Knueppel Steps Up, Leads Duke Men’s Basketball to Conference Title

Following a dominant run through the ACC Tournament, culminating in Duke men’s basketball securing the conference title, the Blue Zone highlights one key player, word, and stat from the games:

One player: Kon Knueppel

With just under three minutes remaining in the first half of Duke’s opening ACC Tournament game against Georgia Tech, disaster struck: freshman standout and projected first-overall NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg injured his ankle, leaving the Blue Devils without their top scorer and rebounder. As many Duke fans expected, head coach Jon Scheyer turned to another freshman, Kon Knueppel, to step up and lead the ACC regular season champions to three consecutive victories. And that’s exactly what Knueppel did.

Over the three games, Knueppel emerged as Duke’s primary option, playing nearly every minute and averaging 21 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Knueppel continued his stellar play throughout the season, confidently hitting 3-pointers and driving aggressively to the basket. In the 73-62 championship win over No. 13 Louisville, although Knueppel struggled from deep, he took advantage of 6-foot-6 defender Terrence Edwards Jr., scoring 18 points to earn the ACC Tournament MVP award.

Knueppel was also exceptional defensively, maintaining solid play without fouling out in any of the three games while logging heavy minutes.

One word: Resilience

Despite losing Flagg and key defender Maliq Brown in the first half of their opener against Georgia Tech, Duke displayed remarkable resilience, adapting to adversity and utilizing its depth to secure three straight victories.

Patrick Ngongba II finished the tournament with a stellar 10-13 shooting performance, dominating in the post throughout all three games. Sophomore Caleb Foster played 30 minutes during the week, contributing six points and several key defensive plays, including two steals, in the win over rival North Carolina. While Mason Gillis struggled shooting, the graduate played strong defense, notably switching onto the talented Louisville guards Edwards and Chucky Hepburn in the championship.

Duke’s depth was critical to the victory, but how the bench will perform with Flagg returning for the NCAA Tournament remains to be seen. What stood out most was Duke’s ability to adapt quickly to tough circumstances and maintain its elite play under pressure.

One stat: 15 blocks

Throughout the three tournament games, Duke racked up 15 blocks, including 13 from their active centers, Ngongba and Khaman Maluach. Maluach’s defensive potential was on full display in a memorable sequence against Louisville when he switched onto Edwards and blocked his driving layup attempt. All season, Duke’s centers have made it difficult for opponents to finish at the rim, and with athletic 6-foot-6 guards forcing challenging lanes, Duke’s defense is a formidable force. Moving forward, Coach Scheyer will continue to emphasize this level of defensive effort in the high-pressure NCAA Tournament.