blocks: 12 vs. Texas A&M (2/12/22)
Steals: 5 vs. Nebraska (12/11/21)
Minutes Played: 33 at Arkansas (2/8/22)
20-Point Games: 4
10-Rebound Games: 14
5-Block Games: 16
Double-Doubles: 13
Triple-Doubles: 2