When [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] was just nine years old, he watched his future college team win a national championship. He sat in the stands at Lucas Oil Stadium as legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski won his fifth and final title, a 68-63 victory over Wisconsin.
Small problem, however. Knueppel was rooting for the Badgers.
Now a five-star freshman on the Duke roster, Knueppel grew up in Milwaukee. During a Tuesday episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, he said his earliest memory of the Blue Devils was them ripping his state’s heart out.
“Devastating loss,” Knueppel said with a smile. “But funny how it comes full circle.”
Knueppel mentioned Frank “the Tank” Kaminsky by name, the Badgers’ All-American 7-footer who scored 21 points against the Blue Devils in the finale. However, Tyus Jones and some freshman off the bench named [autotag]Grayson Allen[/autotag] combined for 39 points to push Duke over the line.
Speaking of things coming full circle, Jones and Allen will actually be teammates again this season in the NBA after the former signed with the Phoenix Suns in free agency.