“Duke’s young stars shine in exhibition win over Lincoln”

The Duke Blue Devils put on a show in their first game of the college season. In their first exhibition game, they won against Division II school Lincoln. The freshmen stars really shined as Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel combined for nearly 40 points.

Let’s look at what they did well.

Flagg was the star player of the night as he played on both ends of the floor. It has long been known that he is the best defensive prospect in this draft, primarily due to his defensive versatility, great awareness and anticipation. He had four blocks and was quite disruptive defensively while playing with a lot of energy. Flagg will undoubtedly be one of the best defensive players in the league when he reaches his prime.

On offense, he showcased his finishing ability above the rim, his smooth mid-range jumping, and some three-point shots. He has made great strides in recent years in terms of his ability to score and his shot creation. There is no one in this draft who has anywhere near his impact on both ends of the floor, which is why he is projected to be the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

At Knueppel he was able to demonstrate his top-notch shooting skills and solid passing game. His value has really increased over the last year as he is now considered one of the best pure shooters in the entire draft. The 6-foot-7 wing can execute spot-up jumpers, jumpers off the dribble and moving shots at an extremely high level. If he makes the jump to the NBA, the versatility of his elite shooting will be his most NBA-ready skill.

Knueppel showed good numbers as a passer, which is very important because he has so much gravity as a shooter that the windows to pass to open teammates are there, he just needs to execute the value. The Duke winger even had a contact dunk in this game, which is definitely eye-catching since he only had one dunk in the EYBL last season. If he improves his athleticism, it will put his name in the top ten conversations for this year’s draft.

Would you like to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook And Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the NBA Draft news. You can do that too Get to know the team behind the reporting.