How Duke basketball's Kon Knueppel learned 'stuff that's not taught so much anymore'

How Duke basketball’s Kon Knueppel learned ‘stuff that’s not taught so much anymore’

Posted by Admin October 23, 2024 Basketball

Crafty. Fundamentally sound. Old school.

Those are some of the words being used to describe Duke basketball freshman Kon Knueppel, who continues to receive a bunch of buzz as he prepares for his debut season with the Blue Devils.

So, where did Knueppel learn how to play his brand of basketball and who taught him?

Let’s start with where: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As for the who, that initial credit goes to Kon’s parents. The parents of five sons, including Kon II, Kon and Chari Knueppel had hall-of-fame careers as college basketball players in Wisconsin.

Chari, the all-time leading scorer in University of Wisconsin-Green Bay history, had her No. 33 jersey retired in January. The older Kon was inducted into the hall of fame at Wisconsin Lutheran in 2014.

Now, back to where Knueppel learned how to hone his skills in between the sidelines.

“My dad has a men’s league in Milwaukee that he’s been running for 20 years, so I started playing in that in eighth grade,” Knueppel told The Fayetteville Observer/USA TODAY Sports Network in early October.

“I think learning that physicality, how to get open, how to score over guys that are older, but also guys that can’t move as well anymore, I’m just learning by watching how they score and how they get off their shot. It’s just really important to be balanced; that’s how you make plays.”

Ben Brust, Wisconsin basketball and backdoor cuts

Before he became a five-star recruit out of Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Kon Knueppel couldn’t crack the code of a player in his father’s men’s league.

Ben Burst, a former Wisconsin basketball player and the Badgers’ all-time leader in 3-pointers (235) under Hall of Fame coach Bo Ryan from 2010-14, was bugging Knueppel by beating him with the same move.

“I was in ninth grade and he’s just beating me on all these backdoor cuts,” Knueppel said.

But, over time, Knueppel started learning the nuances of the game from Brust and others in the league.

“By the time of my senior year, I’m beating him on backdoor cuts, learning how to play off the ball, how to play together as a team, stuff that’s not taught so much anymore,” Knueppel said.

He put it all together at the 55th Holy Cross Men’s Open, hosted annually in Kaukauna. After watching the tournament for years as a youngster, Knueppel played in it for the first time this year. Holding his own against grown men, including Brust, Knueppel led his team to the championship and was named MVP.

Cooper Flagg, Jon Scheyer praise Kon Knueppel’s start at Duke

A 6-foot-6, 217-pound guard/forward, Knueppel’s position designation on the official roster doesn’t matter. He’s simply a basketball player, evidenced by the praise of his teammates and coaches throughout the offseason.

“I think somebody says, ‘Slow is smooth and smooth is fast,’” Knueppel said. “I try to play that way.”

A phrase coined by the Navy SEALS, it fits Knueppel’s game. It’s all about precision and deliberate action, knowing where to be and when to be there.

Fellow freshman Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, said Knueppel is “very consistent with what he does every day,” adding that “he’s way more athletic than I expected.”

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer it’s “so easy to play with” Knueppel.

“In being easy to play with, he’s smart, he has a great feel, he has really good habits. As a freshman, it’s hard to be so defensively sound, in terms of knowing how to jump to the ball, and how to wall up and how to guard one-on-one,” Scheyer said.

“I think it’s a credit to his upbringing. It’s a credit to his high school coaches, and it’s gonna serve him well. Naturally, he can score and all that, and can shoot, which is great. But, to me, the thing that’s been so impressive is what he does on defense. And just his habits, in general, for being a freshman.”

A scorer capable of knocking down treys, draining mid-range jumpers and using his footwork on post moves to create space near the rim, Knueppel knows the ins and outs of being an efficient scorer.

He’s a pure shooter, seemingly firing shot after shot with the same form and stroke. The repetition of that stroke was on display against Lincoln (Pa.) in Knueppel’s preseason debut at Cameron Indoor Stadium as he knocked down five 3s in the first half.

He also showed off his awareness as a cutter, beating a Lincoln defender on a backdoor cut before gathering a pass with two feet and exploding up to throw down a one-handed dunk over another defender.

“I try to use leverage,” Knueppel said. “I’m not the quickest guy out there, but I try to use stops and starts — and use leverage — to move smoothly.”

According to ESPN, Knueppel is a top-10 prospect for the 2025 NBA Draft. He’s pulled stuff from how fellow Wisconsin native Marcus Domask played at Illinois, but Knueppel smiled before revealing the other inspiration behind his old-school approach.

“My dad’s been playing for a long time, still plays,” Knueppel said. “Just watching what he does out there and how he makes his teammates better.”

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.