Wisconsin Lutheran High School alumnus Kon Knueppel was selected No. 4 by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2025 NBA draft June 25, tying a bow on what proved to be a very successful one-and-done college season.
Here’s some background info on Charlotte’s new rookie, one of the most decorated basketball prospects to ever hail from Wisconsin.
How tall is Kon Knueppel?
The freshman measured 6 feet 5 inches without shoes at the NBA combine, so he’s considered a 6-7 player.
Kon Knueppel stats
The Wisconsinite helped Duke to a 35-4 record. He played in every game his freshman season, helping take his team to the Final Four while averaging 14.4 points per game, shooting an efficient 47.9% from the field, 40.6% from three-point range and 91.4% at the free throw line on the season.
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In the ACC Tournament, Knueppel, who picked up a heavier load when Flagg was injured, was named the tournament’s MVP, after averaging 21 points and 5.7 rebounds during the tournament. He went on to earn all-East Region honors.
Knueppel earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors in the first week of the season and went on to land a spot on the all-freshman team for the regular season. He was named second-team all-conference.
Who are Kon Knueppel’s parents?
Knueppel was born to play basketball at a high level.
Both of his parents were prolific scorers at the collegiate level. Knueppel’s father, Kon, and mother, Chari Nordgaard Knueppel, each finished their careers as the leading scorers in their program’s history.
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His dad scored 2,064 points at Wisconsin Lutheran College and was a four-time (1995-1998) All-Lake Michigan Conference selection. He held the scoring mark until 2019.
Knueppel’s mom remains the all-time leading scorer at UW-Green Bay with 1,964 points during her career (1995-99). Chari, who was the Horizon League Player of the Year in 1999, had her jersey retired earlier this year, one of just three in the program with the honor.
She also ranks first in many other categories, including career scoring average (16.8 ppg), free throws made (538) and attempted (697), third in field goals (709) and fifth in both rebounds (862) and blocked shots (116).
National writers have caught on to Kon Knueppel
His rise to prominence has not gone unnoticed by national publications.
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Check out this great behind-the-scenes look by Green Bay Press Gazette writer Scott Venci, telling the story of how Chari organizes trips to see her son play and balances the schedules of the other kids in the family.
Matt Norlander of CBS Sports wrote a portrait of Knueppel, as did John Fanta of Fox Sports, the latter called “The Legend of Kon.”
Kon Knueppel highlights from high school
Prior to getting drafted, Knueppel had a phenomenal senior season at Wisconsin Lutheran, winning the 2024 Mr. Basketball award from the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association after averaging 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, all numbers which led his team.
His success was more than just individual, though.
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He led his team to an undefeated 30-0 season as the team won a state championship, proving himself as a winner before leaving to Duke University and forming a Big three with fellow five-star recruits turned top 10 picks Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach as well as the rest of the Bluedevils No. 1 recruiting class.
Was Kon Knueppel recruited by the Wisconsin Badgers?
Knueppel was heavily recruited by the home state Wisconsin Badgers as well as Marquette in Milwaukee. He had offers from both.
Other top programs across the Big Ten, SEC and ACC wanted him, too.
But Duke head coach Jon Scheyer won out.
More: Knueppel family – including sets of brothers – in the spotlight as Kon II is picked in NBA draft
Kon Knueppel family, brothers
Knueppel is the oldest son in the Knueppel family.
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He has four younger brothers: Kager, Kinston, Kash and Kidman. When his commitment became official in November 2023, he posted a photo on his Instagram account with his four younger brothers with him inside the Duke locker room. Each of the Knueppel boys were holding one of Duke’s five national championship trophies.
Knueppel brothers won their own championships
Kager, an honorable-mention all-state choice as a sophomore, scored 10 points in the WIAA Division 1 state championship game, a 57-55 win over Marshfield for the crown March 22. Kinston played 20 minutes and added three points. Wisco, which won last year and went undefeated, was bumped up from Division 2 because of the WIAA’s success-based promotion system, and the Vikings still went back-to-back.
Kager scored 23 points, and Kinston added a pair of free throws, in a 58-57 win over Oshkosh North and Iowa State recruit Xzavion Mitchell in the semifinal.
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Kash and Kidman are part of a middle-school team at St. John’s Lutheran in Wauwatosa that just won the national Lutheran grade-school basketball tournament in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who is Hornets 2025 NBA draft pick Wisconsinite Kon Knueppel?
