ACC Tournament MVP Kon Knueppel proves Duke has firepower that goes well beyond Cooper Flagg
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It wasn't a surprise that a Duke freshman was named the Most Valuable Player of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Saturday night.
What may have been surprising is that he wasn't named Cooper Flagg.
Kon Knueppel, take a bow.
With Flagg out for most of the ACC Tournament with a sprained ankle, the 6-foot-7 Knueppel showed that he’s more than capable of carrying the load for the top-ranked Blue Devils, who beat No. 13 Louisville 73-62 on Saturday night to win their second championship in three seasons under coach Jon Scheyer.
The consistent Knueppel averaged 21 points on 48.7% shooting to go along with 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists over three games to earn tournament MVP honors, a step up from his season averages of 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
So while the multi-talented Flagg has grabbed most of the national headlines, Duke's opponents in the upcoming NCAA Tournament had best not sleep on the fellow true freshman from the Milwaukee area.
“He’s so solid and made so many winning plays,” Scheyer said.
Knueppel had 28 points in Duke's quarterfinal win over Goergia Tech, a game where Flagg left in the first half after stepping on an opponent's foot.
He never let up from there.
“I didn't really feel like I tried to turn it up a notch,” Knueppel said of Flagg's absence. “I was trying to make the right play. With Cooper being out I knew some of the burden, especially the minutes and having to play a lot more. So I was just trying to be sharp. Nothing spectacular. Nothing crazy.”
Knueppel is considered one of Duke's top marksmen, shooting better than 40% from beyond the arc.
But on a night when his 3 wasn't falling — he was 0 for 5 — he found other ways to hurt Louisville, scoring on drives and finishing at the basket through traffic. He got to the foul line six times and made them all.
Knueppel's success in the tournament didn't surprise Scheyer, who fell in love with his game after seeing him compete at an NBA camp. It's a different environment than high school games or even AAU tournaments, where players are forced to use their individual skills.
“I saw his ability to create shots for himself, and then I saw his ability to guard,” Scheyer said. “And then, more importantly, I saw what a competitor he was. I left there and I was like, ‘He belongs at Duke.’ Our staff from that point on was all out to get him to come to Duke."
Then Scheyer smiled and said, "I'm sure glad he chose Duke.”
Flagg will be back for the NCAA Tournament.
But if nothing else, the ACC Tournament proved the Blue Devils are more than just the Cooper Flagg show. They have a team full of talent, a deep bench and players committed to defense.
And that is a daunting reality that opposing teams will have to contend with as Duke, which almost certainly be the NCAA Tournament's No. 1 overall seed, looks to run the table over the next few weeks and win a sixth national championship.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Topics
-
No. 1 Duke rules out Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown with injuries for ACC semifinal vs. UNC
Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown have been ruled out for No. 1 Duke's game against North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Friday night because of injuries. Both players were ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
NCAA's Gavitt: Duke, ACC tell selection committee Flagg will be available for March Madness
Top-ranked Duke and the Atlantic Coast Conference have informed the NCAA Tournament selection committee that freshman Cooper Flagg will be available for March Madness, NCAA senior vice president ...Yahoo Sports - 10h -
Duke proves 'toughness' minus Flagg to win ACC
No. 1 Duke showed off its depth of talent with Cooper Flagg sidelined and defeated 13th-ranked Louisville 73-62 on Saturday night to clinch its second ACC tournament title in three seasons under ...ESPN - 4h -
Duke's Cooper Flagg leaves ACC quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech with ankle injury
Duke star Cooper Flagg left Thursday’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinal game with a left ankle injury and had to be helped to the locker roomABC News - 2d -
No. 1 Duke holds off furious North Carolina rally to win 74-71, reach ACC title game without Flagg
Kon Knueppel scored 17 points and No. 1 Duke held off a furious second half rally by rival North Carolina to beat its rival for the third time this season, 74-71 on Friday night to reach the ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Duke, back to 'hunters', rallies to dominate UNC
Freshman Kon Knueppel scored 17 points to help No. 2 Duke beat rival North Carolina 82-69 on Saturday night and clinch the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.ESPN - 6d -
Proctor, Knueppel carry No. 1 Duke past No. 13 Louisville 73-62 for 2nd ACC title in 3 years
Tyrese Proctor scored 19 points on six 3-pointers, Kon Knueppel added 18 points and No. 1 Duke defeated 13th-ranked Louisville 73-62 on Saturday night to clinch its second Atlantic Coast Conference ...ABC News - 6h -
Cooper Flagg injury update: Will Duke star play in ACC tournament title game?
Duke will play for the ACC tournament title on Saturday, while the Blue Devils star player, Cooper Flagg, continues to deal with an ankle injury.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
No. 1 Duke beats Georgia Tech 78-70 after losing Flagg, Brown to injuries in ACC quarterfinals
Kon Knueppel scored 28 points as No. 1 Duke overcame injuries to star Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown to beat Georgia Tech 78-70 and advance to the ACC Tournament semifinalsABC News - 2d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
The radio messages which show Lewis Hamilton has a lot of work to do at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton said he was “lacking information” from the Ferrari pitwall when he made the decision to stay out on slick tyres as the rain began to fall more heavily towards the end of Sunday’s ...Yahoo Sports - 11m -
When is First Four for March Madness? Schedule, dates, location for men's play-in games
When is the First Four for the 2025 March Madness bracket? What to know about NCAA Tournament play-in games, including times, dates and history.Yahoo Sports - 13m -
It's bracket time! Details on Selection Sunday's bracket reveal
Next up for Michigan State basketball -- the NCAA TournamentYahoo Sports - 14m -
Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff rips NBA refs: 'Disrespect has gone on far enough'
Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff ripped the refs after Saturday's game saw Cade Cunningham ejected for lining up in the key.Yahoo Sports - 15m -
Detroit Tigers' Jace Jung finally hit home run, but Opening Day roster spot uncertain
Detroit Tigers third baseman Jace Jung went 229 days without hitting a home run, including the 45 days he spent playing 34 games in his MLB career.Yahoo Sports - 15m
More in Sports
-
Tracking NFL free agency: Live updates on every signing, trade, cut and rumor
We're following every NFL free agency move, with updates on Jordan Mason and Kyle Juszczyk.ESPN - 8m -
The radio messages which show Lewis Hamilton has a lot of work to do at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton said he was “lacking information” from the Ferrari pitwall when he made the decision to stay out on slick tyres as the rain began to fall more heavily towards the end of Sunday’s ...Yahoo Sports - 11m -
When is First Four for March Madness? Schedule, dates, location for men's play-in games
When is the First Four for the 2025 March Madness bracket? What to know about NCAA Tournament play-in games, including times, dates and history.Yahoo Sports - 13m -
It's bracket time! Details on Selection Sunday's bracket reveal
Next up for Michigan State basketball -- the NCAA TournamentYahoo Sports - 14m -
Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff rips NBA refs: 'Disrespect has gone on far enough'
Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff ripped the refs after Saturday's game saw Cade Cunningham ejected for lining up in the key.Yahoo Sports - 15m