Report: Elite '24 Wing Karter Knox to Visit Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - There might be plenty of rumors swirly around the Louisville men's basketball program regarding the job status of head coach Kenny Payne, but recruiting never sleeps.

Small forward Karter Knox, one of the top prospects in the Class of 2024, will be taking an official visit to Louisville this Saturday, according to 247Sports' Travis Branham. The Cardinals are one of four teams currently in his top four schools, which includes Kentucky, South Florida and the NBA G-League.

The timing of Knox's visit is certainly interesting. In the wake of the on- and off-court events for the Cardinals on Wednesday, which included the bungling of the Koron Davis situation and the embarrassing loss to Arkansas State, rumors involving Payne's immediate dismissal have taken off.

These rumors reached a fever pitch when college basketball insider Jeff Goodman reported on Thursday night that athletic director Josh Heird "met with multiple Louisville players today to get their thoughts on Kenny Payne and entire situation with the program before making decision," and that Heird was leaning towards making a decision "fairly soon."

However, Knox and Payne have a relationship that spans several years. Knox's older brother, Kevin, played for Payne when he was an assistant coach at Kentucky, and was selected by the New York Knicks with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Knox was also just the second 2024 prospect to receive a Louisville offer.

The 6-foot-6, 219-pound wing is a five-star prospect in three of the four major recruiting services, ranks the No. 12 player in the 2024 cycle according to the 247Sports Composite.

Knox is spending the 2023-24 basketball season with Overtime Elite, and has been a stat sheet stuffer. In four games so far, he is averaging 25.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 29.4 percent on three-point attempts.

He was also a force at the high school level. During his junior season for Tampa (Fla.) Catholic, Knox put up 19.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, while also shooting 50 percent from the field. In three years in high school, he has amassed 1,621 points, 653 rebounds, 211 assists, 130 steals and 90 blocks.

Not only would he be a tremendous get for the Cardinals, he's one that they need in a big way. Louisville currently sports just one commitment in the 2024 cycle - coming in the form of Montclair (N.J.) Immaculate Conception point guard T.J. Robinson - and as of this writing, the Cardinals have offered just four uncommitted prospects in the cycle including Knox.

(Photo of Karter Knox via FIBA)

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