A season ago, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel pushed one anotehr while both playing as freshmen for the Duke Blue Devils.
Now, they're pushing each other from across the NBA.
Flagg was the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Knueppel went three spots later, at No. 4 overall to the Charlotte Hornets.
And now both are shining bright during their rookie seasons.
The NBA's social media accounts often provide updates on how rookies are doing, with one popular post being to share the rookie leaders in total points and in points per game.
All season, it's been either Flagg or Knueppel carrying those charts.
This week, Knueppel holds a narrow lead in total points, while Flagg's 18.8 points per game ever so slightly leads Knueppel's 18.7.
The TOTAL POINTS and POINTS PER GAME leaders through Jan. 27 among NBA rookies.
📊: https://t.co/rkYM8BeKwZ pic.twitter.com/WeU8TdM9jQ
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) January 28, 2026
It's been a fun battle.
The widely held assumption was that Flagg would likely cruise to the Rookie of the Year this season.
Right now, though, Knueppel is keeping up, and doing it with impressive shooting efficiency that at least somewhat balances out Flagg's contributions in the secondary stat categories.
Either way, it's gotta be a cool thing for Duke fans to watch. The Blue Devils benefited greatly from these stars a season ago, and they've already translated their games to the NBA level.
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