A highly-coveted shooter whose offensive game is among the most lethal in the class, Knueppel was a vital Robin to Cooper Flagg’s Batman in his one season leading a 35-win Duke team to within seconds of a national title game appearance. He’s the prince of pacing who plays with poise and control.
About
A prolific shooter and scorer who averaged 26.4 points per game as a senior in high school and blossomed into a five-star recruit before choosing Duke over a number of other offers.
Earned an invite to the Jordan Brand Classic and was named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball, joining company that includes former first-round picks Brandin Podziemski, Johnny Davis, Henry Ellenson, Kevon Looney and Sam Dekker.
Playing alongside Cooper Flagg at Duke, he instantly became a star, hitting 40.6% on 3-pointers and finishing as the second-leading scorer on a 35-win team.
Strengths
Elite shooter. Made 40.6% of 3-pointers on 207 total attempts at Duke in 2024-25 and missed only nine of his 128 total free-throw attempts.
Undeterred when unable to create separation; rated in the 92nd percentile on guarded shots from deep at Duke, per Synergy data.
Smart player who consistently overcomes lack of athleticism with savvy. Plays with good pacing and body control, and rated 70th percentile on shots at the rim.
Weaknesses
Room to improve his versatility as a shot-maker. Very reliable on set shots even when guarded, but was in the 33rd percentile on dribble jumpers and scored just 0.826 points per possession on handoffs.
Needs to improve foot speed and lateral quickness. Frequently struggled defending at the point of screens defensively at Duke. Navigating through pick-and-rolls by adding physicality and speed will be critical for his role in the NBA.
Too much reliance on the right hand for finishing. Becoming more comfortable and confident as a lefty scorer will add more lethality to his offensive game and make him even more potent a scorer.
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