Duke’s Kon Knueppel Makes Unfortunate NBA Draft Decision.
The Duke Blue Devils courted one of the best freshman classes in college basketball history last season.
While the class is certainly highlighted by former No. 1 overall player Cooper Flagg, who’s projected to be the first player taken in the 2025 NBA Draft, Duke also featured Kon Knueppel.
Knueppel, who originally committed to the program as a blue-chip prospect, declared for the draft after his freshman season.He was invited to participate in the NBA Draft Combine, but according to his agent Mark Bartelstein, Knueppel did not participate in athletic testing or shooting drills due to an injury.
Bartelstein explained that Knueppel is nursing an ankle injury and has not fully recovered.
“Kon sprained his ankle 3 weeks ago and is not all the way back yet,” Bartelstein said, per Jonathan Givony. “He’s at 85% now and we want him at 100%. He’s really close. Hopefully, he’s back by the end of the week and can participate in our Pro Day Friday.Knueppel is widely considered to be an NBA Draft lottery pick after his freshman season with the Duke Blue Devils.
During his freshman year, Knueppel posted 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He started in all 39 games for the Blue Devils, helping lead the program to a 35-4 record.
Knueppel also led Duke to an ACC Tournament title and a position in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed.
