[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2025 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Karter Knox
Frame: 6’6″,  224 lbs
Position: Guard/Wing
School: Arkansas
2025 Draft Age: 20
Stats via kenpom.com, sports-reference.com, and geniussports.com

Offense

Knox spent one season in Fayetteville before joining the Razorbacks, appearing in 36 games (starting the final 24). Injuries played a part in this initially, but Knox more than held his own in the gauntlet that was the SEC and was a consistent piece for Coach John Calipari’s team. His size, strength and ability to score at multiple levels made him a steady weapon on the offensive end. While he had a few weak spots this past season (playmaking/ball handling and midrange shooting), he was a rather effective scoring guard. He wasn’t necessarily a frequently used option for Arkansas, but his overall efficiency was slightly above-average, as he generally made his opportunities count. He averaged 8.3 points, 1.0 assist, and 1.0 turnover per game on 46 percent shooting from the field (including a strong 59 true shooting percentage).

Knox’s primary role on the offensive end was as a three-point shooter, knocking down 35 percent of his looks from deep on moderate volume. He has room to grow here, but he has shown himself more than capable with his three-point stroke off the bounce of the catch. On top of that, he was an elite rim finishing guard (elite for any position), finishing nearly 75 percent of his looks at the rim. Again, this was on relatively low-to-moderate volume, but when he got to the rim, he was awesome, especially in transition. Knox’s aggressiveness as a scorer also resulted in a solid free-throw-attempt rate, especially considering his role on the team—not only did he draw a good amount of fouls, but he shot 77 percent at the line (efficient offense that bodes well for the thought of improving his three-point shooting even more). His size, strength, and athleticism all seemed to help him at the collegiate level, as he could be a force around the rim and at the line. These traits also helped him be a capable offensive rebounding guard who finished off his rim putbacks exceptionally well. This mix of inside-out scoring made Knox effective this past season and could help him earn a role at the next level.

Knox has two clear areas to improve upon. He was incredibly inefficient as a scorer when forced to settle between the rim and three-point line, converting just 26 percent in the midrange. Fortunately, he didn’t tend to settle often, but when he did, he struggled. Secondly, Knox concluded the season as a negative playmaker (twice as likely to commit a turnover as find an assist). His role wasn’t necessarily to create for his squad, but he had an above-average turnover rate nationally. Considering how effectively Knox scored the ball across the board, these turnovers were the key factor in leveling out his efficiency overall and pose as his most significant flaw this season. If he can clean up these turnovers, he should pose as a super-efficient scoring guard with good size/strength.

Defense

It’s worth noting that the Razorbacks were a top-25 defense in college basketball last season, while facing a top-15 offensive strength of schedule. Knox has been battle-tested on both ends and, much like on the offensive side of the ball, his natural gifts/abilities made him a competent defender of multiple positions. 

He didn’t make a name for himself with ball pressure, forcing a below-average steal rate for a guard. However, he was pretty helpful on the interior for his position, blocking some shots and grabbing some boards. Notably, he was a well-above-average shot blocker (for any position) and an average rebounder (who made Arkansas’s team rebounding better when he was in the game). Yet again, we can most likely attribute these benefits to his frame, which will help him defend bigger guards/wings at the next level.

Looking Ahead

At times, Knox has drawn comparisons to Romeo Langford, due to his scoring ability from behind the arc and at the rim. However, some of his coaches have used names like Paul Pierce and Ron Artest to describe his defensive abilities as a two-way player. Either way, with some slightly improved jump shooting (that already seems to be there) and ball handling, Knox poses as a capable asset on both ends of the floor at the next level, given his frame and ability to finish. A recent comp would be someone like Luguentz Dort (3-and-D guard), but with even slightly more size.