Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel has hit the ground running in the NBA, similar to his former college teammate Cooper Flagg. Their early impact earned both of them Rookie of the Month honors in their respective conferences.On Tuesday, Knueppel shared his honest thoughts about Flagg during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, mentioning that the two had just texted after winning their respective awards."He just texted me because we both just won the rookie of the month for the NBA," Knueppel said. "He texted me today like 'who thought? two roommates.'"The Hornets forward continued to speak about Flagg, praising him for his on-court prowess."He's awesome, he's a great player. He's good on both ends, offense, defense, does it all, just a better guy," Knueppel continued.The former Duke teammates earned the Rookie of the Month awards for games played in October and November. Knueppel averaged 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists during this period, while Cooper Flagg recorded 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.Knueppel’s strong play has helped the struggling Hornets notch six wins, as he remains a frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award. Flagg, meanwhile, has been the Mavs’ best player as Dallas continues to search for consistency, sitting 12th in the Western Conference.Knueppel appeared on The Tonight Show while in New York for the Hornets’ back-to-back against the Nets and Knicks. Meanwhile, Flagg and the Mavs will host the Miami Heat in their next matchup.When will Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg face each other?After entering the NBA as lottery picks in the 2025 draft, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have quickly become key players for their teams. While the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets have struggled to find rhythm, the former Duke teammates have delivered steady performances from the start.Though they continue to provide stellar performances for their respective teams, the duo has yet to face each other in the NBA.Their first meeting is set for January 29 at the American Airlines Center, which could mark the first on-court showdown between the two rookies. The Mavs will then head to Charlotte for the rematch at Spectrum Center on March 3.With both players enjoying a bright start to their NBA careers, their meeting in the second half of the season could become a key moment in the Rookie of the Year race, with both firmly in the mix.