The first of Duke basketball’s three freshmen stars is heading for the NBA
Kon Knueppel is the first of what’s expected to be a series of Duke freshmen to announce he’s leaving school early for the NBA.
A 6-7 guard, Knueppel made his widely expected news public Wednesday in a social media post, saying he’s giving up his final three seasons of college eligibility to turn pro.
“Forever a Blue Devil,” Knueppel wrote on social media. “Taking the Brotherhood with me to the next chapter.”
Multiple NBA Draft analysts project Knueppel to be selected in the draft’s top 10 picks.
“Throughout the entire season,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said in a social media video, “his consistency, his dependability and his competitiveness was a joy to coach. I love the growth that he made. I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do at the next level with a long, successful NBA career.”
Knueppel joined 7-2 center Khaman Maluach as freshmen who started every game for Duke this season. They, along with national player of the year Cooper Flagg, helped the Blue Devils (35-4) win the ACC regular-season and tournament championships and reach the Final Four. Flagg is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft while Maluach is also a projected lottery pick.
A Milwaukee native, Knueppel averaged 14.4 points and four rebounds per game while making 47.9% of his shots from the field, including 40.6% of his 3-pointers. Knueppel also averaged 2.7 assists a game.
“I loved having Kon in our program,” Scheyer said. “He’s a guy that is really about competition. He never shied away from the competitive plays that have to be made in order to win at a high level. Even as a freshman, Kon understood that.”
Knueppel was named all-ACC second team and, with Flagg out with a sprained ankle, was named ACC Tournament MVP leading the Blue Devils to the league title in Charlotte.
“I thought we had a phenomenal year,” Knueppel said after Houston beat the Blue Devils, 70-67, in the Final Four. “It was a joy to be a part of. I would just hope that the fans and everybody appreciates how we gave it our all every night and appreciate how we played together.”
In the NBA, Knueppel should succeed because of his elite-level shooting as well as his ability to get shots off quickly to avoid defenders. He also showed strengths as a defender and driving to the basket on offense thanks to his solid, 215-pound frame.
“He played both sides of the ball,” Scheyer said. “He had big scoring games and shooting games for us. He guarded. The separator is the fact that every time there’s a loose ball, Kon Knueppel is putting his body on the line to come up with it. The amount of plays he got in traffic is a special thing.”
This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 12:16 PM.