Following their performances against LSU, Auburn's Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith Jr. have earned conference and national honors.
Kessler was named SEC Player of the Week, Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Player of the Week and ESPN's Power Rankings Player of the Week.
It's a long list of weekly accolades that follows one of the most historic performances in Auburn history. The 7-foot-1 center recorded only the second triple-double in program history with his 16 points, 11 blocks and 10 rebounds against LSU.
And it wasn't against a weak opponent, either. LSU entered the game 12-0, which enabled Kessler to become the first Division I player in 25 years to record a triple-double against a team that was 10-0 or better.
The triple-double is the only one recorded by an SEC player this season.
Aiding Kessler's performance was Smith, the highly-rated NBA prospect and talented freshman, who earned Co-SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Smith shares the honors with Kentucky guard TyTy Washington Jr.
The freshman phenom Smith played a team-high 30 minutes, had 16 points and four rebounds. It extended Smith's streak to 10 straight games with double figures in scoring.
Kessler and Smith will be back in action on Tuesday when Auburn travels to Columbia to face South Carolina in its first SEC road contest of the season. Tip-off is set for 5:30 CST and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
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Originally from Helena, Ala., Caleb Jones is a senior studying journalism at Auburn University. He has been on staff with The Plainsman since 2019.
You can follow him here on Twitter: @calebjsports
