The Charlotte Hornets selected guard Kon Knueppel from Duke University with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
A native of Milwaukee, Knueppel averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.5 minutes per game across 39 appearances (all starts), helping lead the Blue Devils to a Final Four berth and earning NCAA All-Region honors. Knueppel tallied seven 20-point outings and became one of 15 freshmen in NCAA history with 550 points, 100 assists and 80 3s in a season.
Knueppel was named All-ACC, ACC All-Freshman, All-ACC Tournament and ACC Tournament MVP as the Blue Devils claimed both the ACC regular season and tournament championships. He starred at Wisconsin Lutheran in Milwaukee in high school, being named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball and leading the Vikings to a 2024 state championship and 30-0 record as a senior. Knueppel signed with Duke as a consensus top-20 recruit and enrolled at Duke in June 2024.
Knueppel’s mother and father both played college basketball, and his uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, played for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1997-98 season.
