Kevin Knox is playing this week in North Carolina, and so the North Carolina heavyweights have been out in force.
UNC coach Roy Williams, who watched Knox earlier this month at the City of Palms Classic. was on hand for Knox on Thursday night at the John Wall Holiday Invitational, as was Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel. Duke went three deep for the 6-foot-8 Knox at the City of Palms.
Duke’s @jeffcapel & UNC’s Roy Williams among the luminaries at #TheJohnWall for 5?Kev Knox of @tampacathhoops https://t.co/W1Hr0x2RKr pic.twitter.com/9vSQeXZz35
— Andrew Slater (@ASlater247) December 30, 2016
Meantime, Kentucky, which was represented by John Wall himself on Thursday, will have head coach John Calipari in to see Knox and his Tampa (FL) Catholic teammates play Arizona-bound DeAndre Ayton and Hillcrest Prep (AZ) in the championship game on Friday night.
“Coach Cal will come,” Knox told ZAGSBLOG.
In Thursday’s semifinals, Knox scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead Tampa Catholic past Robinson (Concord, N.C.) 96-75. The 7-1 Ayton, meantime, went for 27 points and 13 rebounds to lead Hillcrest Prep past Cannon School (Concord, N.C.) 72-64.
“We just have to keep getting better,” Knox told USA Today. “We’re young so to get two quality wins has been good for us. Now we need one more.”
“It’s a big opportunity,” Ayton said of playing in the final. “This is our chance to show the world what Hillcrest can do.”
Knox is considering Duke, North Carolina, Florida State and Kentucky. He has taken only one official, to Duke in November. Next up is Florida State next weekend (Jan. 7-9).
After that, Knox is slated to take officials to Kentucky (Jan. 28-30) and UNC (Feb. 4-6).
“I want to commit after the season,” Knox said last week at the City of Palms Classic. “I want to slow everything down and just take my time with it.”
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