4. Kon Knueppel (Duke)
Seeing elite recruits winding up at Duke is no surprise even with Jon Scheyer roaming the sidelines these days, though the Blue Devils are all about getting results in March for the first time since Coach K’s retirement. Rated among the nation’s Top 15 recruit, Knueppel is a 6’7 guard from Milwaukee who has certainly strived for those results early in what should be a brief collegiate career in Duke’s backcourt.
Knueppel has been a starter from the beginning for the Blue Devils and is putting up 12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. He’s the second-leading scorer for Duke (behind someone else on this list), has made nearly 38% of his 3-pointers, and affects the game on all levels. He dropped 22 points on Maine in his collegiate debut and recently scored a season-high 25 in a rout of Miami. Knueppel has great metrics on both sides of the ball and has made 48% of his long-range shots since New Year’s, thriving in ACC play.
With how things have looked in the ACC recently, it’s almost a certainly that Duke will not only win the league but earn themselves a pretty comfortable seed in the NCAA Tournament. It’s the play of those freshman like Knueppel that has this program in that comfortable position. He’s a shooter who can make instant impact plays and works hard on the opposite end. Don’t be shocked to see a 20-piece from Knueppel during March Madness as even more of the country learns his name.