Meet NBA draft prospect Kon Knueppel, the other Duke star you're not talking enough about
Meet NBA draft prospect Kon Knueppel, the other Duke star you're not talking enough about
Duke Blue Devils freshman Kon Knueppel is one of the most impressive prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft, and he is more than ready to explain exactly why.
During his one-and-done campaign at Duke, nearly everything that Knueppel did on the court positively impacted the team. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 40.6 percent on his 3-pointers. After a suggestion from his mom, he also managed to shoot a remarkable 91.4 percent on his free-throw attempts.
While most evaluators were discussing his roommate and teammate Cooper Flagg — the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — it was Knueppel who won ACC tournament MVP before Duke eventually made the Final Four.
By the end of the season, Knueppel led all NCAA Division I men's basketball players in raw plus-minus, per CBB Analytics. That effectively means that Duke outscored its opponents by more points (625) when Knueppel was on the court than any other player was able to accomplish.
Knueppel held his pre-draft process in Milwaukee, where he worked out twice a day on the court and once in the weight room. He spoke to For The Win about what he is working on this offseason to prepare for his transition to the NBA.
He is currently projected at No. 6 overall in our latest consensus mock draft. Meanwhile, for more prospect coverage, here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. You can watch Episode 1 of Prospect Park below:
What did you tell teams during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine?
Knueppel: The main thing is that I'm a guy who really loves basketball. At the end of the day, that's your profession. You're going to have guys in the building and you're going to want guys who are going to be there. Hopefully, they saw a guy who really loves basketball and wants to get better and keep doing it as long as he can.
You want to talk about how much you love the process of getting better. That's something I've always enjoyed. I love that feeling of being here and getting better. I emphasize that I love the competition and like to compete. That can be at anything but basketball is my sport of choice. I demonstrate that competitive edge and that desire to get better.
What goes into your identity as a winning basketball player?
Knueppel: My dad was always good at emphasizing that it's not always about scoring. That's not always the most important thing. I think people tend to think that way growing up. That does not always translate to winning the most. But I try to focus on all the little things. I'm going to make it as hard on the guy that's got the ball that I'm guarding. I'm going to make it super hard on him. I'm going to box out. I'm going to rebound. I'm going to get a loose ball. Those things add up. It all goes into having a good plus-minus or making winning plays on the court.
What are some things people do not realize about your game right away?
Knueppel: I think it's probably defense. You're going to get beat. People are going to make moves on you. They're going to get around. But I think sometimes what sets me apart is I pursue the play. Even if the guy beats me a little bit, I'm trying to get back in front. I'm trying to contest his shot. I'm trying to make his shots as hard as I possibly can for the other guy. Even if I'm not the quickest, I know how to use angles and I'm trying to make it the toughest shot possible for the guy I'm guarding. I think that's definitely something I can carry over here.
We also didn't shoot a ton of non-rim 2-pointers. You don't want to live on a steady diet of those. But I think I have a pretty good in-between game. That's something I worked really hard on both growing up and this offseason. So I'd like to utilize some more of my midrange shots because those will open up in the postseason if you can hit those. Some of those creative finishes in the lane, too.
How are you able to translate film study into your play on the court?
Knueppel: Our coaches at Duke were very, very good with us. We watched game tape as a team but also individually. [Assistant coach] Emanuel Dildy would get on me a ton about my positioning on defense. I have a knack for knowing when I'm making a mistake, which helps. Sometimes, it hurts me because I get too caught up in trying to not make mistakes. But it helps me know where to be and be in the right spots. I think a lot of that comes from watching film.
What change did you implement to become a better free-throw shooter?
Knueppel: It's funny. I used to do three dribbles, and I'd shoot from my hip. Most people shoot from their hip on a free throw. [My mom] would always set it up higher and then shoot. There is just less room for error. If you come from your hip, you can go the wrong way. If you set it where I set it now, all you do is shoot it. So you're not missing right or left. You're only going short or long. It took my uncle to tell me to do that for me to listen. I didn't listen to my mom, and I should have just listened to her right away.
What can you share with me about your recruitment process at Duke?
Knueppel: The grandfather of one of my high school teammates is good friends with ... Jon Scheyer's dad. He texted Scheyer's dad saying that I'm good enough to play at Duke. I'm sure Scheyer was like, 'Sure, Dad. Whatever.' But then he saw me play a couple times. He saw me at the NBA camp.
What stands out more to coaches more than skill and all that stuff is the winning plays you make. That's something I try to tell a bunch of players — my brothers included. There are a bunch of guys who can score. It's about guys who can make the right plays, know how to pass on time to guys, know how to rebound and get the ball sometimes. That's what it comes down to. So then Scheyer thought I was a good fit, and I'm glad he did.
What is something people do not know about Cooper Flagg you can tell us?
Knueppel: He doesn't turn it off. I think that's one of the best compliments I can give. I know people see it in the games. He plays every play. Guys of his caliber don't usually play every play like he does. But he does it in practice, too. I remember the first time we played pickup together in the summer, I was on his team. We won a bunch of games in a row. Then he switched teams and they won a bunch of games. It's rare for guys that can do that. So it was cool to be around.
Off the court, he's a great guy. You wouldn't know he's a good basketball player. He doesn't carry himself in that way like he's all that. He's just a humble dude who loves basketball and wants to get better.
What got you into reading Bill Simmons at such a young age?
Knueppel: My mom's brother Jeff got me The Book of Basketball for Christmas one year. I was like, 'This thing is a thousand pages. It's ridiculous.' I just fell in love. I always loved the history of basketball. But the way he would compare it to pop culture and all that: From then on, me and my dad would always read his columns. We were big fans. We loved listening. My dad loves The Rewatchables podcast. So the movies and sports were all wrapped up in that book. It's one of my favorites. I've read it a lot of times.
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