Recruit Knox joins Arkansas after UK decommit

No. 26 recruit Karter Knox commits to John Calipari, Arkansasplay

Calipari introduced at Arkansas, jokes about building roster from scratch (0:55)

John Calipari speaks to the Razorback faithful after being introduced as the new head coach of the Arkansas men’s basketball team. (0:55)

Jonathan Givony, ESPNApr 22, 2024, 07:00 PM ET

Karter Knox, the No. 26 recruit in the 2024 ESPN 100 who had decommitted from Kentucky, has recommitted to John Calipari at Arkansas, he told ESPN on Monday.

“Throughout my whole recruiting process, Coach Cal always said he wants to make me a pro, and I trust that he will do that for me at Arkansas,” Knox said. “I also have a great relationship with Coach Kenny Payne, so getting to play for two coaches I admire is a dream come true. I’m looking forward to getting there, getting to work and bringing a winning mentality to Fayetteville.”

Payne, the former Louisville head coach, is joining Calipari’s staff as associate head coach.

Knox is one of the most aggressive scorers in high school basketball, averaging 22.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30 minutes in the Overtime Elite League this season. He converted 81 3-pointers in 30 games for RWE, which lost in the decisive Game 5 of the OTE Finals to the City Reapers.

Knox also posted 19.8 points in just 24 minutes per game in the Nike EYBL last spring and summer, making him the No. 1 per-minute scorer in the league — duplicating a feat he achieved in 2022 (at the 16U level) and 2021 (15U).

He elected to reopen his recruitment after Calipari’s decision to depart for Arkansas earlier this month. He has now reunited with the coach who also helped his brother, Kevin Knox, become the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft after one season at Kentucky.

Karter Knox was one of several touted high school seniors — a group which previously made up the No. 2 recruiting class in college basketball — who have elected to part ways with Kentucky following Calipari’s departure. They all may again join forces in Fayetteville; five-stars Jayden Quaintance and Boogie Fland are still undecided on their future plans, as are four-stars Billy Richmond and Somto Cyril.

All 13 of Arkansas’ scholarship players from last season have either exhausted their eligibility, entered the transfer portal or are departing for the NBA draft, leaving Calipari a fresh slate.

Kentucky freshman Zvonimir Ivisic became Arkansas’ first commitment via the transfer portal.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.