Source: Chari Nordgaard-Knueppel
Apr 2, 2025, 10:45 AM CT
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It’s a really remarkable journey. And as parents, Chari and Kon Knueppel are enjoying every step of the way. The Milwaukee area couple’s oldest son, Kon, Jr., is a player on the Duke University basketball team. He’s a freshman but is having quite a season. The Blue Devils will be playing in the Final Four – and with a win, there’s a chance to earn the top NCAA crown. Chari and Kon are trying to attend every game. They joined John Maino and Jim Schmidt, hosts of Maino and the Mayor, to share the pride they’re feeling regarding their son’s accomplishments, and a brief update on why you may want to keep an eye on their other boys, too.
Listen to the entire Maino and the Mayor interview with the Knueppel parents here:
It all starts with Chari and Kon, who are equally accomplished on the basketball court. Kon was inducted into the Wisconsin Lutheran College Hall of Fame after being named a four-time All-Lake Michigan guard. He led the team to three straight conference titles from 1996-1998.
Chari (Nordgaard) is UW-Green Bay’s all-time leading scorer and was named conference Player of the Year in 1999. Her number 33 has since been retired.
Now, for their sons.
Kon, Jr. played high school ball at Wisconsin Lutheran in Milwaukee. He was a five-star prospect and ranked No. 22 by ESPN. And as the best shooter in the state, he earned Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball, AP Player of the Year, and more. Long story short, Wisconsin Lutheran ended an undefeated season with a state championship. Kon, Jr. has now gone on to start all 37 games for Duke this season and is projected to be a lottery pick in June’s NBA Draft. But his focus remains on the present and winning a national championship.
The younger kids – Kager is the second oldest, and is just finishing up his sophomore year of high school. But he has already received his first Division 1 offer from the Toledo Rockets. The team’s head coach, Tod Kowalczyk, is a Wisconsin native.
Kager is followed by brothers Kinston, Kash, and Kid who are all excelling in sports. The Knueppel’s seventh and eighth graders recently went undefeated at the Lutheran Nationals
“I just love to watch you play,” Chari explains about the mantra instilled in their kids. “It’s shaped our approach to parenting. It’s not just about winning. It’s about enjoying every game and being present during it.”
They also say family support and remaining humble is important. It’s something retired Duke ‘Coach K’ Mike Krzyzewski even pointed out about them in a recent comment. And it may just be the testament to what it means to raise champions, on and off the court.
NOTE: Duke will play Houston in the NCAA Final Four on Saturday night, April 5.
Teri Barr is Civic Media’s Content Creator and a legend in Wisconsin broadcast journalism. Email her at teri.barr@civicmedia.us.
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