Many in the college basketball community had high hopes for Duke’s chances at capturing the men’s NCAA championship this season. With standout freshman Cooper Flagg leading the charge, the Blue Devils stormed through the schedule with a 35-4 record and secured the No. 1 seed in the East Region.
But in the Final Four, Duke couldn’t hold on in the closing minutes against Houston, ultimately falling 70-67 despite leading for much of the game.
Although Flagg hasn’t officially declared for the NBA draft, it’s widely expected that he will soon—and he’s almost certain to be the No. 1 overall pick. Meanwhile, fellow freshman Kon Knueppel announced Wednesday that he will enter the 2025 NBA Draft.
Knueppel’s teammate, Khaman Maluach, reacted to the news on Instagram with a supportive comment:
“My brother K2,” he wrote.
Knueppel, a 6’7″ guard, averaged 14.4 points per game while shooting 47.9% from the field and 40.6% from beyond the arc. He earned spots on both the ACC All-Freshman Team and the All-ACC Second Team, stepping up especially when Flagg was sidelined with an ankle injury.
While Knueppel isn’t seen as a future star on Flagg’s level, his sharpshooting ability could carve out a role for him in the NBA. NBADraft.net compared his game to that of Jared Dudley and five-time All-Star Chris Mullin.
As for Maluach, he just wrapped up his own freshman season at Duke, posting averages of 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game. Standing at 7’2″ and weighing 250 pounds, the promising center from Africa appears to be a prospect worth watching.
