This McDonald’s All-American has yet to commit. UK is on the shortlist as he nears decision.
Of the 24 McDonald’s All-Americans that were announced last month, a trio of high school boys basketball stars remain undecided on where they’ll be playing later this year.
One of these Burger Boys has shifted into decision mode though, with the Kentucky Wildcats front and center on his final shortlist of options.
Karter Knox — a 6-foot-6 small forward who plays at Overtime Elite (OTE) in Atlanta — recently said on a video call with reporters that he’s done taking visits and is in the process of determining his next playing destination.
Knox — who is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 18 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class — has a final list of Kentucky, Louisville, South Florida and the NBA’s G-League Ignite as his four post-OTE playing options.
While Knox didn’t offer a concrete timeline as to when he would be announcing his next playing stop, Knox said he has shifted into decision mode.
“What’s next is I’ll be committing,” Knox said. “I’m not taking any more visits.”
Knox’s final list of choices is rooted in his family’s basketball connections: Karter is a younger brother of Kevin Knox, the former UK one-and-done star who helped lead the Wildcats to the 2018 SEC Tournament championship. Karter also has an older brother, Kobe, who starts at guard for South Florida.
Then, there’s the Louisville of it all. Current, yet embattled, Louisville men’s basketball coach Kenny Payne was UK’s associate head coach during Kevin’s lone college season in Lexington. Payne also later worked with Kevin while Payne was an assistant coach with the NBA’s New York Knicks.
The NBA’s G-League Ignite offers a direct-to-pro option for Knox, who has told the Herald-Leader multiple times that the most important factor in his post-OTE choice is the ability to go one-and-done and enter the 2025 NBA draft.
Karter Knox discusses final four recruiting options
So where does Knox stand with each of the four final options in his recruitment?
He detailed each of the choices still on the table.
On Kentucky: “Coach Cal is a good coach. Probably one of the greatest coaches in college basketball. He coached my brother, Kevin, and got him prepared for the league. He is over there coaching D.J. Wagner, and we were on the same USA team. D.J. is going to be a lottery pick but (Calipari) knows what he’s doing. He has been in the game for too long. ... (The visit) was definitely a great experience. When I was a kid and seeing my brother take pictures – It was really crazy, (and) now I am really doing it. ... I’m the one that’s in the Kentucky uniform taking pictures. I never really imagined it, but all the work paid off.”
On Louisville: “They aren’t doing too good, but (Payne) is a really good coach. He was with my brother when he was at the Knicks and he was with my brother when he was at Kentucky. He got Kevin prepared for the draft, he got him at the ninth pick. ... (Payne) believes that I can be a top 10 pick.”
On South Florida: “They really got something cooking over there. Coach Amir (Abdur-Rahim) is a really good coach. He was at Kennesaw State last year and got them to the March Madness tournament. My hometown is Tampa, and they’re doing pretty good so far.”
On the NBA’s G-League Ignite: “The G-League is still involved. They gave me a virtual tour, I spoke with the staff, coaches and all that.”
Knox has taken in-person visits to each of the three schools he’s still considering and took a virtual tour of the G-League Ignite’s setup, which is based in Henderson, Nevada.
Knox said he doesn’t have a date in mind for a commitment. It will come “when the time is right.”
Karter Knox continues family legacy by being named an All-American
Regardless of where Knox decides to play basketball following his time at OTE — Knox is currently averaging 22.2 points per game this season as a teammate of UK center signee Somto Cyril — he’s already achieved a rare basketball feat.
In being named a 2024 McDonald’s All-American, Karter followed in the steps of Kevin, who earned the same honor in 2017 ahead of his season at Kentucky.
“It’s just still a crazy experience because my brother was one, too. Just seeing that all the work really paid off, it’s just crazy,” Knox said.
“... The first people I called when I was selected were my mom and dad and they told me, ‘This isn’t the end, this is just the start.’ They were telling me that all the work paid off since freshman year. Kevin told me he thought he would be the only one to be a McDonald’s All American in the family, and I told him ‘That’s not happening.’”
And Knox celebrated his All-American honor in distinct style.
He’s not a fan of McDonald’s hamburgers, the staple menu item of the world’s largest fast food chain. Instead, Knox opts for the McChicken, the chain’s signature crispy chicken sandwich.
“If I go to McDonald’s, I’m only getting a McChicken,” Knox said. “I’m not going to eat a Quarter Pounder or Big Mac. That’s not me. ... I don’t like that.”
So when Knox got the phone call at OTE telling him he was named a McDonald’s All-American, he was soon the target of a barrage of McChickens thrown at him by his teammates.
Once the food fight subsided, Knox, who said he once ate four McChickens the night before scoring 34 points in a game, enjoyed a McChicken of his own.
“My clothes were covered in lettuce and mayo, McChickens and all that,” Knox said of the celebration. “But I love those guys.”
Two other players in the OTE league this season, center John Bol (Ole Miss) and shooting guard Ian Jackson (North Carolina) were also named All-Americans.
This is the first year OTE players are available for All-American selection. Current UK freshman Rob Dillingham wasn’t eligible to be named an All-American last year when he was at OTE.
“It’s definitely going to bring a lot more kids here,” Knox said of the impact at OTE from having three league players named All-Americans.
This story was originally published February 1, 2024 at 12:49 PM.
