Few freshmen have captured the attention of the Duke basketball fandom as much as Kon Knueppel so far this offseason, and the Knueppel hype train somehow gained even more steam during Saturday’s exhibition game against the Lincoln Lions.
The five-star freshman made five 3-pointers in the opening half against the Lions, but his most impressive moment came after the break. After a rebound by classmate Khaman Maluach, Knueppel cut down the baseline toward the basket.
Maluach dished it to his teammate, and Knueppel jumped up and slammed the ball home over 6-foot-9 Lincoln forward Ethan Garita.
The coolest part about the play? Knueppel’s classmates celebrated harder than he did. Cooper Flagg, the top-ranked player in the country, flexed as he stomped back up the court, and Maluach pumped his fists in triumph as he got back on defense.
ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony ranked Knueppel as the sixth-best NBA draft prospect after watching a Duke basketball practice, and CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein singled out the Wisconsin native for how impressive he looked after a trip to Durham.
KONTENT 🙆♂️🙆♂️🙆♂️🙆♂️🙆♂️🙆♂️ (ACCNX) @Kon2Knueppel 👀 pic.twitter.com/oSWHLUSmD2
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) October 19, 2024
