Decision Dossier: Five-star Karter Knox
The top uncommitted prospect in the 2024 Rivals150, Overtime Elite League standout Karter Knox is a five-star and the No. 14 player overall. The Florida-based forward has taken a methodical approach to his recruitment thus far and seems in no hurry to make a decision. Knox officially has a final three of Louisville, Kentucky and USF, and has already visited all of his remaining options.
Below, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy dives deep into the decision that sits before Knox, who is yet to set a timetable for an announcement.
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THE WILDCARD: Louisville
The situation at Louisville is obviously a bit touch-and-go as things stand due to the fact that head coach Kenny Payne has found himself on the hot seat in a hurry following a 12-47 start to his tenure at the program. The on-floor product has certainly impacted recruiting in a negative way, but it hasn’t removed the Cardinals from the running for Knox, who seems to have a solid relationship with the Louisville staff.
Payne and company felt like the slight front-runner not long ago and may still be now. What is clear, however, is that people in the Cardinals' basketball office want it to be known that, true or not, Knox is leaning toward choosing Louisville should Payne be retained.
Whether or not that will happen, however, is to be determined. Whatever the case, Louisville should be treated as a serious player as long as Payne is the head coach.
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THE LEGACY OPTION: Kentucky
It seems almost insane to paint Kentucky as a fallback option for Knox, when you consider that his older brother became a star in Lexington and that the other major player in his recruitment has a coach on the hot seat.
Alas, here we are.
The Wildcats are very much in play and may still win this battle but it feels like they may do so, at least in part, out of attrition. Things in their in-state rival’s building are in flux to say the least and Kentucky may be the most stable option left standing when Knox is ready to make his decision.
Knox has a relationship with head coach John Calipari that spans nearly a decade, which is certainly worth something. So is the fact that Calipari helped his brother become the No. 9 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
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THE SLEEPER: USF
The hometown Bulls’ inclusion on Knox’s list of finalists felt like a courtesy mention at first but feels a bit more serious now that USF is on track to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history and head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim seems to have things rolling in Tampa.
The first-year Bulls coach will likely field some interest from high-major programs this offseason, however, and how that shakes out could help shape the trajectory of Knox’s recruitment. USF doesn’t feel like the front-runner here by any stretch, but the longer things stretch and the more hectic things get at Louisville, the better the chances of an upset feel.