Kevin Knox waited until after the Kentucky Derby ended to make his college announcement.
And he’s headed to Kentucky.
The 6-foot-8 Knox out of Tampa (Fla.) Catholic chose the Wildcats over Duke, Florida State, Missouri and North Carolina. He is ranked No. 9 in the Class of 2017 by ESPN.com.
“There were a lot of reasons why I chose Kentucky; first the coaching staff is phenomenal!” he wrote on his USA Today blog. “They know how to get players to the league and get them outside of their comfort zone and push players to the limit. Then I’ll be playing with a lot of great players every day in practice getting better against the best competition and, lastly, they know how to win.
“The program knows how to win and I’ll have a lot of players around me that know how to win and want to learn how to win even more.
“I’m happy to have this whole process over with!”
BIG BLUE NATION LETS GO??⚪️⚪️ #BBN?????? pic.twitter.com/FiRjA7DlGq
— Kev‼️ (@kevin_knox23) May 6, 2017
Knox joins a loaded class that includes guards Quade Green, Shai Gilgeous- Alexander and Jermarl Baker, small forward Jarred Vanderbilt, forward P.J. Washington and big man Nick Richards. Kentucky remains in the mix for big man Mohamed Bamba, who is also considering Duke, Michigan and Texas.
Kentucky now has the Nos. 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 33 and 63 prospects in 2017 per ESPN.com
“Now that it’s over I’m just excited and ready to get to campus and get ready to win a national championship!” Knox wrote on his blog. “Of course I think we have a great chance at that.
“That’s always the goal at Kentucky; I know the guys coming in are hungry and I know that Coach Cal will have us ready to play our best. We’re strong at every position and that’s gonna be hard to stop.”
“Kevin has developed a great deal over his high school career,” said USA Basketball youth coach Don Showalter. “He was a late choice for us as a U16 player and then ended up starting both U16 and U17 teams. He can guard many positions and offensively can play several different positions which makes him really tough as a player. He seems to be able to make big plays and has a knack for being around the ball. I loved his intensity and competitive drive!”
Kevin Knox throws it down ?? @kevin_knox23 @tampacathhoops @tampacatholic (via @JakePerper) pic.twitter.com/8lrjQQvTVW
— Overtime (@overtime) February 4, 2017
