Former five-star sends stark message to Duke on his return to collegiate basketball.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 05: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts during a press conference after the Final Four game against the Houston Cougars in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on April 05, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Hubert Davis to Scout Elite Talent Up Close at Major Colorado Camp

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis is gearing up for a golden recruiting opportunity as he heads to Colorado Springs next month. Davis, entering his fifth year at the helm in Chapel Hill, has been chosen as one of three court coaches for the 2025 USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team training camp, kicking off on June 14.

The prestigious event will put Davis on the court with some of the top prospects in the 2026 class, several of whom already hold UNC offers. That includes five-star guards Cameron Holmes (Millennium HS, AZ), Caleb Holt (Grayson HS, GA), Deron Rippey Jr. (Blair Academy, NJ), and Taylen Kinney (Overtime Elite, GA).

Joining Davis as fellow court coaches are Alabama’s Nate Oats and Kentucky’s Mark Pope. The trio will assist head coach Tommy Lloyd (Arizona) and assistants Grant McCasland (Texas Tech) and Micah Shrewsberry (Notre Dame) as they prepare Team USA for the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland.

With Davis getting valuable face time with multiple Tar Heel targets, this camp could play a key role in shaping UNC’s 2026 recruiting class.

Jon Scheyer of Duke Approaches Kon Knueppel’s Brother

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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