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Duke's Kon Knueppel Lists All-Time Blue Devils Starting Five
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- Duke's Kon Knueppel Lists All-Time Blue Devils Starting Five
Former Duke Blue Devils star Kon Knueppel is coming off an impressive rookie year with the Charlotte Hornets. He finished runner-up to fellow Duke star Cooper Flagg in Rookie of the Year voting.
Knueppel averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three.
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Despite Knueppel being a former teammate of Flagg, he didn't list himself or Flagg on his all-time Blue Devils starting five .
Instead, Knueppel paid homage to Duke legends, as he named Bobby Hurley, JJ Redick, Grant Hill, Shane Battier, and Christian Laettner as his all-time starting five.
All five of those players had a historic run with the Blue Devils. Hurley was an All-American, three-time All-ACC, and a two-time NCAA Champion at Duke, averaging 12.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 41 percent from the floor and 40.5 percent from deep.
Redick is the other guard Knueppel had in his lineup, and he also had a phenomenal career with the Blue Devils. He was a two-time Consensus All-American, won an AP Player of the Year award, and the Wooden Award.
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In his four seasons, he averaged 19.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from behind the arc. He is one of the best players in Duke history.
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Hill was a worthy selection as the small forward, as he was a two-time Consensus All-American and a two-time NCAA Champion, averaging 14.9 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals, and a block per game, shooting 53.2 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from distance.
The other forward Knueppel selected was Battier, who also had a storied career with the Blue Devils. Battier was a two-time Consensus All-American, an AP Player of the Year, a Wooden Award winner, and an NCAA Champion.
He averaged 13.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game, shooting 50 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from downtown.
Knueppel's last selection for his starting five was Laettner, who is another Duke legend. Laettner was a two-time Consensus All-American, an AP Player of the Year, a Wooden Award winner, and a two-time NCAA Champion.
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He averaged 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and a block per game while shooting 57.4 percent from the floor and 48.5 percent from long range.
Although Knueppel could have included himself or one of his teammates, he delivered arguably a perfect starting five of Duke legends.
