Kon Knueppel Picks up Cooper Flagg Slack as Duke Advances to Final Four

The 2024-25 Duke Blue Devils continue to be one of the more talented freshmen-led teams in some time, advancing to the Final Four with a win over second-seeded Alabama on Saturday night.

The Crimson Tide were far-and-away the best squad the Blue Devils had faced to this point, having beaten up on Mount St. Mary’s, Baylor and Arizona in the first three rounds. Even worse, projected top pick Cooper Flagg saw one of his lesser scoring outputs on the season, adding 16 points on less than efficient 6-for-16 shooting from the floor.

While it certainly wasn’t a bad performance — with Flagg still managing to add his patented all-around game with nine rebounds, three assists and one block — his scoring certainly wasn’t up to par with what its been all season. He turned it on late in the game to seal it, but other offensive production was needed prior.

Luckily, Duke saw a myriad of players step up with Flagg misfiring early, none more than projected lottery pick Kon Knueppel, who finished with a team-high 21 points. Even more, the wing was able to add five rebounds, five assists and three steals in finishing off Alabama, 85-65.

Through the first three rounds, Flagg added an average of 20.6 points to the Blue Devils’ total. So Knueppel’s stepping up couldn’t have come at a better time.

As he has been all season, Knueppel was rock-solid in assuming scoring duties for the Blue Devils, cashing in on open looks, slicing down the lane for easy finishes and even handling the ball in moderation. He’s been similarly vital to the team’s postseason efforts, adding 20 points on just 5-for-7 shooting in the squad’s seven-point win over Arizona.

Other notable contributors were guard Tyrese Proctor with 17 points, and freshman center Khaman Maluach — also a projected top-10 pick — with 14 points and two blocks. 

With the win, Duke will now face the winner of No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Tennessee in the Final Four. 

There will be no dethroning Flagg from the No. 1 spot in the 2025 NBA Draft. And each NCAA Tournament win only continues to cement his legacy as one of the best players in Duke history.

Knueppel and Malauch, too, will assuredly be lottery picks. Especially given their success in recent weeks.