Kentucky is recruiting the brother of an NBA rookie sensation

Mark Pope is after a 6'10 wing with some NBA connections.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope speaks during the postgame press conference after the game against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Mark Pope has started to recruit the 2027 class, and one of the players that he is after is the brother of an NBA rookie sensation. Jack Pilgrim of KSR reported that the Wildcats are after Kager Knueppel, who is a 6’10 small forward in the 2027 class. He is the brother of Kon Knueppel, who just put up some very impressive numbers for the Charlotte Hornets this season as a rookie after a great season playing for the Duke Blue Devils.

As a rookie for the Hornets, Knueppel averaged 18.5 points while shooting 42.5% from three on 7.9 attempts per game. Some believe Knueppel is going to be the NBA’s next great three-point shooter. Kon’s brother Kager takes after his brother in the fact that he is a really good three-point shooter.

Kager Knueppel seamlessly knocks down the jumper!

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— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) May 16, 2026

Knueppel is raising his stock at a very high rate, and some believe that he will end up being a five-star in the class when all is said and done. Currently, Rivals has Knueppel ranked as the 71st best player in the class right now, but I see a world where he is top 30 before the summer ends.

Duke is obviously going to be a big player in this commitment, as Kon just had the Blue Devils in the Final Four before heading to the NBA. Now Kager will have to make his college decision, and the feeling right now is that Duke will have a hat on the table, but Coach Pope is going to make a big run at Knueppel. Watching the film on the 6’10 wing, he would be a perfect fit to come and play for the Wildcats.

Wisconsin Lutheran guard Kager Knueppel (1) beats brother Kash Knueppel to a rebound against Greendale in a game Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at Greendale High School in Greendale, Wisconsin. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Obviously, Big Blue Nation has some frustration with the way Pope recruited the 2026 class, but taking a kid with legit Duke ties away from the Blue Devils would be a good move from this staff. Coach Pope needs to find players who fit his system well when it comes to bigs who can space the floor and shoot. Knueppel is a player who exemplifies exactly what Pope will be looking for in the 2027 class.

Obviously, there is a long way to go in this recruitment, but getting Knueppel on campus for a visit would be a really good start for this staff. Pope has to prove he can recruit elite high school players this cycle, or Big Blue Nation will lose faith in his ability to recruit.

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