Duke: “Fav player on the squad”: Duke fans hail freshman Kon Knueppel after him winning ACC MVP in absence of Cooper Flagg

The Blue Devils are ACC Tournament champions. Even without freshman phenom Cooper Flagg, who did not return for the remainder of the tournament after injuring his ankle in a quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech, Duke defeated Louisville.

In Flagg's absence, another freshman stepped up. Duke freshman guard Kon Knueppel was named the ACC Tournament MVP following the Blue Devils' 73-62 defeat of Louisville.

Over the course of the tournament, Knueppel averaged 21.0 points per game, along with 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He shot 48.6% from the field.

Duke men's basketball took to Instagram on Sunday to share the exciting news about Knueppel's MVP accolade.

Duke fans flodded the comments with their reactions. Many shared that the freshman is their favorite Blue Devils player.

"My fav player on the squad just bc his role change every gameeeee."

A fans calls Knueppel their favorite Duke player

"Love this dude! Probably one of my favorites just because he doesn't care about stats he wants to win!! Get some rest K3 you deserve it. 2 down 1 to go!!!😈🕺🏻"

"Been my fav from the start🙌🙌"

A comment says Knueppel has been their favorite Blue Devils player since the start of the season

Others said Knueppel's MVP accolade was earned or well-deserved.

"Well deserved💪🔥👏👏"

"Kon cooked the whole tournament! Congratulations @kon2knueppel!!! You certainly earned MVP! Love your fight. Onward!"

"Well deserved! Congratulations Kon!"

Duke fans says Knueppel's MVP award was well deserved

Some let emojis speak for them.

"🔥🔥🔥🔥"

An IG user uses fire emojis as a reaction to Knueppel's MVP news

"👑👑👑"

"👏👏👏👏👏"

Kon Knueppel's ACC Tournament performance for Duke

Knueppel's MVP title was as well-deserved as fans say. He stepped up in the absence of fellow freshman Cooper Flagg to provide Duke with guidance on the way to a tournament title.

Flagg suffered his ankle injury in the Blue Devils' first game of the tournament against Georgia Tech. Knueppel had a strong performance to help his squad past the quarterfinals, putting up a season-high 28 points.

NCAA Basketball: ACC Conference Tournament Championship - Duke vs Louisville - Source: Imagn

In the rivalry win over UNC in the semifinals, Knueppel put up 17 points and shot an impressive 60% from beyond the arch. When the Blue Devils defeated the Cardinals, the freshman guard scored 18 points on his way to an ACC Tournament MVP award.

Duke proved it can be dominant even without Flagg, but Knueppel says the work isn't yet over.

"Two down, one to go," Knueppel said after the team's ACC Tournament title win.

Once Cooper Flagg comes back, Duke is likely to become a tougher proposition for opponents to deal with.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Akshay Saraswat