The Duke Chronicle Previews Freshman Kon Knueppel

One of the more intriguing players on this year’s roster

The Duke Chronicle is starting its annual tradition of looking at new Blue Devils. First up is the very promising Kon Knueppel.

He’s an intriguing talent. Not surprisingly, he’s a talented three point shooter - Jon Scheyer has made that a priority - but he’s also a skillful passer and can penetrate too. Not bad for a guy who is 6-7 (he’s apparently grown an inch since last season) and 217.

That 217 is interesting too. Once you get past the bigger guys like Khaman Maluach, Patrick Ngongba and Stanley Borden, who all weigh at least 240, Kneuppel weighs as much as anyone and looks like he can use that weight too.

It’s not everything, but look at Cooper Flagg (6-9/205), Darren Harris (6-6/203) and Isaiah Evans (6-6/175). Knueppel’s size could be a real advantage.

Here’s an excerpt from what the Chronicle’s Sydney Olin say about him: “Although Knueppel is known for his prowess as a shooter, his vision on the court is often overlooked. This season, Coach Scheyer’s squad will play without captain Jeremey Roach, who has entered a new chapter of his collegiate career with Baylor. Roach was central to Duke’s offensive operation and provided strong playmaking abilities. Like him, Knueppel is a natural playmaker and has the capacity to orchestrate strong offensive flow. In the following clip, notice how Knueppel attracts three defenders and seamlessly finds his teammate set up for an open 3-point shot on the opposite side of the rim.“

We’re really excited about him. He has a chance to do some special things at Duke.