John Calipari agreed with Karter Knox’s decision to test the NBA Draft waters this offseason.
The Hall of Fame coach is going to be ecstatic with the latest career choice from Knox.
The rising sophomore announced on his Instagram account Monday that he will withdraw his name from the NBA Draft and return to Arkansas basketball next season. Knox joins D.J. Wagner, Trevon Brazile and Billy Richmond III as returnees from a team that caught fire toward the end of the season and reached the Sweet 16.
Advertisement
More: Four-star in-state forward JJ Andrews commits to Arkansas basketball, John Calipari
More: John Calipari announces three Arkansas basketball players will return next season
Most mock drafts did not have Knox being selected in either round of this summer’s NBA Draft. Now, the 6-foot-6 forward returns to school hoping to boost his draft stock in a second college season.
Calipari didn’t rule out a last-minute addition when speaking to reporters during the annual Razorback Road Show earlier this month, but the Arkansas roster might be finalized for next season with Knox officially in the fold.
Wagner and five-star freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas will be the primary guards. Knox and Richmond are both swing options who can play guard or forward. Four-star freshman Isaiah Sealy could carve out some playing time, but he’ll be behind those two in the rotation.
Advertisement
In the front court, there’s going to be three primary options in Brazile, Malique Ewin and Nick Pringle. Brazile is the stretch-four, while Pringle and Ewin bring different styles at center. Pringle is bigger and more traditional. Ewin brings unique ball-handling and creativity to the position.
The final wild card is Karim Rtail, a 6-foot-8 freshman from Lebanon.
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.
Mar 27, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Karter Knox (11) dribbles downcourt during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a West Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
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.
Advertisement
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.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Karter Knox will return to Arkansas basketball, withdraws from NBA Draft
