Kentucky already has a class worthy of the No. 1 ranking in 2017, but they still need a strong finish to ensure it’s able to contend for A Final Four next season.
That requires freshman who play like stars as soon as they arrive on campus, and Kevin Knox is that kind of prospect. The five-star wing out of Tampa (FL) is a consensus top-10 prospect ranked as high as No. 7 in 2017 by ESPN and Scout.com.
Speaking of, Scout.com recruiting expert Evan Daniels spoke with the Herald-Leader about the latest on Knox, who begins his official visit to UK this weekend.
“He’s a dynamic prospect, and he’s so versatile at the forward spot,” Scout.com’s Evan Daniels told the Herald-Leader. “You can play him as a ‘3’ man on the perimeter. You can play him as a mismatch nightmare at the face-up ‘4’ position.
“He’s a really good athlete. He has long arms. He’s fluid and mobile. And he’s really improved as a shooter and a scorer. He’s a guy that’s starting to make shots.”
While UK already has commitments from forwards Jarred Vanderbilt and P.J. Washington, those two do more of their damage in the paint. Knox is the kind of forward who plays like a guard and would give UK a much-needed perimeter threat in their 2017 class.
“Wherever he goes, he’s going to spend a lot of time playing on the perimeter,” Daniels said. “The way Kentucky plays, I’m sure they would figure it out. I know they would. But I don’t know Kevin’s mindset and how it would impact things from his point of view.”
And while UK may still be trailing Duke in this recruitment, Daniels doesn’t know if Knox even has a favorite right now.
“He hasn’t really shown his hand,” Daniels said. “You can’t count Kentucky out. Ever. … I couldn’t pinpoint a leader at this point. I don’t think that we’re going to see a college choice from him in the near future. I think he’s going to wait this out.”
At this point, Knox will probably wait until April/May to make a decision, so don’t expect this recruitment to end anytime soon.