Duke basketball recently had its Countdown to Craziness preseason hype show where fans were able to see the team in a series of scrimmages. The team has also taken part in separate scrimmages in the past week, and ESPN's Jonathan Givony has been able to watch and evaluate the plethora of talent in this year's freshman class for the Blue Devils.
Most would expect the best freshman and maybe the best player on the floor to be Cooper Flagg, the #1 prospect in the country touted as arguably the best prospect in the last 25 years.
But after watching the scrimmages, Givony saw the most out of another Blue Devil freshman, and one that has been garnering a lot of attention throughout the preseason.
An article by clutchpoints.com quoted Givony, "Kon Knueppel was the best player on the floor for Duke - and it wasn't particularly close - while helping his team win all three scrimmages."
The main strength I noticed from Knueppel during Countdown to Craziness was his defensive instincts. He moves laterally so well with his defender and always comes off screens with intent. His motor on the defensive end stood out and listed at 6' 7", he can guard both guard positions along with big guys in the front court.
What lacked a bit on the defensive end was keeping up with quicker guards off the first bounce from the perimeter, with guys such as Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor. Knueppel looked like he opened his hips up early and let guards get by him to the bucket, but that will improve just by adapting to the speed of the college game.
What it looks like Knueppel will bring to the offensive side of the ball right away is his ability to shoot threes consistently. He's got a quick release and showed he can knock down shots from a lot of different positions. He operated out of pick-and-rolls well and caught the ball in a ready-to-shoot position in the transition game. Givony also touched on Knueppel's shooting talent.
"Knueppel already looks like he might be one of the best shooters in the ACC from Day 1. His NBA intrigue is going to revolve around his ability to spot up and shoot pull-up threes like he did all afternoon with balance, footwork and confidence."
Many experts now predict Knueppel will be in the starting lineup on opening night, but that remains to be seen with such a crowded backcourt in Durham right now. But with his defensive capabilities at his size mixed with his ability shot knock down outside shots consistently, it looks like Knueppel will be bringing a lot of attention towards his name as the college basketball season creeps closer.