Freshman star Kon Knueppel to leave Duke, enter NBA draft

Duke freshman Kon Knueppel announced Wednesday on social media that he will enter the 2025 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility.

Knueppel, the No. 8 prospect in ESPN’s NBA draft projections, was Duke’s second-leading scorer this season behind Cooper Flagg, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 40.6% from 3-point range.

He was named to the ACC All-Freshman team and All-ACC second team and helped lead the Blue Devils to the Final Four, where they lost in the semifinals to Houston.

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Knueppel stepped up in a major way in the ACC tournament when Flagg went down early in the quarterfinals with an ankle injury, posting 63 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists in three games to help Duke win the title, being named tournament MVP.

He played an essential role in Duke’s 35-4 season, shouldering significant shot-creation duties while spacing the floor effectively and holding his own defensively. He is an outstanding passer and saw quite a bit of offense operating out of pick-and-roll. He formed a unique tandem with Duke center Khaman Maluach, finding him 24 times this season for lob dunks. Knueppel brings a combination of competitiveness, feel for the game and versatility that will likely make him a seamless fit on any NBA roster.

Hailing from Milwaukee, Knueppel wasn’t named to last year’s McDonald’s All American Game despite leading the Nike EYBL grassroots circuit in scoring for three straight years at the 15U, 16U and 17U levels with Phenom University. He was named Wisconsin Player of the Year as a senior.

His mother, Chari, is still the all-time leading scorer at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, while his father, also named Kon, scored more than 2,000 points at Division III Wisconsin Lutheran College.

The NBA draft combine will be held May 11-18 in Chicago, and the draft will be June 25-26 in New York.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.