LEXINGTON — Kentucky basketball landed its sixth commitment in the 2024 class Saturday night. And it's the second time this recruiting cycle coach John Calipari looked to his past to help build the Wildcats' future.

Karter Knox, a five-star small forward, picked Kentucky over his three other finalists: Louisville, South Florida and returning to the Overtime Elite (OTE) league, where he has played this season. Knox announced his commitment to UK during halftime of Game 2 of the OTE Finals, which was broadcast on YouTube.

He'll be the second member of the Knox family to play for Calipari and the Wildcats. Knox's older brother, Kevin Knox II, led Kentucky in points per game (15.8) and 3-pointers made (57) during the 2017-18 season. Kevin went on to become the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, selected by the New York Knicks.

"Coach Calipari, he's sent a lot of people to the league, and I want to be a pro. He told me he's gonna make me a pro," Karter said during his announcement. "So I'm ready to hoop and win a national championship."

The four major recruiting services — Rivals, 247Sports, ESPN and On3 — tabbed Karter as one of the best players in his class, ranking among the top 24 in each site's database. Rivals evaluated him as the No. 14 player in 2024, just ahead of his ranking by On3 (No. 19), 247Sports (No. 20) and ESPN (No. 24). According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he's the No. 19 prospect nationally in 2024 and the No. 6 player at his position.

Knox joins a UK recruiting class that features a pair of centers (five-star Jayden Quaintance and four-star Somto Cyril), a pair of point guards (five-star Boogie Fland and four-star in-state phenom Travis Perry) and a wing (Billy Richmond, who has been listed as both a small forward and shooting guard).

With Knox's commitment, Kentucky bolstered a class that already ranked No. 2 in 247Sports' Composite team rankings. The only team ranked ahead of UK is Duke, which features Cooper Flagg, the nation's top-ranked prospect in 2024 and a player widely regarded as the likely No. 1 selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball recruiting: Karter Knox picks UK over Louisville