Duke basketball transfers, freshmen talk ‘welcome to Duke’ moments with Blue Devils

Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach got a taste of the Olympic experience this summer before rejoining their Duke basketball teammates.

Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, spent some time practicing with Team USA in Las Vegas. Maluach, a 7-foot-2 center, suited up for South Sudan in Paris and helped his squad win its first game in Olympic history.

But what about the other newcomers and their “welcome to Duke” moments this summer?

Here’s what freshmen Kon Knueppel, Isaiah Evans, Darren Harris and Patrick Ngongba, along with transfers Mason Gillis, Sion James and Maliq Brown, had to say about joining the Blue Devils.

Growing pains for Kon Knueppel, Isaiah Evans

Known for racking up points as two of the top scorers in high school basketball, Kon Knueppel and Isaiah Evans are learning what it takes to elevate their games at the college level.

During a summer scrimmage, Knueppel said, the Blue Devils had mostly freshmen on one team with sophomore guard Caleb Foster. The other squad featured everyone else, particularly the Blue Devils’ veterans.

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“We were playing against the rest of the guys and were up like five or seven with a minute to go, just doing situational stuff. We blew it,” Knueppel said with a smile. “We turned it over on an inbound pass and they hit a 3, and sent it to overtime. Then we lost in overtime. It was just like, man, that’s being a freshman.”

Evans referenced a one-on-one situation against junior guard Tyrese Proctor, the player with the most Duke experience.

“I can remember, we were playing in the summer, and I think for like a week straight … Tyrese just ended the game on me, with the exact same move on me every single day. That was probably my welcome-to-Duke moment,” Evans said.

Eventually, Evans figured it out.

“After like 17 times,” he said, smiling, “I was ready for it.”

Darren Harris sneaks into Cameron Indoor Stadium, Patrick Ngongba happy to have familiarity

For Harris, Duke was always the dream destination. It’s a goal that started with him sneaking into Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“I grew up a huge Duke fan,” Harris said. “I remember it was K Academy, I was in fourth grade, I think. My family snuck in because the door was opened. I took a picture on Coach K Court … it was my dream to come here.”

Like Evans and Knueppel, Harris and his former Paul VI teammate Patrick Ngongba have experienced some humbling moments since arriving on campus.

“I was rotating, trying to take a charge on Sion, and got knocked fully vertical,” Harris said. “I’ve never felt that before.”

Early on, Brown served as the main source of Ngongba’s frustration.

“When Maliq is guarding me,” Ngongba said, “he’s just always hitting the ball away.”

Despite those setbacks, having a high school teammate by his side has made things easier on Ngonba as he works his way back from a foot injury.

“It’s definitely a big thing,” he said. “Just being able to have someone I know, I feel like that will help me in the long run be able to just be the best player I can.”

Sion James, Maliq Brown, Mason Gillis on Duke’s ‘Brotherhood’

Sion James “knew just about as much about Duke basketball as most casual fans” before arriving on campus. It didn’t take long for the Tulane transfer to immerse himself in “The Brotherhood” culture.

“I didn’t know, being here, what it would really, truly feel like to be a Duke basketball player,” James said. “I’ve been a fan since I was a kid – I’ve been going to games and stuff – but now being here feels different. The Brotherhood really, truly is an important thing. It’s not just a saying or something that you put on a shirt.”

Mason Gillis, who is coming off a national championship appearance at Purdue, has been a Duke fan since he was 8 years old. Gillis had eight points in the Boilermakers’ 19-point win against the Blue Devils in 2023.

“The Brotherhood is a real thing. It’s not just something that we talk about,” Gillis said. “. … Getting here, setting foot on campus, it’s just very special. You actually get to feel all the history. When we practice in Cameron, it’s definitely special.”

Brown, who spent two seasons at Syracuse and had a career-high 26 points against Duke last season in Durham, had similar feelings about joining the Blue Devils.

“Obviously playing in the ACC for two years, going against Duke, knowing how committed they are and what they stand for, since I’ve been here, the Brotherhood is something different, something that words can’t describe,” Brown said.

“Truly grateful and blessed to be here.”

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball transfers, freshmen talk ‘welcome to Duke’ moments