Duke’s Kon Knueppel is heading to the NBA after one college season.

What You Need To Know

Duke’s Kon Knueppel is heading to the NBA after one college season
The 6-foot-7, 217-pound wing announced his decision Wednesday after a season that included him being named MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament while helping the Blue Devils reach the Final Four
The Milwaukee native graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran High School in 2024; he was considered the No. 1 high school player in the state by both 247Sports and ESPN
As a senior in high school, Knueppel averaged 25.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, while shooting 59.4% from the field, 39.5% from 3-point range and 84.9% from the free-throw line. He led Wisconsin Lutheran to the state championship, winning the title, after going 30-0 for the season

The 6-foot-7, 217-pound wing announced his decision Wednesday after a season that included him being named MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament while helping the Blue Devils reach the Final Four. Knueppel averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists as the team’s No. 2 scorer behind Associated Press national player of the year Cooper Flagg.

“Forever a Blue Devil,” Knueppel posted on social media. “Taking the Brotherhood with me to the next chapter. #NBADraft.”

Knueppel is the first member of Duke’s touted freshman class to go pro. He’s widely projected as a lottery pick.

“He’s a guy that is really about competition,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said in social-media video posted by the program Wednesday. “He never shied away from the competitive plays that have to be made in order to win at a high level.”

Duke guard Kon Knueppel shoots over North Carolina forward Jalen Washington during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Knueppel is an efficient, floor-spacing scorer who shot 47.9% from the field, 40.6% from 3-point range and 91.4% from the foul line. And while he typically played a wingman role to Flagg, he thrived in the forefront when Flagg was injured during the ACC Tournament, scoring 28 points against Georgia Tech, 17 against rival North Carolina and 18 against Louisville as the Blue Devils won a second title in Scheyer’s three seasons.

Knueppel is only the eighth freshman to win MVP honors at the ACC Tournament.

The Milwaukee native closed with 16 points in a loss to Houston in the national semifinals. His free throw with 1:14 left marked Duke’s final point as the Blue Devils faltered late with the Cougars rallying with the game’s last nine points in the final 33 seconds.

Knueppel graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran High School in 2024; he was considered the No. 1 high school player in the state by both 247Sports and ESPN.

Knueppel received the 2023-24 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball Award and was also named the Wisconsin Associated Press Player of the Year and the 2023-24 Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year. 

As a senior in high school, Knueppel averaged 25.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, while shooting 59.4% from the field, 39.5% from 3-point range and 84.9% from the free-throw line. He led Wisconsin Lutheran to the state championship, winning the title, after going 30-0.

Knueppel comes from a basketball-loving family. His mom, Chari Nordgaard Knueppel is the all-time leading scorer in University of Wisconsin-Green Bay history, leading with 1,964 points. Her number was retired at the school in Jan. 2024. His dad, Kon Knueppel, scored more than 2,000 career points while at Wisconsin Lutheran College, where he was later inducted into the school’s hall of fame.