Who is Duke basketball star Kon Knueppel? Stats, NBA Draft Prediction

by Junna Base November 13, 2024

As has often been the case over the past 35 years, Duke will be one of the most followed teams in college basketball this season.

In their third season under coach Jon Scheyer, the No. 6 Blue Devils are off to a 2-0 start heading into Tuesday’s game against No. 18 Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Atlanta.

Much of Duke’s promise revolves around a top-ranked freshman class — and more specifically, a single player within it. Cooper Flagg is one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class who is widely considered the top pick in next year’s NBA draft. Over the summer, the 6-foot-10 forward continued to build his growing legend by playing against the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team in Las Vegas before that team of NBA all-stars at the 2024 Paris Olympics won gold medal.

As transformative as he is, Flagg is just one of four five-star recruits from the 2024 class on the Duke roster. And at this early point in the season, he’s not even the top scorer in this group.

Kon Knueppel has shown in two games that the Blue Devils have more than just a star rookie. With 22 points against Maine in his collegiate debut, the Milwaukee native Knueppel made himself a name to watch for the rest of the season. Against Kentucky this week, he will have the opportunity to introduce himself to a much larger audience.

As this match begins, here’s what you’ll learn about Knueppel, including his recruiting ranking, stats, and more:

Kon stick 247

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Knueppel came to Duke as a five-star prospect and the No. 18 player nationally in the 2024 recruiting class, in which he was also listed as the No. 5 small forward nationally and the No. 1 player in Wisconsin was.

He chose the Blue Devils over Alabama, Wisconsin, Marquette and Virginia, among others.

For all his recruiting accolades, Knueppel was actually the fourth-highest ranked player in Duke’s 2024 class, behind Flagg, No. 4 Khaman Maluach and No. 13 Isaiah Evans.

Kon stick statistics

In his first two college games – wins over Maine and Army – Knueppel averaged 18.5 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal per game while shooting 56.5% from the field and 50% from 3-point range -Range shot. His scoring average is above all Duke players.

His excellent mark from a distance is not just the result of a few attempts. Knueppel has shot 14 three-pointers, including seven, in just two games.

Kon stick height

On Duke’s official roster, Knueppel is listed as being 6’3″ tall and weighing 220 pounds.

Kon Knueppel NBA

If Knueppel stayed under the radar at all given his standing in Duke’s stellar 2024 class, that status didn’t last long.

Knueppel has long fascinated those who scout players leading up to the NBA Draft, many of whom had him ranked in the top 10 before his first (and possibly only) college season.

Here’s a sampling of where Knueppel will land, according to various outlets’ predictions:

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman compared Knueppel to former NBA winger Wally Szczerbiak and wrote while describing Knueppel’s game:

Even with Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster back and Duke adding projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel is too polished a scorer to fade into the background.

With a prolific shooting stroke, physical drive and mid-range shooting versatility, his game is built for off-ball and spot-up scoring that scouts should find translatable.

Considering how sharp he is on offense and how competitive he looks on defense, the athletic limitations shouldn’t be a concern.

Knueppel lets scouts talk after Duke’s plays. The high level of shooting skill, generally good shot preparation and clear passing IQ created obvious pro vibes early on.

With his powerful 6-foot-10 frame, extremely compelling shooting ability, and various other ways to advance or finish plays inside the arc, he appears poised to lead the Blue Devils at various points throughout the season.

Kon Knueppel High School

Knueppel was a star at Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, where he won the Wisconsin Mr. Basketball Award for the 2023-24 season.

As a senior, he averaged 25.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 59.4% overall, 39.5% from three and 84.9% from the free throw line. This season, he led Wisconsin Lutheran to a 30-0 record and a state championship.

“Just by watching him play against the highest level of competition, you can see how he plays as a point guard,” Wisconsin Lutheran coach Ryan Walz told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in September 2023, referring to Knueppel’s play on the AAU circuit. “You can see him coming off the screens and shooting. You can see him using ball screens. You can see him sliding into the post to take advantage of a mismatch. You can see the diversity of his game.”

He comes from a strong basketball family. His father, also named Kon, scored more than 2,000 career points at Wisconsin Lutheran College and is a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. His mother, Chari, is the all-time leading scorer in Wisconsin-Green Bay history with 1,964 career points.

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