The 2024-25 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Men’s Player of the Year Watch List was revealed on Wednesday, and two first-year Duke Blue Devils were included among the nominees.
[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the top-ranked Class of 2024 recruit, and fellow five-star [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] made the list as preseason favorites for the prestigious award.
Flagg, who already has endorsement deals with New Balance and Gatorade before even playing a regular-season game, led the Blue Devils with 22 points, six assists, and four blocks in his first exhibition game against Lincoln. As the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft, On3 gives him the highest NIL valuation of any men’s college basketball player in the country.
If Flagg dominated the first exhibition, Knueppel dominated the second. He scored 19 points, making four of his eight 3-point attempts, and added five rebounds and four assists. The Wisconsin native looks like the best shooter on a team full of weapons, and he cracked the top 10 of ESPN’s draft prospect rankings after a summer full of increased hype.