Star Kentucky basketball recruit joins Overtime Elite. What does it mean for Kentucky?

Kentucky has quickly positioned itself as a go-to college destination for players in the Atlanta-based Overtime Elite league who are maintaining their NCAA eligibility.

Current UK guard Rob Dillingham played at OTE to end his high school career. Fellow Kentucky freshman Jordan Burks led Overtime Elite in scoring last season before committing to the Wildcats in June.

Class of 2024 Kentucky commit Somto Cyril will soon begin his second season at OTE.

And now, a top 2024 recruit for the Wildcats will follow in their footsteps as an Overtime Elite player.

On Monday afternoon, news broke that five-star class of 2024 prospect Karter Knox would be transferring from Tampa (Fla.) Catholic High School to Overtime Elite for his final prep basketball season.

The move was confirmed to the Herald-Leader by Knox’s father — Kevin Knox Sr. — during a Monday evening phone interview.

“What we saw was (that) OTE aligned and had the same vision that we have as a family and for Karter Knox, for him to be successful,” Knox Sr. told the Herald-Leader. “We feel that OTE basically aligned with what we wanted for Karter and his skill-building on a daily basis. I think the vision aligned with him becoming a pro, going on to college and being very successful.”

Knox Sr. described the decision for Karter (a 6-foot-5, 205-pound small forward) to go from Tampa Catholic to OTE as a move that would help “set the foundation” for Karter’s hopeful NBA career.

A younger brother of former UK Wildcat and 2018 NBA Draft lottery pick Kevin Knox, Karter is ranked as the No. 6 overall player in the 2024 class by the 247Sports Composite.

“I think this enhances Karter’s game holistically,” Knox Sr. said of the move to Overtime Elite. “You’re able to train two, three times a day and I think when you have that, and you put in a high school kid almost a college or professional environment, I think you’re going to get an even better basketball player.

“That could be scary for a person like Karter, who is already of that echelon.”

While the sample size is still small, the OTE program — established in 2021 — has had an active offseason when it comes to producing NBA players and top-level college recruits.

Amen and Ausar Thompson are twin brothers who were selected with the No. 4 and No. 5 overall picks in June’s NBA Draft out of the OTE league.

Dillingham, a five-star recruit per the 247Sports Composite, and Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford), a four-star recruit according to the same service, represent two top prospects who made the jump from Overtime Elite to college basketball.

When asked by the Herald-Leader why going to Overtime Elite was the right move for Karter, Knox Sr. spoke about the one-on-one skill instruction, daily practice opportunities and general basketball-centric environment the OTE setup fosters.

“Not only did we take a visit and we were able to see firsthand what (OTE) did ... we were able to observe from a distance and talk to other individuals who obviously went there. I was able to talk to their parents and talk to their kids,” Knox Sr. said.

“We were able to talk to the (OTE) coaching staff, able to talk to the trainers and administration. ... I think when you basically put all of those ingredients together ... it just tastes real good.”

In May, Karter released a list of his final eight post-high school basketball pathways: Auburn, Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, South Florida and the NBA’s G-League Ignite program.

Karter will be a scholarship player at OTE, which means he will forgo a salary to maintain his college eligibility.

His recruitment has long been viewed as a Kentucky versus Louisville battle. Karter’s only two official recruiting visits were to UK and Louisville last fall.

Karter will also be one of the highest-ranked and most marketable OTE players during the 2023-24 season.

Other top players in the league are expected to be class of 2024 prospects John Bol (a former Florida commit), Kanon Catchings (a Purdue commit), Cyril (who committed to UK in June) and Trey Parker (a North Carolina State pledge), as well as five-star class of 2025 power forward Bryson Tiller.

“This gives us an opportunity to get our feet wet before we jump into the high-profile of NCAA and college basketball,” Knox Sr. said. “... This just basically prepares us for what is to come, and that’s what we want.”

Karter Knox is crucial part of Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting class

Karter’s importance to Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting class — which currently boasts only Cyril as a commit — can’t be overstated.

UK, with John Calipari at the helm, developed his older brother Kevin into a lottery pick, and Karter made plenty of trips to Lexington with his family during that process.

But also integral to Kevin’s success was Kenny Payne, now in his second season as Louisville head coach.

Payne was UK’s associate head coach when Kevin was in school, and then later worked with Kevin as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks.

During an interview with the Herald-Leader at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam tournament in July, Karter said he would sometimes work out with Payne when visiting his older brother in New York City.

Other schools still involved with Karter’s recruitment also boast strong connections to the Knox family.

There’s another Knox brother, Kobe, who began his college career at Grand Canyon University before transferring this offseason to South Florida in Tampa.

Karter’s father, Kevin Knox Sr., and mother, Michelle, were both student-athletes at Florida State.

Karter told the Herald-Leader at Peach Jam that “development, coaching (and) the fans” were among the most important factors in his own college choice.

Monday’s news of his arrival at Overtime Elite promises to help with that first item.

“(OTE will) become a stronger organization and (Karter) will become a stronger player,” Knox Sr. said. “Ultimately, hopefully, we’re all very successful, as they have been with the Thompson twins.”