Kon Knueppel Scouting Report
Behind The Game Of Duke's Sharpshooting Maestro
The Duke Blue Devils have been busy recruiting an absolute squad ahead of the 2024-25 College Basketball season and while the number one ranked recruit in the country is busy getting all the attention, there's another Duke commit not called Cooper Flagg that should be commanding your attention - Kon Knueppel. Kon has the potential to break out as a lottery pick this year and he won't have to worry about coverage as plenty of eyes will be on Duke this year.
Knueppel played his high school ball at Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee and certainly comes with a quality pedigree, coming from a family of ballers. Both of Kon's parents played ball: his mum, Chari, is the all-time leading scorer for Wisconsin-Green Bay and his dad, Kon sr., is second in all-time scoring for Wisconsin Lutheran College. His uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, also played professionally and was even in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks. He is the oldest of 5 brothers, all hoopers: Kon, Kager, Kinston, Kash and Kid. In his senior year of high school he was named a participant in the Jordan Brand Classic and was named as Wisconsin Mr Basketball for 2024 with averages of 25.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 blocks.
He committed to play for the Duke Blue Devils after interest from a number of high profile schools. The five-star recruit will be looking to continue where he left of in high school, so let's look at his game and break it down.
PHYSICAL PROFILE
Billed as anywhere between 6ft 5in and 6ft 7in, Knueppel has decent size for the Wing position. His broad build means he packs a lot of strength into his frame, allied with a low center of gravity, allowing him to absorb contact and play with real physicality. This comes at a cost though as he isn’t an explosive athlete and plays more below the rim when attacking the basket. There have been concerns raised about his lateral quickness and whether he can stay in front of quicker guards, but he has shown good footwork in recent scrimmages with his new Duke teammates. His overall athleticism would best be described as “functional” rather than “jump out the gym”.
OFFENSE
This is really where Knueppel will make his money. As lethal a shooter as the day is long, he shot 46.7% from behind the arc over the Nike EYBL and 39.4% from deep at the NBPA Top 100. His shot mechanics are flawless and he is comfortable getting his shot off in a variety of situations. He can shoot just as well off the catch as he can pulling up off the dribble.
Knueppel has a great quick release on his shot and has the height to be able to shoot over his defender. He is more than comfortable shooting from the midrange as well, as he has shown that if his path to the rim is blocked with traffic he can pull up and shoot from midrange. He truly has the shooting touch to be a threat from all three levels.
As a ball handler, Knueppel has a great vision but won’t wow you with flashy passes all night. He makes the right reads and is happy dishing dimes with either hand, cross-court or hitting slashers on their way to the basket. He doesn't have the explosive burst of speed to blitz past his man or create big separation but he makes good decisions with the tools he has, either driving to the basket and using his strength to finish through contact or rising to hit the midrange jumper. He won't be used as a primary ball-handler at the next level but he has enough skill with the ball in his hands that he can be trusted to make decisions in a pinch.
When he does get to the rim, as I said above, he is comfortable using his size and strength to finish through contact. His frame means he can absorb a lot of contact and is only knocked off his spots by the biggest of defenders. He isn't an elite run-and-jump athlete so doesn't fly above the rim. He tends to be more right hand dominant when finishing but has shown some flashes of finishing with his left.
DEFENSE
While his insane shooting will be the skill he can hang his hat on at the next level, he is still more than capable on the defensive end. He plays with a dogged determination as an on-ball defender and can hassle his man to the point of frustration. While he may indeed lack the foot speed to keep up with the quickest of guards, he should be totally fine guarding against other wings. He has also shown a willingness to use his strength in the paint.
He uses his strong frame to position himself well to rebound effectively and has enough vertical pop to get his share of blocks too. He certainly won’t be relied upon to be a paint protector at the next level but he is someone that could hold his own off switches if needed down low.
On the perimeter, he has the potential to grow into a great defender. The biggest knock on his perimeter defense just now is his lack of elite lateral quickness meaning he may struggle to stay in front of the quickest guards and wings, but he has shown flashes of defensive determination, which is encouraging. He is able to get to the right spots at the right time and keep the pressure on his man.
POTENTIAL
Knueppel will have a fairly defined role at Duke as a shooter on the wing. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, he will be relied upon for his spot-up shooting but he has so much more to his game than just shooting. He has the potential to be a starter in the NBA if he can continue to work on his perimeter defense and if his shooting continues at the pace it has been so far. I always hesitate to use the term “3&D” but I feel like Knueppel truly could offer both, along with ability as a secondary playmaker and quick decision maker, making him a lottery level talent in my mind, especially if he has a big year at Duke.