Duke basketball (27-3, 18-1 ACC) freshman guard Kon Knueppel has been one of the most complete freshmen in college basketball on both sides of the ball all season. He's been one of the Blue Devils' most consistent backcourt pieces and contributes to winning on a nightly basis, but doesn't seem to get the national recognition he deserves as one of the best guards in college basketball.
Duke basketball is campaigning for Knueppel to get his flowers, and posted on Instagram highlighting some of Knueppel's numbers, captioning the post "1st-team All-ACC numbers if you know ball."
Knueppel is the only player in the country averaging 13+ points per game and 2+ assists per game on 45% shooting from the field, 39% from three-point range, and 90% from the free throw line. He also leads the ACC in three-point shooting percentage in ACC games at 42% and is first in the ACC and fourth in the nation in adjusted offensive rating at 129.9.
The freshman has displayed incredible instincts on both sides of the floor and is one of the Blue Devils' most reliable defenders in the backcourt. Knueppel can guard the one through four spots in most cases at six-foot-seven and 217 pounds, and his versatility on the offensive side of the ball has led him to develop into one of the top all-around guards in college basketball.
"Kon has had a great season for us on both ends of the floor," Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said. "I think the first thing that jumps out to me with Kon is if there's a loose ball on the floor, he's getting it. He's incredible with coming up with ball whether it's on rebounds, loose balls, or any of the 'toughness' plays that you would want a player to make."
Knueppel is averaging 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists a night for the Blue Devils this season on 46.2% shooting from the field and 39.5% shooting from beyond the arc.
He's been an elite scorer at time all season, but has really put on a show and been on a hot streak as of late. Over his last five games, the freshman is averaging 16.6 points per game on 52% shooting from the floor and 52.3% shooting from beyond the arc. He's also been much more involved in the passing game as the season has gone on, dishing out 23 assists to 11 turnovers over his last ten games.
This will likely be Knueppel's lone season in Durham as he's seen as a likely top ten pick in this summer's NBA Draft.
The Blue Devils close out the regular season on March 8th (6:30pm ET, ESPN) in Chapel Hill against North Carolina (20-11, 13-6 ACC).