Kon Knueppel was at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 6, 2015, the celebrated Duke University basketball freshman told Blue Devils sophomore guard Caleb Foster on this week’s episode of “The Brotherhood Podcast.”
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But Knueppel, who was nine years old at the time of Duke’s fifth and final national championship, wasn’t cheering for the Blue Devils that night. No, it sounds like he’s been a Wisconsin fan his entire life.
“I was there wearing a Wisconsin jersey and cheering for ‘Frank the Tank’ (Kaminsky) and all the others,” the 6-foot-4, 215-pound guard/forward from Wisconsin Lutheran in Milwaukee admitted to Foster. “It’s a devastating loss. But funny how it all comes full circle.”
Foster, who grew up in North Carolina in a family that worshiped the Blue Devils, reacted the other way around.
“I was so happy when that happened,” Foster said.
So when did Kon Knueppel, who had just led his high school to a 30-0 record and was the Nike EYBL’s leading scorer last summer with 22.5 points per game while sinking 47.5 percent of his three-pointers, finally realize the beauty of Duke basketball?
“Last year,” he noted. “But not really before that. I actually didn’t watch much college basketball. I was a Wisconsin fan early on; they were really good when I was younger, so they were always fun to watch. But I didn’t really get interested in Duke until last year.”
However, it didn’t take long for Knueppel to grow fond of the Blue Devils, as within a week of returning from his official visit last September, he announced his commitment to Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his team.
“Of course, all the benefits that come with playing basketball at a high level in the spotlight are cool,” 19-year-old Knueppel explained his decision to Foster. “But coming to a place where it’s all about work, where I’m competing against the best players every day, I thought that would give me the opportunity to be the best basketball player.”
So far, no Blue Devil has received more praise from his teammates during summer training than the top-notch sharpshooter from Wisconsin.
