Arkansas basketball forward Karter Knox will test the NBA draft waters while maintaining his collegiate eligibility, the freshman announced on social media Thursday. Knox is still leaving the door open for a second season with the Razorbacks.
The NBA draft withdrawal deadline is May 28. Until then, Knox can participate in the NBA Combine and work out for various teams. Most NBA mock drafts — including the latest editions from ESPN, The Athletic and CBS Sports — do not include Knox.
However, the transfer portal closes on April 22. Arkansas would need to find Knox’s replacement before that date.
Knox started 24 games as a freshman. He averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and one assist while shooting 46.2% from the field and 35% on 3-pointers. He was also an ace defender, routinely drawing the one-on-one assignment to guard the opposing team’s best offensive player.
Knox’s college career started off slow, and he failed to score more than seven points in his first five SEC games. But when Boogie Fland went down with an injury, Knox stepped into an increased role and rose to the challenge.
He reached double figures in scoring in 10 of his final 18 games, including a 20-point performance against Texas Tech in the Sweet 16. He scored 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds and recorded four blocks in the Round of 32 victory over St. John’s.
Knox was a McDonald’s All-American and a five-star recruit in the Class of 2024. He was the first high school recruit to commit to John Calipari after the Hall of Fame coach left Kentucky and arrived in Arkansas. Karter’s older brother, Kevin Knox, played for Calipari with the Wildcats and was the 2018 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@gannett.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
