"Anyone's a shooter without defense": College hoops world doesn’t buy into Kon Knueppel’s hype despite Duke commit shooting consecutive 3s

Kon Knueppel is preparing for his college debut this fall. The five-star recruit is hitting the gym with the rest of Duke's roster as they all learn to play alongside each other. After a major roster rebuild, all eyes are on coach Jon Scheyer and his boys to see how they recover from last year's Elite Eight run.

The Blue Devils shared a video of their recruit, Kon Knueppel, practicing his three-point shooting on Wednesday. The small forward impressed his new teammates as he made 28 of the 29 shots attempted.

However, fans on X were not impressed by the shooting since they were not contested. One wrote:

"Anyone's a shooter without defense"

"Stand still jumpshots don't translate lol. Real Games are shooting on the move, contested etc," another wrote.

"😂 ben simmons can do this in practice too. that don’t mean shit if it doesn’t translate to the real live game situations," one fan commented.

"About 1500 college hoopers can do this," a user wrote

One fan provided a detailed explanation of why Kon Knueppel's skills won't work.

"He looks flat-footed on his release. That’s not gonna work when contested!🤷🏾"

"Guide hand open, this dude wont ever shoot 40% or above," another wrote.

"Brings the ball down way to far. He’ll never be able to get that shot off," a fan pointed out.

Coach Jon Scheyer believes Kon Knueppel will impact the team with his versatility

Despite the naysayers of the internet, Duke coach Jon Scheyer is confident of Kon Knueppel and his ability to deliver. In an interview with the Fayetteville Observer, Scheyer said:

"What drew us to Kon was his competitiveness, his toughness and his great feel for the game. He can shoot and score with the best of them but it's his ability to make others better, to pass and to handle, and be a tough competitor on the defensive end as well."

"That versatility, with the winning pedigree that he brings to the table, will be terrific for our program. He's a guy that believes in what Duke basketball is all about."

As a senior at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Kon Knueppel averaged 25.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. The 2023-24 Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year shot 59.4% from the field, including 39.5% from beyond the arc and 84.9% from the free-throw line.

What do you think of Kon Knueppel's skills? Do you think they will translate well into the NCAA? Let us know in the comment section below.