With schools like Duke and Alabama recently jumping into the Kon Knueppel sweepstakes, some Virginia basketball fans might have had their worries that the talented prospect could be lured away from someday suiting up for the Cavaliers.
On Thursday evening, however, Knueppel announced that he has scheduled a second official visit to Charlottesville this fall, a good sign that there is still heavy interest.
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound, sharpshooting wing from Wisconsin Lutheran HS in Milwaukee is listed as a five-star recruit and the No. 20 overall player in the Class of 2024 (ninth-best small forward), according to the latest 247Sports composite rankings. He would be the highest-rated recruit of the Tony Bennett era, likely the most talented prospect in the program since a guy named Ralph Sampson.
Knueppel has burst onto the recruiting scene in recent months, lighting it up on the Nike EYBL Circuit and at national events. He led the EYBL this spring with a scoring average of 22.5 points per game as a member of “Phenom University,” described on their social media as the state of Wisconsin’s lone Nike-sponsored “grassroots travel program.”
Knueppel, who has quickly gained a national reputation as a high-volume scorer and one of the deadliest 3-point shooters in the country, shot at a 46.7-percent clip from beyond the arc in the EYBL.
Along the way, as Knueppel has been filling up the stat sheet against some of the most talented competition in the country and in front of the nation’s top Power 5 schools, the secret is out. This kid can really hoop, and the interest is only expected to grow.
After picking up a scholarship offer from Bennett in January and making his first official visit back in February, Knueppel was on hand at John Paul Jones Arena for the UVA-Duke game as well.
Up to that point, local favorites Wisconsin, Marquette and Notre Dame were considered early frontrunners, but ever since hopping on board, the Cavaliers have certainly been in the conversation as well — especially with Bennett’s strong ties to his home state. Knueppel also holds offers from Iowa, Southern Cal, Texas A&M, Minnesota, Stanford, Illinois, Miami, Louisville and Ohio State.
With Wednesday’s news of a return trip to Charlottesville, Wahoo Nation should definitely be encouraged, after Knueppel recently announced scheduled visits to Tuscaloosa (Sept. 8-10) and Durham (Sept. 15-17).
Knueppel sandwiched his UVA visit in between (Sept. 14-15), and his ultimate decision could potentially come down to which school puts on the best presentation for his services. He previously revealed that he’d prefer to make his college choice before his senior season begins, so September’s round of visits will be huge.
More recruiting tidbits
The Cavaliers got a commitment from point guard Christian Bliss (6-4, 205; Newtown, Penn.) last week, and have been on a roll recruiting-wise, offering a pair of 2024 power forwards earlier this week — Jacob Cofie (6-9, 225; Sammamish, Wash.) and David Punch (6-7, 205; Harker Heights, Texas) — along with 2025 four-star shooting guard prospect Derek Dixon (6-3, 190; Washington, D.C.).
Dixon is the third Cavalier offer for the Class of ‘25, joining Charlottesville four-star point guard Chance Mallory and Atlanta five-star big man Bryson Tiller.
Bennett and his staff will also be hosting another 2024 target when 6-8, 200-pound, Belgium-bred power forward Matthew Hodge tours Grounds the following weekend on Sept. 21. It will be the last of Hodge’s five official visits.
Hodge’s recruitment has also picked up a lot of attention as of late, with offers pouring in from Pitt, Florida State, Penn State and Alabama, after showing off his skills at the Philly Live showcase in late June.
Hodge, who also opened some eyes on the national stage at the Peach Jam last week, is AAU teammates with Bliss on the PSA Cardinals (Bliss was named to the All-Tournament first team after averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game in six games at the annual South Carolina event).
The excitement is only going to heat up between now and the start of the 2023-24 season in November, and in terms of the future success of the program, Cavalier hoops fans could have a lot to celebrate by then.
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