Duke’s coaching staff had a strong presence at the Nike EYBL Session 2 in Indianapolis this weekend, and one standout performance clearly caught their attention: sophomore Kager Knueppel, the younger brother of current Duke freshman Kon Knueppel.
Kager’s showing was impressive enough to draw head coach Jon Scheyer to the court for a closer evaluation. While several programs, including Arkansas, had scouts in attendance, Scheyer’s courtside presence suggests Duke may already be eyeing Kager for its 2027 recruiting class in potentially extending the Knueppel family legacy in Durham.
Kon Knueppel had a strong freshman year at Duke, starting all 39 games and averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 47.9% from the floor, 40.6% from beyond the arc, and an elite 91.4% from the free-throw line.
Kager, standing 6-foot-8 with impressive length and perimeter skills, comes from a deep basketball lineage. His father, also named Kon, was Wisconsin Lutheran College’s all-time leading scorer until 2019, while his mother, Chari, still holds the all-time scoring record at UW-Green Bay.
Playing alongside his brother at Wisconsin Lutheran, Kager helped lead the team to a perfect 30-0 season and a WIAA Division 2 state title in 2024. Over 30 games that year, he averaged 13.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, while shooting 54.5% from the field and 37.2% from three.
Toledo was the first to offer Kager a Division I scholarship, but Scheyer’s courtside appearance signals that Duke’s interest is serious.
The Blue Devils wrapped up their 2024-25 season with a 35-4 record, advancing to the Final Four before narrowly falling to Houston, 70-67.
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