No player in the country will balance more 2025 NBA draft hype than Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, the consensus No. 1 player in the incoming freshman class.
According to The Athletic senior writer Sam Vecenie, however, there’s another Blue Devil newcomer that fans should keep an eye on.
Vecenie revealed his early 2025 mock draft would be published next week after the 2024 edition concludes on Thursday, and he’s particularly bullish on Kon Knueppel. He commented on some footage of Duke’s first scrimmages to confirm that Knueppel will be a first-round pick in his projections.
“I get the athleticism. I don’t care,” Vecenie wrote. “Think he’s just an absolute stud and will be Duke’s second-best freshman this year.”
Knueppel, who was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Wisconsin this year, was one of four five-star signees in Duke’s esteemed 2024 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the 17th overall player in the class, and he measures out at 6-foot-7 and 217 pounds on the team roster.
(Yes I obviously have to do a 2025 mock the day after the draft. Knueppel will be on it. I get the athleticism. I don’t care. Think he’s just an absolute stud and will be Duke’s second-best freshman this year) https://t.co/C6jfKDsuHy
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) June 23, 2024
Knueppel’s highlights from the scrimmage showed him knocking down two 3-pointers, a beautiful reverse layup off the glass, and a one-handed breakaway dunk.