Wisconsin top 2024 target touted as Duke's biggest surprise this offseason

Former Wisconsin high school basketball star Kon Knueppel is considered Duke men’s basketball’s biggest surprise of the offseason, according college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman.

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native is entering his first season with the Blue Devils after committing to the program over other top suitors: Wisconsin, Alabama, Virginia, Notre Dame, Marquette and USC.

Knueppel took home Wisconsin Mr. Basketball honors after a stellar season at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. He finished the class of 2024 recruiting cycle as a five-star recruit, ranked as 18th in the nation by 247Sports and 22nd by ESPN.

The 6-foot-7 wing also earned the 2023-24 Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year nod after averaging 25.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per appearance as a senior at Wisconsin Lutheran. He shot a blistering 59.4% from the field, 39.5% from beyond the arc and nearly 85% from the charity stripe.

His progression toward stardom as a Wisconsin high school athlete was evident: Knueppel increased his scoring average by roughly 15 points per game over his four-year stint before entering college.

Wisconsin was among the first programs to offer Knueppel in August 2021 along with Iowa and Marquette. The Badgers were in heavy pursuit of the five-star recruit until he committed to Duke in September 2023.