Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel shares favorite Durham food spots

State of play: We caught up with Knueppel ahead of the Hornets' regular season opener vs. the Brooklyn Nets in Uptown Charlotte's recently renovated Spectrum Center.

Dig in: One of his favorite spots in Durham is Tobacco Road Sports Cafe, with its menu items named after local schools.

• Their Wolfpack-hot chicken sandwich is one of Knueppel's favorites, despite its reference to N.C. State.
• Another favorite spot is Devine's Restaurant & Sports Bar, which is where he'd take his family and friends after games.
• So far in Charlotte, he's a fan of Superica, a Tex-Mex spot in South End.

What he's watching: Knueppel's playing days at Duke may be over, but he's still keeping an eye on the program.

• There's a lot of hype around freshman forward Cameron Boozer, but Knueppel really likes freshman guard/forward Nikolas Khamenia.
• "[He's a] really good kid," Knueppel says of Khamenia. Knueppel gave Khamenia his number, which he says the Duke newcomer has taken full advantage of, reaching out for advice. "I thought that was cool," Knueppel said.
• Another player Knueppel says to keep an eye on is sophomore guard/forward Darren Harris. "I think he'll have a big year," Knueppel says. "He'll be a core piece of the team."

What's next: The No. 6-ranked Blue Devils, who made it to the Final Four last season, open the regular season in Charlotte. They face the Texas Longhorns on Nov. 4 in the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational at Spectrum Center.

• Tickets start at $54.10.
• The game tips off at 8:45pm and will air on ESPN.

Go deeper: Duke faces Texas in new men's college basketball event in Charlotte

• Brandon Miller shifts gears off the court with his car collection
• See inside: Spectrum Center reopens after a $245M upgrade