Trio of Duke basketball prospects earn NBA draft superlatives
Trio of Duke basketball prospects earn NBA draft superlatives
The 2025 NBA draft is nearly here, and several Duke Blue Devils will hear their name called as they make the jump to the professional ranks. Cooper Flagg isn't their only top prospect, as Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach are also elite prospects.
ESPN's Jeremy Woo recently came up with 20 superlatives for the class, and all three Blue Devils were named. They were the only school with three players winning a superlative.
Up first for Duke was Knueppel, whom he labelled as the "best spot-up shooter." Knueppel showed his impressive shooting ability throughout his freshman season, making 40.6% of his three-pointers on 5.3 attempts per game. That shooting is why he is expected to be a top 10 pick and immediately help an offense space the floor.
Flagg, Woo's No. 1 overall prospect, was named the "best competitor." According to Woo, competitiveness is the "special quality" that allows Flagg to separate himself from the rest of the players in his class. Flagg repeatedly showed his fire throughout the season as he led Duke to the Final Four and led them in every major offensive category.
Woo believes that Maluach has the "best intangibles" of the class and that his "character" has allowed him to go from a "project into a top prospect in a short period of time." Maluach is expected to be among the first centers taken in the draft after averaging 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks last season. At 7-foot-2, he is an excellent shot blocker and will immediately help a team's defense.
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