Kon Knueppel Sees Best Duke Performance Yet

While plenty of deserving attention has been on Duke forward and projected No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg this season, wing Kon Knueppel won’t be denied his spotlight, too.

A 6-foot-7, Knueppel’s been an integral part of the third-ranked Blue Devils’ core this season. And that was especially apparent in the team’s win over Miami on Tuesday evening.

Knueppel saw the best game of his ultra-short career, scoring 25 points on 9-for-11 shooting, hitting a blistering six of his eight attempted 3-pointers. Additionally, the wing was able to add two rebounds, three assists and a steal. The next closest Blue Devil was Flagg with just 13 points on 11 shots. The future NBA star was able to stuff the stat sheet in other ways, but Knueppel was the most impactful player on the floor Tuesday.

More specifically, he did everything in the scoring department. He spotted up for quick-fire catch-and-shoot threes, cut to the ring off-ball, sprinted around DHO’s and even used his simple but effective handle to get to the paint himself. While he hasn’t been the most consistent frosh so far this season, seeing both highs and lows with the Blue Devils, he was certainly on against the Hurricane.

All in all, Duke took home a resounding 89-54 win, pushing its total to 15-2 on what's been a solid season thus far for the freshman-led group, and Knueppel's been vital to that effort on more than one occasion.

Prior to Tuesday’s game, Knueppel had scored 12.7 points on 43% shooting, numbers that are sure to see a boost following the performance.

Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI for Knueppel: “A natural scorer and secondary playmaker, Knueppel has a broad frame but lacks elite athleticism. Even then, he’s able to create advantages for himself with the ball in his hands leveraging his strength and craftiness. His natural feel on the offensive end is impressive for a player of his age, with processing speed that allows him to manipulate opposing defenses.”

As it stands now, Knueppel's stock is likely somewhere around the late lottery to mid-first. His offensive skillset as a scorer and tertiary facilitator will certainly be intriguing to NBA decision-makers, but defensive concerns and scoring efficiency will be the primary qualms. While scoring wings aren't in large supply, the 2025 NBA Draft class is turning out to be a great one, and GM's will likely have their choice of a few.

In order to raise that stock, he'll need to show consistency both on a game-to-game basis, as well as shot-to-shot, especially from beyond the arc. Billed largely as a connective sharpshooter, raising his season percentage of 35% from beyond the arc would be a massive help to his overall resume.

Duke next takes on Boston College on Jan. 18 in what will be another tough inter-conference game.

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