The Knueppel name is starting to carry real weight in basketball circles-and it’s not just because of what Kon is doing in the NBA.
Kon Knueppel, the former Duke standout now making waves as a rookie with the Charlotte Hornets, is the oldest of five brothers. And while he's established himself at the highest levels of the game, it looks like the next generation of Knueppels is already stepping up to the plate.
Enter Kager Knueppel.
Kager, a rising star at Wisconsin Lutheran, is beginning to carve out his own path-and the early signs are promising. Standing at 6-foot-9, he’s already taller than Kon, and he's starting to collect the kind of attention that turns heads in college basketball recruiting circles.
According to Mark Miller of Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook, Kager just picked up a major Division I scholarship offer from Purdue. That’s no small development.
Purdue has spent part of this college basketball season sitting atop the national rankings, and when a program of that caliber comes calling, it often signals the start of something bigger. One offer from a blue-blood or perennial contender can be the domino that knocks over a whole row of suitors.
Before Purdue entered the picture, Kager already held offers from DePaul and Toledo. There’s a family connection to the latter-Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk is Kager’s uncle-which no doubt helped get that relationship started.
But this Purdue offer? That’s a different tier.
That’s a program with national title aspirations, and the fact that they see something in Kager speaks volumes.
Recruiting services are taking notice, too. Kager is currently ranked as a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, slotted 83rd nationally in the Class of 2027. That’s a solid spot for a player still developing his game-and with his frame and bloodline, there’s plenty of room for that stock to rise.
And let’s not overlook the built-in advantage Kager has: he’s got a blueprint. He’s watched Kon navigate the high school grind, the pressure of playing for Duke, and now the challenge of adjusting to the NBA.
That kind of firsthand insight is invaluable. It’s one thing to dream of the big stage-it’s another to have someone in your own family who’s already walked it.
Kager Knueppel isn’t just a name to watch because of who his brother is. He’s starting to show he’s got the tools to be a standout in his own right. And with Purdue now in the mix, the spotlight is only going to get brighter.