Mar 15, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) celebrates with teammates after winning the 2025 ACC Conference Tournament most valuable player award after the championship game against the Louisville Cardinals at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The Brooklyn Nets, along with many other NBA teams, are paying close attention to college basketball in its most famous month with conference tournaments wrapping up. With the NCAA Tournament right around the corner, many prospects are rising to the occassion in leading their teams to conference titles, including players at Duke.
The Blue Devils lost college basketball superstar and consensus No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in the first round of the ACC Tournament, when the 6-foot-9 forward rolled his ankle on a rebound. He’s expected to return for the first round of March Madness, but the injury was scary, nevertheless.
Despite losing its star, Duke rallied to defeat Georgia Tech in round one, followed by victories against North Carolina and Louisville to take home its 23rd ACC title. While the Blue Devils are already one of the best teams in the country, they were expected to have trouble without Flagg. Contrarily, Duke won the championship game against Louisville by 11 points.
Fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach took the reins to lead Duke in its three ACC Tournament games. Knueppel stepped up as the team’s leading scorer, averaging 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals in his last three games. Maluach was nearly as impressive in a different way, averaging 11.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in that stretch.
Knueppel and Maluach, both lottery prospects, showed that Flagg isn’t the only reason why Duke has been at the center of college basketball lately. Despite being inexperienced, they both stepped up in big moments, with Knueppel taking most of the offensive load and Maluach holding it down as a paint anchor.
The Nets are currently fifth in lottery odds with a 10.5% chance at the No. 1 pick, but a 42.1% chance at a top-four pick according to Tankathon. Flagg isn’t as realistic of a prospect for Brooklyn as Knueppel and Maluach are, considering the organization has a better chance at sitting outside of the top four.
Either player would be a key piece in the Nets’ rebuild. Knueppel is more of an offensive weapon with his outside shot, as he’s knocking down threes at a rate of 39.2% this season. Maluach, while not as versatile on offense, is more of a two-way talent at 7-foot-2. He’s an athletic defender with good instincts on both sides of the floor.
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