Kon Knueppel
| No. 7 – Duke Blue Devils | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
| League | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 3, 2005 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 217 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) |
| College | Duke (2024–present) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Kon Knueppel II is an American college basketball player for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Early life and high school
[edit]Knueppel grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended Wisconsin Lutheran High School.[1] He averaged 10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game during his freshman season with the Wisconsin Lutheran Vikings.[2] Knueppel averaged 19.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game as a junior.[3] As a senior, he averaged 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game during the regular season and was named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball.[4] He helped Wisconsin Lutheran win the 2024 Boys Basketball Division 2 State Championship against Pewaukee and finish the season with a 30-0 record.[5][6]
Recruiting
[edit]Knueppel was one of the top players in the 2024 class, according to major recruiting services.[7][8] He committed to play college basketball at Duke over offers from Alabama, Virginia, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Marquette, USC.[9][10] Knueppel signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Blue Devils on November 15, 2023, during the early signing period.[11]
College career
[edit]Knueppel enrolled at Duke University in June 2024 in order to take part in the Blue Devils' summer practices.[12] He made his college basketball debut during Duke's season opener against Maine on November 4, 2024, and scored 22 points with four rebounds in a 96-62 win.[13]
Personal life
[edit]Knueppel is a Christian.[14] He went to grade school and attends church at St. John’s Lutheran in Wauwatosa, WI.[15]
Knueppel's father, Kon, played college basketball at Wisconsin Lutheran College and was the school's all-time leading scorer until 2019.[16] His father and his uncles Klint, Klay, and Kole competed in the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament as a team named the “Flying Knueppel Brothers”.[17] Knueppel's mother, Chari (née Nordgaard), played at Wisconsin-Green Bay and is the school's leading scorer.[18] Knueppel's uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, also played at Wisconsin-Green Bay and played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and professionally in Europe.[19]
References
[edit]- ^ "Zach Kinziger hopes he can lure Kon Knueppel to Wisconsin". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 5, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Recruit updates on Wisconsin 2024 guards Kon Knueppel, Nick Janowski". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. October 21, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Kon Knueppel patiently evaluating his basketball suitors". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. June 11, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ "Wisconsin Lutheran Duke commit Kon Knueppel named Mr. Basketball WBCA". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Boys Basketball Perfect Season". Wisconsin Lutheran High School. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- ^ Knapinski, Dick. "Wisconsin Lutheran finishes perfect season with Division 2 championship against Pewaukee". WSN. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- ^ Newton, Matt (July 14, 2023). "Five-Star Recruit Kon Knueppel Schedules Second Official Visit to Virginia". SI.com. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ "What Kon Knueppel brings to Duke basketball's 2024 recruiting class". The Fayetteville Observer. September 21, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff (September 21, 2023). "No. 22 recruit Kon Knueppel commits to Duke basketball". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ Marks, Brendan; Bass, Tobias (September 21, 2023). "Duke lands commitment from 5-star wing Kon Knueppel: What this means for Blue Devils". The Athletic. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer discusses Cooper Flagg, 2024 recruiting class". The Fayetteville Observer. November 16, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Giles, Matt (July 4, 2024). "Duke Basketball Freshman Catches Fire During Practice". SI.com. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
- ^ DeCock, Luke (November 4, 2024). "Kon Knueppel steals the show from Connor Flagg in Duke debut". The News & Observer. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- ^ Graf, Travis. "Four-star Kon Knueppel evaluating all of his options". Rivals. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- ^ "Viking Christian Leaders: Humility". Wisconsin Lutheran High School. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- ^ Allan, Lance (February 6, 2023). "Wisconsin Lutheran basketball star upholds his family name as 15 schools hope to recruit him". TMJ4.com. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ Strang, Katie (August 12, 2018). ""It's like a basketball family out there" — an oral history of the Gus Macker tournament". The Athletic. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "Wisconsin Lutheran's Kon Knueppel, a DI basketball recruit, is guided by parents who were stars as well". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. December 9, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ "Watching the son rise". Wisconsin State Journal. August 29, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.