North Augusta, S.C. — Karter Knox vividly recalls sitting courtside at Riverview Park Activities Center six years ago as an energetic 9-year-old, cheering on his big brother Kevin Knox and his Each 1 Teach 1 (Fla.) squad at Nike Peach Jam.
Kevin was a consensus top-10 hoops prospect in the 2017 class, dropping NBA threes and taking names against fellow top-tier prospect Hamidou Diallo and the Renaissance (N.Y.).
By game’s end, Diallo crushed Kevin’s spirit and won the game in one fell swoop on a turnaround three-point buzzer-beater from the left wing.
“I can remember that like I was sitting there right now,” Karter says. “Now, six years later it’s my turn to play; that feels pretty crazy.”
Both Kevin and Hamidou spent one year at Kentucky before being drafted into the NBA in 2018, a trajectory Karter seems primed for as one of the top prospects in the 2024 class.
“Kevin is in the NBA and my other brother, Kobe, is at Grand Canyon, so I have a lot of experience ahead of me with this whole process,” Karter says. “Kevin tells me all the time to stay focused on the work and to always make sure I’m coachable. I take everything that he says to heart.”
And, no, Kevin doesn’t try and sell his younger brother on the benefits of following in his footsteps and joining Big Blue Nation, where Karter holds an offer.
“He’s always telling me that I’ve got to make the best decision for me,” Karter says of Kevin. “He said if Kentucky is the right fit then make that move, but he just wants me to be in the best situation for me.”
USA Basketball
Options are abound for the 6'5'' wing, and when asked which schools he hears from the most, Karter said, “Kansas and Kentucky.” Ohio State, Baylor, Florida State, Central Florida, Texas and South Florida remain heavily involved, all of which have had recruiters parked courtside at his games this week at Peach Jam.
This spring, Karter averaged 20 points a game while running with the Florida Rebels 16U team, then moved up this week for Peach Jam and opened with an impressive 23-point outing on 11 of 15 shooting from the field in a win.
Just over a week ago, Karter helped USA Basketball’s U17 team capture the gold medal in Spain, averaging 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists a game.
“You get the skilled, tough, competitive player that you literally never have to tell to go hard,” USA U17 head coach Sharman White says. “He’s so skilled and explosive, but his effort is second to none. He’s a willing and coachable player and it’s a tribute to how hard he plays the game and how consistent he is.”
Knox has had that total package on display all week, impacting the game in multiple facets on and off the stat sheet.
“I want to win Peach Jam,” Karter says. “My brother did his thing at Peach Jam, and now it’s my turn. I’m not in his shadow. I feel like I’ve made my own name and that’s something that I’m proud of. Now, I just want a championship.”
