The top-rated junior high school basketball player in Wisconsin is definitely building his resume by putting up 33 points against powerhouse Pewaukee Friday night.
Basketball is a familiar affair for this Wisconsin Lutheran standout with two great hooping parents. Kon Knueppel has basketball in his blood.
"My dad has this really small YouTube channel," Kon Knueppel II says. "Where I just get to see my uncles play and my mom's highlight tapes so that stuff is always cool."
His dad, Kon the First, is Wisconsin Lutheran College's leading scorer. His mom, Chari Nordgaard Knueppel, is UW-Green Bay's leading scorer in women's hoops.
"My dad just gave her a Christmas present," Knueppel says. "He took her highlights off this VHS tape and we got to watch her play and I haven't really seen a whole lot of highlights from her. But it was really cool to see, just the post dominance."
"It's just, a whole 'nother level than either of us," Chari Knueppel says.
And now 15 schools are recruiting the Wisconsin Lutheran junior.
"I really tried to train Chari to just sit and enjoy watching no matter what's happening," Kon Knueppel I says.
"I've gotten a lot better," Chari Kneuppel says with a laugh.
"There's a lot less foot stomps," Kon Knueppel I says. "The main question I always ask is, how do you guys keep it fun?"
"Determine what you love, and work at it," Chari Knueppel says. "And if that happened to be basketball, which it appears for five of our boys that that is what they all love. I want them to set goals for themselves."
TMJ4's Lance Allan asks, "What's your top five? How often do you get that?"
"I don't get people, their opinions," Kon Knueppel says. "I just get so, 'what are you thinking?' about 12 times a day. Teachers, students, and then, opposing fans. It's always fun and funny when we're in warm-ups and they're yelling 'Go to Wisconsin,' stuff like that. That's funny."
As parents, the Knueppels try to keep it normal.
"I say I make it run. He makes it fun," Chari Knueppel says "He's just a great kid. I don't know. That's gonna make me cry. We're so pleased to have him be the first of all of ours, so that he can really set a great example."
All while their son stays grounded, growing in his faith.
"I hope they know I'm a hard worker," Kon Knueppel II says. "I work really hard. I wanna be really good, and that's something in all areas of life. You wanna be good at life. With my faith, that's been a big part of my life. I think that's always helped me along the way to become a better human and a better basketball player."
Knueppel hopes to pair down his list of 15 schools and would like to make a decision in September before his senior season.
