Jon Scheyer Sits Courtside for Future Duke Basketball Talent

The Duke basketball head coach and an assistant watched their first 2027 commit battle one of their prime targets.

Dec 16, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer during the second half against the Lipscomb Bisons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fifth-year Duke basketball leader Jon Scheyer and assistant Emanuel Dildy were at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Thursday evening to check out 2027 Blue Devil recruiting pledge Kager Knueppel and potential commit Beckham Black in talent-stacked Nike EYBL Session IV action.

The pair of Duke recruiters sat courtside behind the basket as Wisconsin Lutheran School four-star power forward Kager Knueppel and his Team Herro managed to pull off a thrilling 52-51 win over Southeastern Prep Academy (Fla.) five-star point guard Beckham Black and AB Elite.

AB Elite vs Team Herro 😬 @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/TGkr9gVVA8

— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) July 9, 2026

Team Herro trailed the entire game until the final minute of play. With the impressive comeback victory, Knueppel and his teammates improved to 11-2, remaining atop the standings over Black and AB Elite, who fell to 9-4 overall.

Relatively Cold Outing for Future Duke Basketball Player Kager Knueppel

Entering the contest, the 6-foot-10, 225-pound Knueppel, an advanced stretch-four prospect who recently skyrocketed to No. 22 overall on the 247Sports 2027 Composite and is just over a week removed from announcing his decision to suit up for Scheyer & Co. the season after next, was averaging a team-high 16.0 points, to go along with his 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and shooting a blistering 50.6 percent from 3-point land.

Wisconsin Lutheran's Kager Knueppel (1) celebrates a dunk with the student section during the WIAA Division 1 boys state championship basketball game against Madison Memorial on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Lutheran won the game, 57-37. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

However, Knueppel, younger brother of 2024-25 Duke basketball standout guard and current Charlotte Hornets sensation Kon Knueppel, had a bit of an off night against AB Elite. He finished the bout with five points, nine rebounds, one assist, and three blocks, shooting 2-for-8 from the field and 1-for-5 beyond the arc.

Team-High Scoring Total for Duke Basketball Target Beckham Black

Albeit in what was ultimately a losing effort, Beckham Black, who picked up an offer from he Blue Devils back in May and is now one of three undecided talents on the 2027 Duke basketball recruiting wishlist, tallied a team-high 18 points and six points against Team Herro. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound crafty floor general, currently sitting No. 2 overall on the 247Sports 2027 Composite, shot 6-for-16 from the field, 2-for-6 from three, and 4-for-5 at the charity stripe.

Beckham Black side steps and hits the contested 3-pointer!

He leads all scorers with 11 PTS. pic.twitter.com/m0bRrdZkid

— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) July 9, 2026

Black, younger brother of 2022-23 Arkansas basketball star and current Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black, boasts roughly two dozen offers in his recruitment, including one from Razorbacks head coach and perceived frontrunner John Calipari, who was also in attendance to watch the highly coveted bucket-producer on Thursday evening. He has yet to name finalists, nor has he specified a timeline for choosing a college landing spot.

Duke's other two targets in the 2027 cycle are Millenium High School (Ariz.) five-star guard Adan Diggs and the most recent Blue Devil offer recipient in Prolific Prep (Fla.) five-star center Lewis Uvwo.