Overtime Elite Coach dishes on South Florida target Karter Knox
TAMPA, Fla., (Nov. 3, 2023) – Although South Florida's name hasn't been mentioned as prominently as some others, the Bulls are still actively involved in the recruitment of 2024 five-star wing Karter Knox.
The No. 14 overall prospect in the Rivals150, Knox recently trimmed his list to Kentucky, Louisville, USF and the G League Ignite. He took an unofficial visit to USF on Monday (10/30) and will officially visit Tampa Nov. 21. Knox already visited the Kentucky and Louisville during his junior year of high school but will take a second official visit to Louisville (Dec. 15-17) and is working on visit dates with Kentucky and the G League Ignite.
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A three-year standout at nearby Tampa Catholic, Knox accepted a scholarship offer from Overtime Elite (Atlanta, GA). Knox leads all Overtime Elite (OTE) players in scoring (16.8 ppg) and also averages 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 dunks per game. Knox is connecting on 49.4 percent of his shot attempts.
Tonight Knox and his RWE teammates will face Ring City Elite, a club team that features 2024 five-star shooting guard Dylan Harper, the No. 3 overall prospect in the Rivals150.
To get an update on Knox’s progress at OTE, BullsInsider.com spoke with Coach Corey Frazier, Overtime Elite Head of Player Development. If the name sounds familiar, Frazier was a standout at Saint Louis and helped lead the Billikens to two NCAA tournaments in 1997 and 1998. He was a coach for Bradley Beal Elite (St. Louis’ entry in the Nike EYBL) where he trained Brad Beal and Jayson Tatum. Frazier has also been part of the USA Basketball coaching staff. All told, Frazier has been coaching basketball for 20+ years.
BI: What areas of Karter's game would you say have improved the most in the in the few months that he's, he's been with OTE?
CF: I think learning to get to his spots. It's, you know, not wasting dribbles, it’s recognizing when and when not to take shots. So, he's been really good at that. He's ahead of schedule, in terms of getting to the mid-range than any guy normally would be at this time, so he's picking it up pretty good. But getting to his spots, I would say, is the biggest thing that we've added to his game.
BI: What about on the defensive end of the court?
CF: Oh, my God. When I first saw him I thought he was allergic to defense. So, now he's starting to take pride in it because you're playing with a group of guys who are defenders first. So he's taking on the challenge. We put him on the team's best players and he's done a phenomenal job on that. So, he's actually bought into the defensive side of basketball, which is going to make him a really good two-way threat, you know, in the future.
BI: I first met Karter between in the summer between his eighth and ninth grade year and, at that point, he was already an impressive physical specimen. How hard does he go in the weight room?
CF: He's naturally strong, but he's been really good in the weight room. We have not had any, you know, things where he's taken days off in terms of getting in the weight room. He understands that needs to be a big piece of his development more so than just being on a basketball court. So, he's done really well in the weight room and it's starting to show because he’s getting to the free throw line a lot more. So, you know, that's my biggest thing. If you're not hitting jump shots, what do you do next? Let me get to my spots. If I'm not hitting my middie I can definitely get downhill, get to the basket and finish. So, I'm encouraging it even more to where he starts to reverse and, you know, get to the basket, get to your middie and then get to your three. Where it’s not three first and then doing it backwards. So, I really want him to get to the lane first and then work his way back.
BI: His brothers, Kevin II and Kobe both have a strong work ethic, would you describe Karter that way?
CF: I think it’s, and if I’m being honest, I think he's improved so much for when he first got here. I'm sure he's used to working a certain way and he may have thought that was a great work ethic, but he's definitely showing signs of improvement in his work, doing the extra work after practice and before practice prep. So he's, getting better in that and he's starting to understand the process. This is what it's going to take, it’s not going to change. Let me get used to doing that. So, he's definitely improved. And showing and taking the initiative to want to work, you know, more before and after practice. So he's getting better at that.
BI: How would you describe his game to somebody that hasn't seen him play?
CF: I would say Karter Knox he gives me a Paul Pierce type vibe. Does a little bit of everything. Really good at catch-and-shoot, can get to his spots, one-two dribble pull ups, can get downhill and finish it. So, he definitely can score at all three levels. But my comparison with Karter Knox would be, for those who are basketball purists who understand the game, I'm definitely gonna say he reminds me a ton of Paul Pierce.
BI: That’s a hell of a comparison. Coach Frazier, thank you for your time.