It wasn’t a suprise that a Duke freshman was named the Most Valuable Player of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

One of the advantages of being a program like Duke is having players of Knueppel’s caliber to step up in the absence of the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Even without Flagg, Duke won the ACC and secured a top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, beating Louisville, 73-62. Tyrese Proctor scored 19 points to lead Duke, and Kon Knueppel scored 18 with eight rebounds, and was named tournament MVP.

Duke basketball and UNC played a thriller in the ACC Tournament at Spectrum Center. Here are the observations.

Duke lost Cooper Flagg to a left ankle injury in the first half, then rallied behind freshman Kon Knueppel to defeat Georgia Tech, 78-70, in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals Thursday. Knueppel scored a career-high 28 points with eight assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes to power Duke to a 29th win,

Another freshman, Kon Knueppel, played a big role in Duke's victory over the Cards, as he dropped 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals while shooting 6-for-12 from the field. Knueppel's performance against Louisville led to an ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player award, an honor that he made sure to thank his team for.

Kon Knueppel drives past the Louisville defense for a layup.

Duke freshman Kon Knueppel was named the ACC Tournament MVP after he averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists for the week.