Kon Knueppel

Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg named ACC Rookie of the Week after 26-point game

Duke basketball picked up its second straight ACC Rookie of the Week award on Monday, this time given to superstar forward Cooper Flagg.

Duke basketball picked up a second straight ACC Rookie of the Week nomination when [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] picked up the award on Monday.

Flagg drew some scrutiny after two late turnovers in Tuesday’s loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, but he was the only Blue Devil to make a shot from the floor over the final 10 minutes in the 77-72 defeat. He finished that game with 26 points, his highest total so far this season, and 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double.

While Flagg only tallied eight points during Saturday’s blowout win over Wofford, he also racked up nine rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks against the Terriers.

Through his first four games, Flagg is averaging 16.3 points. 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.8 blocks.

[autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag], another member of the vaunted 2024 recruiting class, picked up the award after the first two games of the season. The Wisconsin native, one of four five-star freshmen on the roster, led the Blue Devils in scoring after he put together 22 points in the opener against Maine and 15 points against Army.

Outside of Cooper Flagg, Duke scored two points in the last 10 minutes against Kentucky

The Duke Blue Devils scored 14 points over the final 10:50 against Kentucky on Tuesday, and 12 of them came from one player.

Duke basketball fans likely left State Farm Arena or turned off their televisions in shock on Tuesday night when the Blue Devils lost to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Duke led their fellow blue blood by nine points at halftime, but after scoring 61 points in the first 30 minutes, the Blue Devils only managed 11 points over the closing stretch.

Superstar freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] drew lots of the visible blame for his two turnovers in the final 15 seconds, turning a tie game into a 77-72 loss, but the 6-foot-9 forward actually kept the game within striking distance by himself during the last 11 minutes.

With 10:51 left in the second half, Purdue transfer Mason Gillis picked up a loose ball and made a short floater to give the 58-53 advantage. It was the last shot made from the floor by someone other than Flagg.

Even ignoring Kon Knueppel’s last-second heave at the buzzer, the Blue Devils missed their final seven shots and two of their last four free throws. Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor, after teaming up for 22 points in the first half, combined for just four in the second.

Flagg, who ended the night with 26 points, put 12 of the team’s last 14 points on the board.

Late Cooper Flagg turnovers cost Duke basketball in second-half collapse against Kentucky

Cooper Flagg tried his best to keep Duke alive against Kentucky, but two costly mistakes in the final seconds cemented the 77-72 loss.

[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] made several heroic plays for the Duke Blue Devils during his 26-point outing against the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday night, but two late turnovers handed the SEC program a 77-72 victory in a monster second-half comeback.

The Blue Devils led by nine points at the break, but it was actually the Wildcats who came out of the gates on fire. Kentucky ripped off an 18-9 run in the first six minutes thanks to 3-pointers from veteran transfers Andrew Carr, Kerr Kriisa, and Ansley Almonor on three consecutive possessions.

Both teams entered Tuesday’s game shooting better than 40% from 3-point range, but the Wildcats made five of their first seven looks from distance while Duke managed to make just one of their first five.

Despite the shooting imbalance, however, the Blue Devils kept pace, and they eventually found other ways to score as their lead began to bloom.

Flagg, [autotag]Tyrese Proctor[/autotag], and [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] handed command of the offense back and forth in the opening 20 minutes. Proctor, the returning junior, notched seven of the team’s first 11 points in a variety of ways. He challenged the Kentucky interior with a drive before lofting a high floater off the top of the glass, he found the net on a contested mid-range jumper, and he opened up space for himself on the perimeter with a pump fake before draining a triple. All three of those bucks came in a two-minute stretch.

Flagg stepped up next, and between the 15:10 and 7:32 marks in the first half, he scored 10 of Duke’s 17 points thanks to a quartet of free throws.

Knueppel, who actually missed his first three shots from the floor, grabbed the baton from his fellow freshman phenom and took over from there. Kentucky’s Otega Oweh tried and failed to steal a pass on the perimeter, leaving Knueppel open for a 3-point look, and the Wisconsin native punished the Wildcats in kind to make it a 33-26 game.

Knueppel notched seven of Duke’s last 16 points in the opening frame, and that trio combined for 34 of Duke’s 46 in the first half.

The Blue Devils maintained some distance for the first part of the second half, leading by at least four points for the first 10 minutes, but the 3-point shooting remained a problem. Despite the clutch makes from Proctor and Knueppel, Duke made four of their 22 3-point attempts for the game.

The Wildcats took advantage. Sophomore forward Brandon Garrison, a former Oklahoma State Cowboy, scored six straight points before Kriisa buried a deep three to make it a 65-64 ballgame with 5:28 left on the clock.

Flagg tried multiple times to save the day in the final stretch. He hurtled out of nowhere to deflect a Garrison layup that would have given Kentucky the outright lead, and he earned two trips to the free-throw line on the ensuring offensive possession to keep the lead at three points. When Kentucky took the lead with 2:40 to play, the 17-year-old netted a contested jumper and drew another whistle to tip the score back in Duke’s favor, and he found a way to make a bouncing floater in the final minute that tied the game at 72 points apiece.

It all came unraveled in the final 15 seconds, however. With the score still tied and the ball in Duke’s hands, Flagg drifted into traffic to let Oweh swat it away from behind him. Now down two points with the clock ticking down, Flagg took the ball up the court and lost control near the baseline, putting his hand down out of bounds to give the ball back again.

Flagg was the only Blue Devil to score over the final 6:30, and he was the only Blue Devil to make a shot from the floor over the final 10:50. Proctor and Knueppel only tacked on four points after the break, and the Wildcats won the second half by 14 points.

The Blue Devils play at home against Wofford on Saturday, their last game before a road trip that includes Arizona and Kansas.

Three Duke Blue Devils go within the top 10 of ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft

ESPN released a new 2025 NBA mock draft on Tuesday with a trio of Duke basketball stars within the first eight picks.

With a recruiting class as deep as the one Duke basketball coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] landed this offseason, NBA coaches and front offices will be keeping a keen eye on the Blue Devils in 2024-25.

Superstar forward [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the presumed top pick in the class, has looked the part of a franchise-changing talent even as he’s battled cramps through his first two games. The 6-foot-9 Maine native notably scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds before halftime against Army on Friday. However, two other five-star freshmen have made an impression, and according to ESPN analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, they remain strong lottery candidates.

Givony and Woo included a trio of Blue Devils among the top eight selections in their updated 2025 mock draft on Tuesday, and three older members of the roster made their larger rankings as second-round talents. Here’s a look at the Duke basketball stars with the highest draft stock after two games.

Cooper Flagg

Washington Wizards, No. 1 overall

Despite needing to sit for chunks of the second half against Maine and Army, Flagg has averaged 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He leads the Blue Devils in the latter three categories, and the passing prowess adds a wrinkle to his athleticism and defense. Even without leading the team in scoring, he’s somehow been as good as advertised. It’d be an upset if he wasn’t the top pick at this point.

San Antonio Spurs, No. 6 overall

Knueppel emerged as the star of the offseason after teammates and analysts raved about his offensive playmaking and basketball IQ, and he proved them right by leading the Blue Devils in scoring against both the Black Bears and Black Knights. He’s averaged 18.5 points per game while making seven of his 14 3-point attempts, and he can catch and shoot or fire off the dribble with ease. On a team with at least four 40% 3-point threats, he’s the best shooter of all.

Khaman Maluach

New Orleans Pelicans, No. 8 overall

Maluach might not be stuffing the offensive stat sheet like Flagg and Knueppel through two games, but the 7-footer pulled down 10.0 rebounds and blocked 1.5 shots per contest in his first week with the Blue Devils. He put together his first double-double against Army, scoring 11 points to raise his scoring average to 8.5. If this draft destination comes true, he’d join former Duke basketball stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram in New Orleans.

Other Blue Devils on the prospect rankings

33. Caleb Foster (11.0 points, 3.0 assists)

35. Tyrese Proctor (12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 50% 3PT)

51. Sion James (11.5 points, 2.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals)

Duke basketball remains a No. 1 seed in ESPN Bracketology after opening week

After two games of the 2024-25 season, the Duke men’s basketball team still appears in line for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Duke Blue Devils have only played two games so far in the 2024-25 season, but ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi still considers them a candidate for a No. 1 seed in March.

Lunardi updated his Bracketology projection on Tuesday, and the Blue Devils took the top spot in the East region. The Kansas Jayhawks, whom Duke plays in Las Vegas on November 26, still sit in the No. 1 overall seed, and the Alabama Crimson Tide and Gonzaga Bulldogs led the other two regions.

Against Maine and Army, the freshman duo of [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] and [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] led the way for the Blue Devils. Knueppel earned ACC Rookie of the Week after scoring 18.5 points per game, and Flagg finished with 15.5 points. 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks as he announced himself as an awards candidate.

Lunardi slotted another one of Duke’s non-conference opponents, the Auburn Tigers, as the No. 2 seed in the East and the Houston Cougars as the No. 3 seed. Those teams, coincidentally, are the only two ranked above the Blue Devils in the KenPom rankings.

The North Carolina Tar Heels, after their early loss to the Jayhawks dropped down to the No. 3 seed in the South region.

The latest 2025 NBA mock draft from ESPN has Spurs with Kon Knueppel and Egor Demin

San Antonio would end up with two of the best freshmen in the NCAA.

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the most interesting teams in the league due to Victor Wembanyama, and it will only get more fascinating.

San Antonio currently has two projected lottery picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, which could help them continue to retool around Wembanyama after picking Stephon Castle in the 2024 NBA Draft.

New predictions from ESPN have the Spurs with an absolute dream scenario, picking two of the freshmen who have had the best starts to the NCAA men’s college basketball season thus far: Duke’s Kon Knueppel and BYU’s Egor Demin.

Here is more from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo on the selections, including thoughts on Knueppel:

“Knueppel’s ability to shoot off screens, pull up off the dribble and spot up from deep vantage points with picture-perfect footwork and mechanics should keep him prominent in draft conversations, especially with the way he has contributed in other areas as well with his physicality, feel for the game and better-than-expected shot creation and defense.”

They also added that Knueppel is “arguably the best shooter” in this draft class.

Staff predictions for Tuesday’s matchup between Duke and Kentucky

Duke basketball is gearing up to take on Kentucky on Tuesday, check out our Duke Wire staff predictions for the game.

The Duke Blue Devils brought championship expectations into the 2024-25 season, but head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] and his team will need to prove themselves pretty quickly in November.

After back-to-back wins over Maine and Army to begin the season, the men’s basketball team will play the Kentucky Wildcats in Atlanta on Tuesday night. That rivalry battle, part of the State Farm Champions Classic, kicks off a four-game stretch that includes the Arizona Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks.

Freshman superstar [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] has averaged 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks to begin his collegiate career, but he’s exited the second half of both games with cramps.

“I’m not happy about it for him,” Scheyer said after Friday’s win over Army. “We’ve got to help him, and we will…We can’t have that happening. Bottom line.”

With Flagg’s second-half status and the emergence of Kon Knueppel (18.5 points per game), can the Blue Devils start stacking ranked wins before Thanksgiving?

Here are our staff predictions for Tuesday’s game.

Ryan Haley, Duke Wire site editor

If there’s one thing both of these rosters will do, it’s fire off 3-pointers. Exactly half of the Blue Devils’ attempts came from behind the arc through two games. The Wildcats aren’t far behind with 41.7% of their attempts from distance, and both teams are connecting on at least 40% of their triples.

However, in a battle of high-octane offenses, the Duke defense will win a war of attrition. Flagg and Khaman Maluach make enough plays in the interior, but the Blue Devils’ size on the perimeter can’t be understated. Every member of the backcourt being at least 6-foot-5 with excellent lateral quickness will ensure the Wildcats don’t get many free looks, and that tenacity has shown its ability to win out over 40 minutes.

Flagg notches at least four combined steals and blocks, Knueppel makes at least four 3-pointers, and the Duke basketball hype reaches another pitch.

Duke 94, Kentucky 76

Bryant Crews, Staff Writer

In earnest, Duke’s season officially begins with this game. The games against Maine and Army were nice tune-ups that counted but now rubber meets the road, literally and figuratively. Duke will leave North Carolina for the first time this basketball season to take on fellow blue blood starting a new era themselves. Mark Pope, a former Wildcat himself, is running things in Lexington after John Calipari left for Arkansas.

Kentucky isn’t as freshmen-heavy as we’ve come to expect when these teams have met over the last six years, and in some ways, it’s hard to say Duke is.

Nonetheless, Duke’s major three freshman starters will play a massive role in the tremendous jump up in competition and intensity. It’s always intriguing to see how these highly touted freshmen play when the level of play needs to rise tremendously. I have no doubt that Flagg, Kneuppel, and Maluach will be ready to rock in Atlanta.

I have Duke winning this game. Kentucky will be a problem and seeing Maluach go head-to-head with Amari Williams will be fun. I think Flagg has his early-season marquee moment much like Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero had against this same program. Tyrese Proctor knocks down multiple 3-pointers, and Sion James records at least one block, steal, assist, and rebound apiece on top of dropping a few points to really show his worth as a glue guy extraordinaire.

Duke 81, Kentucky 72

Josiah Caswell, Staff Writer

Duke has arguably the most talented team in America, and that’s been on clear display so far in the season. Whether it’s their returning talent, transfer talent, or most notably their freshman talent, the Blue Devils have it all.

The thing is, relying on so much freshman talent can have its ups and downs. It could mean nothing, but it could also mean something if a learning bump arises given the early schedule.

Regardless, I don’t think that will matter against Kentucky. The Wildcats have a new coach, who is a good one, and an entirely new team. As a result, there’s just as much novelty for them as there is for Duke.

The Blue Devils have the better coach and the more talented team in my opinion. Duke will win.

Flagg’s recent cramping issues are worth noting, however. He’ll need to stay well-hydrated and do his best to stay on the court as much as possible.

Duke 92, Kentucky 81

The Duke Blue Devils are heavily favored to beat Kentucky, per ESPN BPI

Duke basketball plays Kentucky in Atlanta on Tuesday night, and ESPN Analytics think the Blue Devils should be heavily favored.

The Duke Blue Devils play their first ranked opponent of a grueling non-conference schedule when they battle the Kentucky Wildcats in Atlanta on Tuesday night, and ESPN Analytics thinks they’ll start that stretch with a win.

According to the ESPN Matchup Predictor, the Blue Devils have a 70.8% chance to dispatch the Wildcats and new head coach Mark Pope.

Duke has won each of its first two games by at least 30 points thanks to its freshman tandem of [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag].

Knueppel, the ACC Rookie of the Week, paced the Blue Devils in scoring against Maine and Army to average 18.5 points per game. Flagg, the top-ranked freshman and presumed No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA draft, has averaged 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks against the Black Bears and Black Knights.

There’s more to the team than those two, however. Six different Blue Devils scored at least 10 points in both games, something that had never happened under head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] in his previous two seasons.

The Wildcats reached triple digits in both of their first two games under Pope, defeating Wright State 103-62 and Bucknell 100-72. Koby Brea, who transferred to Kentucky from Dayton this offseason, paces the team with 19.0 points per game to start the year.

Duke basketball freshman Kon Knueppel named ACC Rookie of the Week

Duke basketball freshman Kon Knueppel earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors on Monday after his first two collegiate games.

Duke basketball freshman [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] didn’t take long to impress the nation, and on Monday, he was declared the ACC Rookie of the Week after his first two collegiate games.

Knueppel led the Blue Devils in scoring against both Maine and Army, dropping 22 points in the opener against the Black Bears before scoring 15 more against the Black Knights. He scored 13 of the team’s first 23 points against Maine, and he’s shooting 50.0% on 3-pointers despite averaging seven attempts.

He also averaged 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals.

The Wisconsin native became a fan favorite in the offseason when every single one of his teammates called him the most impressive player from offseason workouts. CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein singled him out as a star when he attended a practice, and ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony moved him within his top 10 NBA prospects after seeing him play.

If the first two games of the season are any indication, Knueppel and teammate [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] might be passing this trophy back and forth between them all season. Flagg, the top-ranked player in the Class of 2024, finished the opening week with 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds. 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks despite dealing with cramps in the second half of both games.

College basketball analyst Andy Katz includes Duke among his top five teams

College basketball analyst Andy Katz thinks the Duke Blue Devils are one of the five best teams in the country.

The Duke Blue Devils narrowly missed out on the top five of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and the AP Poll on Monday, and college basketball analyst Andy Katz thinks the team deserves a little more credit.

Katz shared his updated Power 37 rankings through social media, and he slotted the Blue Devils in fifth behind the Kansas Jayhawks, Alabama Crimson Tide, Gonzaga Bulldogs, and Connecticut Huskies.

Katz had some kind words for the team during the week as well, saying that the Blue Devils had championship hopes if returning starters Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor could provide veteran leadership.

“I don’t think there is a great team this season,” he said. “There’s a lot of good teams, and Duke is one of them.”

The Auburn Tigers jumped above the Blue Devils into the top five of most national rankings after upsetting Houston, but Katz kept Duke one spot above the SEC heavyweight.

The Kentucky Wildcats, the next team on Duke’s schedule, jumped all the way to 15th.