Karter Knox’s Father Says He’s Focusing on 5 Programs
Karter Knox, the No. 6 overall player in the On3 Industry Rankings, is focusing on five programs, per his dad.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound small forward from Tampa Catholic (FL) and the Florida Rebels AAU program, is down to a final eight, but a few programs are rising to the top.
“It’s between Louisville, Kentucky, Arkansas, or he may go to G League Ignite or Florida State,” Kevin Sr. said. “We’re trying to figure that out.”
As they work towards a decision, Karter acknowledges that it’s going to be a tough one.
“It’s going to be really difficult,” Karter said. “Eight schools, it’s going to be so hard to make a decision. I might trim it during the year.”
Karter said he doesn’t have a timetable for a commitment and it doesn’t matter if a commitment comes before the high school season.
“I still love all eight schools, so it’s kind of hard to take some out,” he said. “I’ll take some visits for sure.”
The Kentucky Connection
Karter Knox has a clear tie to Kentucky in the form of his older brother Kevin Knox, who played for UK during the 2017-18 season before going on to be drafted No. 9 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
Now, Kentucky is making a push for Karter.
“Kentucky is a great school,” Karter said. “My brother went there of course. I know the coaching staff very well. I’ve known Cal [John Calipari] for a very long time. It’s a good school. It’s definitely up there with the seven options.”
For the Knox family, Kentucky and John Calipari are like family.
“They got a 17-year-old Kevin Knox and between him and Kenny Payne, made him a young man and he was able to get drafted by the New York Knicks,” Kevin Sr. said. “That’s family. They want to do the same thing with Karter. They’re basically ‘La Familia’ as Cal says. Keep it in the family, let’s try and win a championship with us.”
As for his fit, Karter is intrigued by Kentucky’s style of play.
“They run a very fast system, a fast-paced offense,” he said.
After one year of Kevin, what should Big Blue Nation know about Karter?
“He is a relentless competitor. He’s going to be right there with the intensity and passion that Cal has and I think the BBN would love to see a player assert that type of passion for the game and wanting to bring back a championship,” Kevin Sr. said.
His Wider Recruitment
Like Kentucky, Louisville has been in relentless pursuit of Karter Knox, led by head coach Kenny Payne, who played a big role in Kevin’s commitment to Kentucky back in the day.
“He tells me to play hard,” Karter said. “Play hard wherever you go. Don’t ever play soft. Always play hard. Be a car crasher, someone who’s never afraid of contact. Someone that’s got that dog in him, basically.”
With two sons having already gone through the recruiting process, Kevin Sr. is well-suited to give Karter advice on navigating the complicated journey.
“Basically, wherever you decide to go, make sure you feel comfortable about that,” he said. “When you wake up and if you can’t play basketball, you made the right decision. I told Kevin the same thing. He woke up and said, ‘Hey Dad, I want to be a pro.’ I said, ‘Alright, what if you don’t become a pro? Do you want to be a Kentucky Wildcat for the rest of your life? Because that’s what’s going to happen.’ He said, ‘Yes.”
A Different Recruiting Landscape
When Kevin Knox committed to Kentucky in May of 2017, college basketball was in a very different place. This was a time before the NCAA permitted student-athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) and before a one-time transfer rule allowed immediate eligibility.
“I think it’s very similar, but they have that box that crept up and that is called NIL,” Kevin Sr. said. “The kids work hard for it. They should be compensated now that they’re allowed to be compensated. But it’s very similar, to be honest with you.”
Kevin Sr. said that the decision mainly comes down to playing style.
“You’ve got to look at this here – who’s staying, who’s transferring, the offense, the defense, how does that roster look like? I think you’ll see a lot more people, maybe the Top 10, they’re not going to commit so far because what if everybody at Kentucky decides to come back,” he said. “That makes a big difference now on whether I want to go there. Those are things that we’re just factoring in and taking a look at.”
For Karter, he’s trying to keep everything in balance as he navigates the complicated process.
“Coaches are calling me left and right,” he said. “I’m still in that gym, every day, morning through night. It’s just good to be in there.”
Leaning on His Brothers
Luckily, Karter Knox has two older brothers to look up to. Obviously, Kevin played at Kentucky, but Karter’s other older brother, Kobe Knox, is a redshirt sophomore at USF.
“It’s helped a lot,” Karter said. “They just tell me all the stuff. They’re above me, so I’m going to learn from them, do what they do, especially Kevin since he’s a pro. I want to be in that situation.”
Three years ago, as Karter wasn’t as invested in basketball, Kevin gave him some advice.
“Kev came and told me, ‘Hey, if you want to be a pro you’ve got to do this and you’ve got to work hard.’ Ever since then, my life has changed,” Karter said. “I started getting in the gym more. I started being more energetic, going to bed on time, so it all helped.”
The recent work hasn’t stopped Kevin from giving his little brother criticism.
“He tells me every day, ‘You’re just lazy. You’re lazy,’” Karter said. “He tells me that every day. Just seeing him work out, he’s sweaty, he’s working out everything. I’ve got to match that same energy with him. It’s kind of tough, but I’m hanging in there.”
Karter Knox’s Game
Five-star forward Karter Knox of Tampa (FL) Catholic is the nation’s No. 6 overall prospect, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranks Knox as the No. 5 player overall and the No. 2 small forward and the overall best player in Florida.
“I think he’s very aggressive and obviously he’s a really good shooter,” Kevin Sr. said. “He has a good IQ, good size. When you take those factors, I think that’s one of the reasons why he’s ranked where he’s ranked.”
If you ask Kevin Sr., the two brothers differ in their mentalities to the game.
“Karter is a little bit more of a dog than Kevin is,” he said. “When I say dog, I just mean aggressive in attacking the basket, getting his shots off. Even defensively, his body is a little thicker than Kevin’s. I just think he has that factor of being a dog, and kind of that Jimmy Butler-type.”
With one more season left of high school basketball, Kevin said Karter is focusing on ball handling, defense, and shooting.
“When you talk about ball handling at the next level, the highest level in the NBA, you’ve got to have the ball on a string, you’ve got to be able to dribble, and I think you’ve got to be able to be consistent shooting,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to play defense. I think if he does those three things and continues along that, I think Karter Knox will be the next person in New York.”
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