Kevin Knox Recruiting Update as Kentucky, Duke, other powerhouses in pursuit

One of the top players in the Class of 2017 is five-star forward Kevin Knox.

Ranked by ESPN as the No. 7 overall player while Scout.com has him at No. 6, Knox is easily one of the biggest targets for the Kentucky Wildcats. Some have gone as far as to compare Knox to a young Kevin Durant, one of the great players Knox tries to model his game after.

"I like to watch a lot of Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram and Giannis Antetokounmpo," Knox said in April, via SB Nation. "Those tall lanky wings that can handle the ball and shoot it."

The Tampa Catholic High School stud is considering Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina among other college powers coming hard after Knox. UK just recently offered Knox, so there's probably a bit of ground to make up in his recruitment, but he has at least dispelled that notion publicly.

Good news for UK: Knox doesn't plan on making a decision anytime soon and doesn't plan to sign during the fall period.

"Right now, I’m just listening to all the colleges," Knox told the Herald-Leader. "There are still new schools coming in, so I’m wide open to everyone. As of now, any college coach that calls me, I’m all ears. I’m just listening to what they have to say."

"I don’t really want to sign in the early period. I’m probably going to go till next year, let the coaches come see me in high school."

It's also worth noting that Florida State, his parents’ alma mater, will be a major player in his recruitment. Then again, UK and Duke have had little trouble plucking elite prospects from their home state.

Whatever Knox does, UK still has plenty of time to recruit this elite wing. Even for a powerhouse like UK or Duke, Knox is the kind of player they can build a class around, so this will be one of the more intriguing recruitments to watch for 2017.