TAMPA, Fla. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) – Missouri took its shot with five-star basketball recruit Kevin Knox II, but when it came time to pick a school, the McDonald’s All-American decided to play against Michael Porter Jr. instead of with him.
Knox, the nation’s ninth-ranked prospect by ESPN, announced Saturday he will play at Kentucky, choosing the Wildcats over Duke, Florida State, Mizzou and North Carolina.
“The truth is that all five of these schools are great choices for me,” he told Respect My Face Magazine in an exclusive interview that was posted online shortly after Knox tweeted his decision. “I would love to play for Leonard Hamilton and follow in the footsteps of my father at Florida State, where he played wide receiver and after a great career as a Seminole was drafted into the NFL. I would love to add to the rich tradition that Duke University holds on and off the court, and play for one of the all time great coaches, Coach K. I would love to go up to Chapel Hill, play for Roy Williams, and chase back-to-back National Championships at North Carolina. I would love to join Big Blue Nation and play for Coach Calipari at Kentucky, and I would love to join my close friend Michael Porter Jr. and play for coach Cuonzo Martin at Missouri. But I can only go to one school.”
Knox averaged 28.9 points per game this season and was named Florida Dairy Farmers’ Mr. Basketball, the state’s player of the year honor.
Mizzou remains in the hunt for 6-10 East St. Louis forward Jeremiah Tilmon, who was released from his letter of intent to Illinois last month. Jontay Porter, a 2018 recruit and younger brother of Michael, could decide to reclassify and join MU’s 2017 class. The Tigers have one available scholarship for the coming season as the current roster stands.
Photo credit – Andres Leiva / Tampa Bay Times
