Entering this season, Karter Knox was expected to be the face of Arkansas basketball.
The 6-foot-6 guard had a late breakout during his freshman campaign, scoring in double figures in nine of the Hogs’ last dozen contests, including 15-point and 20-point NCAA Tournament performances against St. John’s and Texas Tech, respectively. The Tampa native is an elite shooter who tracks down rebounds like a hound dog and plays solid defense, and his 220-pound frame makes him a bruising matchup for smaller guards going to the rim.
That’s what made his quiet season until Saturday so disheartening.
In Arkansas’ previous three showdowns with big-time opponents, Knox didn’t score more than 5 points, including a goose egg against Michigan State and a 2 of 9 showing against Louisville in a contest where his teammates were firing on so many cylinders.