The race for Rookie of the Year has turned into a battle between college roommates.

While you and your roommate were still racing to the cafeteria, Flagg and his roommate Knupel were already battling for the NBA Rookie of the Year honor.

In the latest official rookie rankings, Flagg claimed the top spot for the first time, pushing his college roommate Konn Knupel down to second. Previously, Knupel had held the number one spot for several consecutive issues. Both were also named the NBA Rookies of the Month for the East and West last month. However, it’s likely that Knupel will retake the lead in the next rookie rankings.

The Hornets defeated the Cavaliers in overtime today. Knupel played 44 minutes, shooting 11 for 19 with 3 made threes out of 7 attempts, finishing with 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. In his previous game, he had a season-best 33 points and 9 assists. Over the last two games, he has averaged 31 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6 assists, with shooting percentages of 57.5% from the field, 42.1% from three, and 100% from the free-throw line.

Speaking of free throws, Knupel’s free throw shooting is astonishingly high for a rookie, boasting a 92.1% accuracy rate this season. Since November 30th, he has made 20 consecutive free throws.

He may have games shooting 0 for 7 or 1 for 6 from three-point range, but he can quickly bounce back with another 20+ point performance. So far this season, Knupel has recorded twelve 20+ point games and three 30+ point games, leading all rookies in both categories.

Knupel also leads all rookies in three-point shooting records. He made 86 three-pointers in his first 25 career games, ranking first in history. Adding today’s three made threes, he now has 89, ranking second in the entire league, behind only Mitchell.

With 89 made threes and a three-point shooting percentage above 40%, it’s no exaggeration to say Knupel has become one of the league’s elite catch-and-shoot specialists. His consistent shooting mechanics, agile off-ball movement, and excellent court vision are reflected in his averages of 19 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, proving he’s not just a one-dimensional shooter.

The Hornets are intentionally encouraging Knupel to develop a wider skill set. He shows playmaking ability when handling the ball and often chooses to cut inside rather than pop out on pick-and-roll plays. Beyond being a three-point shooter, he offers much more. Many now call Knupel the next Klay Thompson, but I believe his potential might be even greater.

As white shooters gradually decline in prominence, Knupel may become the strongest white shooter we’ve seen, despite having played only 26 NBA games so far. The most surprising rookie this season has been the fourth overall pick, Knupel, who was originally labeled mainly as the college teammate of the number one pick, Flagg, when the Hornets selected him.

Knupel described his talent level by saying, “Even when I first entered high school, although I was one of the best middle school players in Wisconsin, I still thought the highest level I could reach was a Division III school like Wisconsin Lutheran College.”

Starting from a modest high school career, Knupel averaged 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in his senior year, leading his team to a perfect 30-0 season and a state championship, earning Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball honors. This résumé helped him get into Duke University, where he became Flagg’s teammate and roommate.

Flagg’s freshman season matched his reputation, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks, leading the team in six statistical categories. Knupel averaged 14.4 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, shooting 47.9% from the field and 40.6% from three-point range.

At Duke, he was the team’s second-leading scorer and third primary playmaker, serving as Flagg’s “Robin.” After entering the NBA and joining different teams, Knupel’s offensive potential began to emerge more clearly.

In today’s offense-focused NBA, Knupel’s scoring ability compensates for his average physical gifts and defensive limitations. Early in his career, he started expanding his game and raising his offensive ceiling, refusing to be just a pure shooter.

Flagg has recently improved across various aspects. Kidd’s idea to have Flagg play point guard was good but somewhat rushed. It would have been better to let Flagg first establish himself before focusing on developing his ball-handling skills.

As Flagg gradually adapts to the NBA pace, his top pick talent is starting to show. This season, he averages 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. One record worth noting is that Flagg could potentially break LeBron James’s record as the youngest player to reach 1,000 points.

Flagg began his first regular-season game just days apart in age from LeBron James, who scored 1,000 points at 19 years and 41 days old. To surpass LeBron, Flagg needs to reach 1,000 points by January 30, 2026, with 23 games left in that period.

Flagg currently has 437 points, needing 563 more to reach 1,000. To break the youngest 1,000 points record, he would have to average about 24.5 points per game over those 23 games. Even if he doesn’t surpass LeBron, Flagg will almost certainly become the second youngest to reach 1,000 points.

One is an average-athletic white shooter; the other is a highly anticipated “American son” before even entering the league. Their paths never crossed before the NBA, with Flagg always far ahead.

Knupel probably never expected that after stepping up on his own, he could actually challenge Flagg head-to-head. This Rookie of the Year race will be fascinating in the second half of the season—will it be Flagg, as expected, or Knupel with a surprising uprising?