Duke University had a pair of phenomenal freshmen in the NCAA Tournament.
NBA media pundits are waiting on Cooper Flagg’s draft decision, but his teammate is prepared.
TOP NEWS
Kon Knueppel II, a former five-star prospect, has announced via X that he is declaring for the NBA Draft.
Forever a Blue Devil. Taking the Brotherhood with me to the next chapter. #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/bE09xX1Dzo
— Kon II Knueppel (@Kon2Knueppel) April 16, 2025
The 6-foot-7, 217-pounder excelled as a shooting guard/small forward hybrid for the Blue Devils. He earned Freshman All-ACC and second-team All-ACC honors, while earning Most Valuable Player honors in the ACC tournament. Knueppel led the Blue Devils to an ACC Tournament Championship. — scoring 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals in a 73-62 victory for Duke over Louisville in the championship game. He pushed to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, where it suffered a 67-70 loss to Houston. Knueppel totaled double figures for points in four of five games, including 21 points against Alabama in the Elite Eight for the Blue Devils to gain a 85-65 victory. Knueppel has a high basketball IQ and toughness to excel in the NBA.
He averaged 14.4 points a game for Duke as a freshman. It will be interesting to see which team gets him in the draft.
Stephen M. Smith is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him him X via @CoachingMSmith.
