The ink has dried and the paperwork is in. Brandon Knight is officially a Kentucky Wildcat.Two days after verbally committing to the University of Kentucky, the nation’s No. 1 overall player, according to Rivals.com, has signed a financial agreement to play basketball at UK. It marks the second year in a row the nation’s top overall recruit has signed with Kentucky.”When you hear the name Brandon Knight, you think about a warrior on and off the court,” Calipari said in a news release. “This young man is as driven as any other player that I’ve ever coached. The possibility of having a year of credits before he enters college is unbelievable and he also has a 4.3 GPA.
“As a basketball player, when you are rated one, two or three in your class you know where you stand on the court. He’s already being projected as a 2011 NBA Draft pick and rightfully so.”
Knight, a senior at Pine Crest High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is rated the No. 1 point guard by Scout.com after averaging 32.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his senior season. Knight, a McDonald’s and Jordan Brand Classic All-American, hit the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer of the 2010 McDonald’s All-American game to give the West a 107-104 win.
With Knight’s signing, Kentucky’s 2010 recruiting class is quickly shaping up to be one of the best in the nation. The Cats have already signed international star Enes Kanter and Stacey Poole Jr., who is rated No. 27 overall on Rivals.com. UK is expected to be in the mix for sevearl other high-profile recruits as well. Make sure you read Ethan J. Skolnlick’s column in the SunSentinel.com about a kid is far more than just a basketball star. Kentucky is getting a stud in Knight.
“I try to balance education and athletics by just trying to keep my head on straight, just knowing that it is a privilege to play basketball,” Knight said at his news conference Wednesday. “Education is important. Your mind is going to last you a lot longer than your legs.”
Jerry Tipton also has a great story in the Lexington Herald-Leader on the player that isn’t afraid to walk in John Wall’s shoes.And finally, for the real purpose of this post, check out some video highlights of Knight below. The videos are from WildcatWorld.com and The Miami Herald:
