Kager Knueppel’s rise has taken another sharp turn upward.
The Duke commit, already on the Blue Devils’ radar when Jon Scheyer and assistant Emanuel Dildy watched him Thursday night in Las Vegas, went into that Nike EYBL Session IV stop with four stars next to his name on the 247Sports 2027 Composite. By Friday, that had changed. Knueppel is now a composite five-star, sitting at No. 22 overall, No. 2 among power forwards, and No. 2 in Wisconsin.
That climb is a long way from where he stood less than a year ago, when the Wisconsin Lutheran School rising senior was still a three-star prospect and outside the top 100 on all three major recruiting sites.
The latest bump fits the way his game has been trending. 247Sports’ Adam Finkelstein pointed to the differences between Kager and his older brother, former Duke star Kon Knueppel, while also highlighting the one trait that ties them together.
As Finkelstein wrote in late June: "First and foremost, Kager is a different type of player, with a different body type, than his brother, even if he too is an elite shooter," 247Sports' Adam Finkelstein noted about Kager Knueppel in the updated player assessment he posted back in late June. "Kon was a volume scorer at this point in high school, who was leading the EYBL in scoring, and more of a stout mismatch problem on the perimeter who could create his own offense from various spots on the floor.
"What is similar is the shooting...His release is naturally compact, yet fluid, with a soft natural touch and the type of deep range that doesn’t cause his mechanics to change as he steps farther beyond the arc."
Knueppel’s stock has been rising largely because he has backed it up on the circuit. Playing for Team Herro, which remains the top team in the 16-squad EYBL Pool A standings at 12-2 after Friday’s 67-52 win over Expressions, he has been producing across the board.
He’s averaging a team-best 15.1 points while shooting 49.6 percent from the field, 48.9 percent from three, and 88.6 percent at the line. He has also added 5.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
For now, Knueppel stands alone as Duke’s only 2027 pledge. The Blue Devils also have 2027 offers out to Prolific Prep five-star center Lewis Uvwo, Southeastern Prep Academy five-star guard Beckham Black, and Millennium High School five-star guard Adan Diggs.
In Other News...
NBA Legend Just Singled Out A Former Duke Star For Praise
Jabari Parkers name still carries real weight when one of the NBAs biggest stars starts reflecting on the people who shaped him. In a farewell video after being traded to the Miami Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo singled out the former Duke standout and said Parker pushed him to work harder early in his career, a reminder of how quickly Parker went from college phenom to a player other pros still remember for the standard he set.
For Duke fans, it is a familiar kind of what-could-have-been conversation, because Parkers lone season in Durham was enough to make him one of the most talked-about players in the country. His NBA path never matched that early promise, with injuries taking a heavy toll, but praise like this shows the respect for his game never really went away. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Answer At Quarterback Is Finally Starting To Take Shape
After a spring and summer of uncertainty at the most important position on the field, Dukes quarterback picture is finally starting to come into focus. The Blue Devils had to reset after Darian Mensah transferred to Miami following the fallout from his multiyear NIL deal and the lawsuit that was later settled out of court, leaving the staff to search for a new answer as the 2026 season approached.
A graduate transfer from San Jose State has now emerged as the projected starter, and he was granted a waiver this offseason to be eligible next year. Even with that move giving Duke a clearer path at quarterback, the job still has to be sorted out on the field, with Dan Mahan, Ari Patu and Terry Walker III among the players who could push for the role once competition begins. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Scheyer Was Courtside For A Massive Duke Recruiting Check-In
Jon Scheyer and assistant Emanuel Dildy were courtside at a Nike EYBL game that doubled as a useful recruiting check-in, with 2027 Duke commit Kager Knueppel and another high-priority target, Beckham Black, facing off in a one-point game. Team Herro edged AB Elite 52-51, giving the Blue Devils staff a live look at two prospects who sit near the center of Dukes early 2027 board, along with a chance to track how Knueppel continues to fit into the programs long-term plan.
Black, one of the fastest-rising names in the class, has already drawn a recent Duke offer and arrived with the kind of family basketball background that tends to keep bluebloods paying attention. Knueppels outing was quieter than usual, but the bigger takeaway for Duke was simply being in the building for a matchup that also fit into a wider 2027 search, with Adan Diggs and Lewis Uvwo among the other names on the staffs radar. [Read more 🡒]