No. 7–Duke Blue Devils | |
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Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
League | Atlantic Coast Conference |
Personal information | |
Born | August 3, 2005 |
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 | |
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Kon II Knueppel (born August 3, 2005) is an American college basketball player for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
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]
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, and USC among others. [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]
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]
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]