Duke basketball freshman Kon Knueppel was in the stands at the Final Four

A decade ago, Duke basketball freshman Kon Knueppel was in the stands at the Final Four—but as a Wisconsin Badgers fan. Back then, the Milwaukee native wore red as he watched the Badgers battle for a national title in the 2015 championship game in Indianapolis. Although Wisconsin came up short, it was Knueppel’s future team—the Duke Blue Devils—who claimed the crown that night.

Now, in a full-circle moment, Knueppel finds himself on the court wearing Duke blue, playing a key role in their own Final Four run under head coach Jon Scheyer. In a standout performance, the freshman led all scorers at halftime, helping push the Blue Devils into the lead. What was once a dream in the stands has now become a reality on the hardwood.

If Duke is going to capture another national championship like it did ten years ago, Kon Knueppel will be a key reason why. The former Wisconsin Lutheran High School standout led all scorers at halftime of Saturday’s national semifinal, notching 12 points and adding an assist as the Blue Devils took a 34-28 lead over Houston.

In his freshman season, the 6-foot-7, 217-pound guard has been a consistent contributor, averaging 14.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. A lethal perimeter threat, Knueppel has hit over 40% of his three-point attempts this season and connected on three triples in the first half alone against the Cougars.

Knueppel has already made a name for himself in Durham, earning Second-Team All-ACC honors and being named MVP of the ACC Tournament after averaging 21 points per game during the conference run. A highly-touted prospect, Knueppel chose Duke over offers from several programs, including his home-state Wisconsin Badgers. He was the top-ranked recruit in Wisconsin and a top-20 player nationally in his class.