Syracuse basketball has been going after elite recruits in the 2017 class, a trend which continued Tuesday. Kevin Knox II, a five-star recruit out of Tampa, FL, tweeted this out yesterday:
Knox is listed as the third best small forward in the 2017 class on ESPN, but he could easily be considered a power forward as well. He stands at 6’8” and 194 pounds, and wears a size 18 shoe. Knox has speed and length, which is why Jim Boeheim is interested. He’d fit into the 2-3 zone well, and is able to score inside as well as on the wing. He can get physical for a rebound, but then also has the ball handling ability to go coast to coast with that rebound. He’s a hybrid player with the flexibility to play many positions on the court.
Last summer, Knox played on the USA U-16 team, and brought home a gold medal in the FIBA Americas Tournament. In five games he averaged 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Before that, he was averaging a double-double (24 points and 10 rebounds) at Tampa Catholic High School in his sophomore season.
Along with Syracuse, Knox has received offers from Florida State, Florida, Miami, NC State and others. Seminole ans already know the Knox name, as Kevin’s father (also named Kevin) played wide receiver for Florida State’s 1993 National Championship team. Kevin said in a scout.com article that he’d like to stay close to home, which doesn’t help Syracuse’s case.
The Orange probably has the most prestige of any program Kevin has been given a scholarship offer from thus far, but prestige isn’t always the biggest factor in a recruit’s decision. I’d chalk this one up as a long shot for Syracuse, but more unlikely things have happened.
Posted: Nathan Dickinson
