Upside and Motor: Kon Knueppel is here to steal the spotlight from Cooper Flagg

The Duke Blue Devils made their season debut on Monday with a commanding 96-62 win over Maine. The spotlight naturally shaded toward 17-year-old freshman Cooper Flagg, who is widely projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

It wasn't a half-bad debut for Flagg, who scored 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting with seven rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in 30 minutes. He put together a few highlights that left no doubt as to his reputation in draft circles going into this season.

That said, Flagg was not Duke's best freshman on Monday. And it's fascinating to wonder if he could have competition from his own teammate for the crown of 'best freshman' in the overwhelming sprawl of college basketball. We shouldn't overreact to a small, single-game sample size, but the buzz around Kon Knueppel, a five-star recruit from Wisconsin, is palpable right now.

Kon Knueppel sure looked like Duke's best player in dominant first win

Let's be clear — "best freshman" and "best prospect" are not the same. Flagg is far and away Duke's best prospect and it's hard to imagine him losing that title. That said, there's a world in which the 17-year-old needs a bit of time to get up to speed offensively against collegiate competition. Knueppel, meanwhile, looks utterly polished, operating with the poise of an upperclassman.

The 19-year-old poured in 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting (3-of-8 from deep) on Monday, tacking on four rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 31 minutes. He was the game's leading scorer. Knueppel arrived at Duke known for his elite shooting prowess, but the well-roundedness of his skill set was on full display against Maine.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic spoke to NBA scouts who made the Reed Sheppard comparison, citing Knueppel's elite shooting and advanced skill level. The parallels are there. Knueppel has been knocked for limited foot speed, like Sheppard, but he's a savvy player who understands how to use his frame and manipulate defenders in other ways. He won't come close to Sheppard's defensive metrics (and he's also 4+ inches taller), but Knueppel plays that end of the floor with a commendable motor and a sharp nose for the basketball. Teams will gravitate to a wing-sized shooting specialist who can defend, crash the glass, and add a bit of on-ball wizardry to his repertoire.

Knueppel feels like your standard 'high floor' freshman. That label will follow him all season. He doesn't leap off the screen for the eye test crowd, but Knueppel is going to bury a high volume of 3s, both standing still and flying around screens. His dynamism and confidence in that department is extremely important for NBA teams looking for complementary wings who stretch a defense and are additive around established stars.

Meanwhile, the upside crowd will still have stuff to latch onto. Knueppel won't explode for dunks in traffic, but he's a real high-level processor, comfortable attacking closeouts or even running the occasional pick-and-roll and firing dimes on the move. What he lacks in straight-line speed, Knueppel should be able to compensate for with craft. His footwork is excellent for his age and the ability to find small angles or create them with his strength is promising.

Knueppel won't ever be a primary on-ball weapon — thus rendering those Sheppard comparisons slightly strange — but he's going to cut, connect, and finish at an extremely high level. Attacking rotating defenses off the catch or sprinting into open 3s on the weak side, Knueppel should find plenty of success on a talented Duke team. He is going to benefit as much as anyone from the defensive attention Flagg demands.

Expect Knueppel to quickly build up a following. Folks are going to love his game and the platform he has at Duke is unmatched in the college basketball sphere. He's not Cooper Flagg, but Knueppel could put up big numbers as a freshman and start generating real top-five buzz. It's early, so don't write anything in ink, but Knueppel has the goods to surprise people.

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You're wrong to write off the plucky, young Wizards

The Washington Wizards are an easy punching bag. Jordan Poole was NBA laughing stock No. 1 last season and their offseason was defined by head-scratching trades, a few uncelebrated veteran additions, and a controversial draft class.

Alex Sarr, the No. 2 pick in a 'weak' draft, struggled immensely at Summer League. Bub Carrington couldn't score at the rim in college and he's one of the youngest players in the league. Kyshawn George, Washington's other first-round pick, famously blossomed late in a very streamlined role at Miami. The Wizards were supposed to be a complete mess this season, easily the worst team in the NBA.

Well, the Wizards are 2-4. That is a bad team and it won't get better soon. The front office is going to maneuver with the draft and Cooper Flagg in mind. That said, a couple gutsy wins over the Hawks and No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher has spirits high in DC. This team is not good, but it sure is fun. Alex Sarr does need time to figure out the offense, but his defensive highlights are comically impressive. Carrington is efficiently running point at 18 years old, swinging high-level dimes out of pick-and-rolls and spearheading an up-tempo, rollicking offense. George is out here s**t-talking Draymond Green. Game recognize game, and such.

Factor in the overdue Jordan Poole renaissance, and we should expect a thoroughly entertaining product from the Wizards this season. Losing doesn't have to be miserable. Every now and then, we get a tanking team that has palpable promise, a clear-eyed direction. Washington might be that sort of team.

Oh, and don't get me started on Bilal Coulibaly. He's a dude.

Who are the five best college basketball returners in the 2025 NBA Draft cycle?

This is another list that will ebb and flow dramatically during the season, but we've heard enough about Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and the freshmen onslaught. Here are the college basketball returners with serious NBA equity.

5. Mark Sears, Alabama

The Alabama point guard came alive during the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Built in the Jalen Brunson mold — small, strong, and endlessly crafty — Mark Sears has a chance to rack up numbers on one of college basketball's best teams. The pull-up shot-making, pick-and-roll manipulation, and spunky leadership qualities should land Sears in the first round conversation.

4. Kwame Evans Jr., Oregon

A promising opening night saw Oregon sophomore Kwame Evans Jr. hit a couple 3s en route to 23 points and six rebounds. At 6-foot-9, his mobility and defensive playmaking are sure to appeal to NBA front offices. The offense was a work in progress last season, but Evans flashes a bankable 3-point shot that, if actualized, would give him a clear positive archetype at the next level.

3. Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State

Milan Momcilovic has incredible shot-making chops at 6-foot-8. There are valid concerns about his lateral quickness on defense and his lack of rim pressure offensively, but there isn't a more proficient scorer when it comes to tough, contested jumpers. That is a niche and at times volatile skill, but Momcilovic's dynamism and touch as a shooter should translate into a compelling complementary scorer at the next level.

2. Nique Clifford, Colorado State

Colorado State's fifth-year senior Nique Clifford was right back to his old tricks in an opening night win over North Dakota, dropping 20 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists on 9-of-12 shooting (2-of-3 from deep). At 6-foot-6, he's a springboard athlete who covers large swathes of ground on defense, crashes the boards with reckless abandon, and checks a ton of boxes on offense. He's not lead creation material, but Clifford can hit spot-up 3s, attack closeouts with a sharp first step, and provide ample connective tissue. He's just a winner.

1. Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina

Collin Murray-Boyles put together an underrated freshman campaign that probably would've made him a lottery pick in 2024. Instead, he opted for a second go-around at South Carolina with a chance to boost his stock even further. CMB is a unique prospect, listed 6-foot-7 and 231 pounds without much of a 3-point shot. That archetype will naturally polarize scouts, but Murray-Boyles' efficiency around the rim and passing chops in the frontcourt are enough to warrant investment — especially when paired with versatile, physical defense.

Who holds the belt right now? A mini-NBA mock draft