In just the third season with Jon Scheyer at the helm, Duke basketball is back in the Final Four. After a very disappointing loss to NC State in the Elite Eight last season, top-seeded Duke dominated No. 2 seed Alabama 85-65 in Newark to advance to the final weekend in San Antonio.
A lot of the hype around this Duke team rightfully goes to Cooper Flagg, but he didn’t have his usual efficiency on Saturday night. After a 30-point night in the Sweet 16 against Arizona, Flagg finished withy just 16 points and nine rebounds on 6-for-16 shooting. He struggled at times with the length of Alabama, specifically Grant Nelson, and was a bit sloppier than usual.
The other two legs of Duke’s star freshman trio more than picked up the slack. Khaman Maluach scored 14 points and added nine boards and two blocks while Kon Knueppel was the star of the game, finishing with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists.
After the game, Scheyer had high praise for Knueppel after he helped lead Duke to the Final Four.
“He’s the Ultimate Warrior.” – Jon Scheyer describing Kon Knueppel to @ALaForce pic.twitter.com/XCc47lv0J2
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 30, 2025
“This guy’s a stud right here,” Scheyer said of Knueppel. “He’s the ultimate warrior, competitor and he really carried us throughout tonight. This guy’s been incredible man. He’s been incredible.”
Naturally, Scheyer’s assessment after the Duke win brought out all of the Ultimate Warrior memes in the comments.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 30, 2025
— gummy worm (@gummy___worm) March 30, 2025
Knueppel is really boosting his NBA Draft stock during this NCAA Tournament. His ability to operate in pick-and-rolls is a critical skill for a Duke team that is very big, but doesn’t have a true lead guard. Instead, Flagg, Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor all split the duties as primary ball handler, and on Saturday night it was the Milwaukee native’s time to shine.
This Duke basketball team now awaits the winner of Tennessee and Houston in the Final Four in what will be a battle between two powerhouses. While Scheyer wasn’t the head coach yet, he will remember the sting of the 2022 Final Four loss against North Carolina, and his Blue Devils will be hungry to avenge that loss in a week’s time as they try to advance to the national title game.
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