UNC Recruiting: Breaking down Kevin Knox’s top 10
UNC target Kevin Knox cuts list to 10 schools
Five-star small forward Kevin Knox has been one of the most heavily sought-after recruits in the class of 2017. Ranked the second best small forward and sixth overall (247Sports) prospect in the class, Knox is an elite player with a lot of upside.
Keeping It Heel highlighted Knox in the May edition of our 2017 recruiting round-up where we emphasized his elite ability and balanced skill set.
Knox is a good shooter from both inside and out. He plays well with and without the basketball. He’s a good passer, plays well in transition and is capable of leading the fast break. He plays solid defense and rebounds well for his position.
The 6’8”, 195-pound senior out of Tampa, Florida also has no shortage of athletic ability. Along with his great height and length, he has terrific leaping ability and plays above the rim. He’s a skilled ball-handler for his size and position.
He uses that ability to dribble into traffic, create contact, and finish at the rim.
Last weekend, Knox took to Twitter to announce the ten schools he will be choosing from when deciding where he will attend college.
https://twitter.com/kevin_knox23/status/754473834212892672
Alabama
This would be a big get for an Alabama team that finished tenth in the SEC, winning only eight league games. It would be the highest ranked recruit that the Crimson Tide have signed since five-star forward Devonta Pollard in 2012 (Pollard eventually left the Tide after only one season).
Knox would get all the playing time he could possibly handle for a team that many expect to finish in the bottom half of the conference this season.
Chance of signing Knox: Low
Arizona
Sean Miller’s good fortune on the recruiting trail continued in 2016, signing three five-star recruits to a team that won 25 games last season. The Wildcats are in the hunt for many of the top recruits in the 2017 class, and snagging a player like Knox could make the University of Arizona an even more attractive destination for other big-time recruits.
Chance of signing Knox: Low
Duke
No surprise here. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski continues to bring in top-tier talent year after year. There’s really no reason to think that he won’t do it again in 2017. The Blue Devils have had the top recruiting class in the nation two of the last three years.
Next year could be much of the same with the possibility of signing Knox along with a handful of other five-star recruits that are considering Duke as their college choice.
Chance of signing Knox: High
Florida State
Xavier Rathan-Mayer and Dwayne Bacon are one of the best guard duos in the Atlantic Coast Conference. If Leonard Hamilton can keep his back court together through next season, this would be a huge addition to his team.
Adding Kevin Knox to one of the ACC’s best tandems would solidify the Seminoles’ back court as one of the best in the conference, if not the nation. They would immediately move from middle of the pack in the conference to a top-five team.
Chance of signing Knox: Moderate
Kansas
Bill Self’s track record with (presumably) one-and-done players isn’t spotless (Diallo, Alexander, Selby). Knox, however, could fit more comfortably into the category with previous Jayhawks Kelly Oubre, Ben McLemore and Andrew Wiggins.
Self has an effective system that has helped him win 12 consecutive Big 12 conference titles. With five-star recruits frequently choosing KU, Knox would likely have some company in the class of 2017 to help keep the tradition going.
Chance of signing Knox: Low
Kentucky
Take a deep breath. I know this may come as a shock, but Kentucky is in the running for Kevin Knox. Not a lot to say here other than Knox would have the biggest stage (sorry, Duke fans) to showcase his talents with the coach most proven at getting his players to the NBA. Let’s move on.
Chance of signing Knox: Moderate
LSU
A decision to go to LSU would certainly be one made in an effort to optimize playing time rather than winning. Just ask Ben Simmons. He and Antonio Blakeney didn’t manage to get the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament.
While Knox would get all the playing time he could possibly desire, the wins will come much less frequently than some of the aforementioned teams. He’d also have less national exposure than he would at Duke or Kentucky. Simmons managed to do alright for himself though.
Chance of signing Knox: Low
Miami
Head coach Jim Larranaga has done a marvelous job at the University of Miami. In his first five seasons at Miami, he’s won 118 games to only 57 losses. He’s also done well on the recruiting trail, bringing in two top-30 recruits in the class of 2016 in guard Bruce Brown and forward Dewan Huell.
Assuming both players stick around for their sophomore seasons, Knox would be a great addition and would keep Miami relevant in the ACC.
Chance of signing Knox: Low
North Carolina
Nate Britt, Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks, Joel Berry, Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson. Those are the players that the Tar Heels will inevitably lose over the next two years. Early departures to the NBA could cause them to leave even sooner. 2017 is being looked upon as Roy Williams’ most important recruiting cycle ever. It might be.
Luckily, the NCAA cloud that has been hanging over the program for the past few years is clearing up. Kevin Knox would be a huge step in moving forward from that unfortunate and unofficial sanction. Knox’s play on the court, and his influence with other recruits would be equally important.
Chance of signing Knox: Moderate
Villanova
With a championship in 2016 and a five-star recruit on the way, Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats are in a good position to continue their winning ways in the coming seasons. Several top-25 recruits in the class of 2017 are considering Villanova and a commitment from Kevin Knox would only solidify the Wildcats as Big East favorites next year.