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Hornets' Kon Knueppel Weighs in with Strong Duke Opinion
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- Hornets' Kon Knueppel Weighs in with Strong Duke Opinion
Hornets' Kon Knueppel Weighs in with Strong Duke Opinion
(Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images)
Over the years, there have been quite a few NBA stars who have come out of the Duke basketball program. Last year, two new stars were born with Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks and Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets .
Flagg was the most talked about Duke star in the 2025 NBA Draft. He was the clear-cut No. 1 overall pick for the entire college basketball season. Knueppel was hyped up quite a bit, but no one expected exactly what he produced for the Hornets as a rookie.
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Knueppel immediately made it obvious that he has star potential in the NBA. His three-point shot was elite and he impressed in other areas as well.
When all was said and done for his rookie year, Knueppel played in 81 games and made 80 starts. He averaged 18.5 points per game to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while also shooting 47.5 percent from the floor and 42.5 percent from three-point range.
Ahead of his second season in the league, Knueppel has spoken out with a strong opinion about his alma mater.
Recently, he had a conversation with Marty Mush of Barstool Sports. He was asked about his all-time Duke starting lineup and was happy to provide his opinion.
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"I'm going to go, full career, Bobby Hurley at the one, JJ Redick at the two, Grant Hill at the three, Shane Battier at the four, and Christian Laettner at the five," Knueppel said .
There isn't much to argue about with that list. When asked about a potential sixth man to add alongside of the starting lineup, Knueppel picked former Blue Devils star point guard Jay Williams.
Duke only got to see Knueppel play one season with the program. He did not fail to live up to the hype that surrounded him when he committed to the Blue Devils.
Throughout the course of the 2024-25 college basketball season, he averaged 14.4 points, four rebounds, and 2.7 assists, while shooting 47.9 percent overall and knocking down 40.6 percent of his three-point attempts.
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Heading into his second season with the Hornets, fans will be watching for another step. He has shown glimpses of legitimate star potential, but year two will be a big test.
If Knueppel can improve and take another step forward, he will solidify himself as a centerpiece of the team's build moving forward.
