Former Auburn standout Walker Kessler finished third in the voting for the KIA NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the 2022-23 season.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero won the Rookie of the Year Award, the NBA announced on Tuesday night. He received 98 first-place votes from the 100-member panel that selected the winner. Banchero also received one second-place and one third-place vote. With first-place votes worth five points, second-place votes worth three and third-place votes worth one, Banchero totaled 494 points out of a possible 500.

Kessler got the other two first-place votes, along with 17 second-place votes and 53 third-place votes for 114 points.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams finished between Banchero and Kessler with 241 points – 75 second-place and 16 third-place votes.

Indiana Pacers forward Bennedict Mathurin with 27 points, Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray with 21 points and Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey with three points also appeared on ballots for the Rookie of the Year Award.

Chosen at No. 22 by the Utah Jazz in the 2022 NBA Draft, Kessler averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while playing center in 74 games, with 40 starts.

Kessler started the final 34 games that he played this season and averaged 11.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.9 blocks in that span. Kessler missed the final four games of Utah’s season after sustaining a concussion.

Kessler led the NBA’s rookies with 20 games with at least 10 points and 10 rebounds, and his .720 shooting percentage was the second-best in NBA history for a player with at least 400 shots in a season.

The first pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Banchero averaged 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 72 starts for the Magic.

The 12th choice in the 2022 NBA Draft, Williams averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 75 games, with 62 starts, for the Thunder.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.