Kon Knueppel, a former Wisconsin Mr. Basketball and standout at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, was selected fourth in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets.
Knueppel won a state championship with Wisconsin Lutheran in 2024 before starring at Duke University last season. Knueppel was instrumental in helping lead Duke to the Final Four and Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer called Knueppel “the ultimate warrior”.
Knueppel is known for his steady three-point shooting, his hustle and his defensive grit. Knueppel led Division 1 in plus-minus last season, a statistic which measures how a team performs when a player is on the court versus substituted out.
“It’s such a blessing from God to be able to enter the NBA,” Knueppel told ESPN after being selected.
Knueppel was flanked by his brothers Kager, Kingston, Kash and Kidman, all of whom are standout players in high school and middle school. “But to be able to share it with your family is beyond comprehension. It’s such a special moment for us and for me.”
Knueppel will join a Hornets team deep in a rebuilding process. The Hornets’ 2024-25 season was ravaged by injuries to its two best players, Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Ball appeared in only 47 games while Miller played just 27 of 82 games.
Knueppel will almost certainly be cast into a starting role with the Hornets, who desperately need outside shooting and playmaking from the swing position.
Initial mock drafts had Knueppel being drafted around the tenth spot. But excellent showings during the pre-draft process elevated his stock.
Knueppel being the fourth selection makes him the highest Wisconsinite draft pick in history. Milwaukee native Devin Harris was taken fifth by the Washington Wizards in the 2004 draft.
