The NCAA 2024-25 season is just around the corner, and the Duke Blue Devils are fired up to reclaim their championship title, which has eluded them for nearly a decade. With a roster brimming with talent, head coach Jon Scheyer’s team is ready to make a statement, especially after their recent dominant exhibition victory over the Bobby Hurley-led Arizona State. However, in a surprising twist, the standout performer in that game wasn’t 2025 NBA top prospect Cooper Flagg but rather another five-star freshman.

The Duke Blue Devils put on a spectacular show against Arizona State, clinching an incredible 103-47 victory that showcased their dominance with a stunning 56-point margin. This charity exhibition also marked the return of Bobby Hurley to Durham, but with a twist—he wasn’t on the sidelines for his alma mater; instead, he was at the helm of the visiting team as their head coach. Unfortunately for Hurley, the welcome wasn’t quite what he might have hoped for, as Scheyer’s squad delivered a commanding performance, highlighted by a standout display from freshman Kon Knueppel.

Kon Knueppel was the star of the show, scoring an impressive 19 points and leading Duke on the scoreboard. The freshman didn’t just stop there; he also contributed five rebounds and four assists, showcasing his all-around game. His three-pointers left the entire arena buzzing with excitement as he drained 4 out of his 8 attempts from the deep. In fact, he was the only player that coach Scheyer kept on the court during the first ten minutes.

However, Duke’s top-ranked freshman Cooper Flagg, who made headlines by reclassifying himself to join the 2024 high school class for an early shot at the NBA, managed to score only 9 points in this game. He also grabbed 4 rebounds and dished out 3 assists, but he certainly let down the hype surrounding his debut.

What caught many off guard was that, despite Flagg’s presence on the roster and his status as a top NBA prospect for next year’s draft, it was actually Kon Knueppel who emerged as the leading scorer. Both Flagg and Knueppel committed to Duke last year while playing for Wisconsin Lutheran High School. As Flagg’s performance waned during the charity game, it served as a reminder of the advice that head coach Jon Scheyer offered him after his debut last week—encouraging him to make improvements moving forward.

Cooper Flagg faces growing pains after Jon Scheyer highlights areas of improvement

While the 17-year-old couldn’t quite shine against Arizona, his debut was a different story as he put on a commanding performance in the exhibition game against Lincoln. He led the team with an impressive 22 points, along with 6 assists, 4 blocked shots, and a couple of rebounds. However, after the game, when reporters asked Jon Scheyer about the freshman’s debut, he acknowledged his contributions and highlighted some areas for improvement that the young player could focus on moving forward.

“I think he can even add in some steals, preferably next time going forward, but I thought it was good for him, just — I thought he was himself. I thought even for Cooper just you know he can rebound more, you know just the the the decision, there’s so much there for him,” Scheyer told media after the Lincoln game last week. Cooper hadn’t recorded a single steal in that game.

Well, it seems that Flagg still has to work on areas pointed out by Scheyer. While his rebound count improved by two from the Lincoln game, it still falls short of his high school average of 7.5. His long-range shooting also struggled, as he recorded just 33.3% in this game, down from the 40% he posted in last week’s exhibition. However, it might simply not have been Flagg’s day, and fans can expect him to bounce back when the Blue Devils tip off their season on November 4th against Maine.

One thing is clear: Jon Scheyer must be thrilled with Kon Knueppel’s performance. With Knueppel stepping up, Scheyer now has more options and won’t have to rely solely on Flagg.