The Arkansas basketball team finally saw some movement on Monday as forward Karter Knox announced his decision to return to Arkansas for his sophomore season.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward had entered his name in the NBA Draft while he maintained his college eligibility and went through the NBA Draft Combine, but opted to run it back with the Razorbacks.
Knox's decision is the first bit of Arkansas basketball news regarding its 2025-26 roster that's gone out since Calipari announced the return of Billy Richmond III, D.J. Wagner and Trevon Brazile, which came out minutes after Knox announced his draft intentions.
With Knox's return, the Razorbacks have a total of 10 scholarship players ahead of next season. HawgBeat takes a look at three ways Knox can contribute for the Razorbacks next year...
Pick up where he left off last season
It took a little while for Knox to get going, but late in the season, he was a major factor for the Hogs.
Knox averaged 13.7 points and 5.0 rebounds across three NCAA Tournament games, including a 20-point, six-rebound performance against 3-seed Texas Tech in the Sweet 16. Across 36 games played and 24 starts, he averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists, and he finished with rounded shooting splits of 46/35/80.
What's more notable than those season averages is his play late in the year. He started SEC play slow but scored double-digit points in three of five postseason matchups (SEC Tournament included), with 15 and 20 points against St. John's and Texas Tech, respectively.
The best possible outcome for Arkansas next season, and Knox, too, for that matter, is for him to pick right up where he left off last year and continue to grow into the player he's capable of. It's obvious scouts and analysts think he's capable of being a threat in the NBA, so best best-case scenario is Knox plays his way into the draft lottery next season.
Beyond the arc
It's not really a secret that Arkansas doesn't have a bona fide three-point threat on its roster this season, and while he didn't do it on a large volume, Knox could be a major contributor in that area.
Knox averaged 35% from deep on the season, but didn't have a ton of volume with that. He only took an average of 2.8 threes per game and hit 1.0 of those, but he showed he's capable of connecting from deep.
In the season-ending loss to Texas Tech, Knox hit all four of the shots he attempted from three, which was also a season-high. On five different occasions last year, he hit three or more, so the capability is there.
it's also worth noting his final season at Overtime Elite before he got to Arkansas he averaged 8.3 threes per game and made 2.8 of those.
Arkansas as a whole wasn't a huge three-point shooting team, as it only attempted 21.5 per game and shot just 32.7% from deep on the season, but if Knox can become a bigger threat in that area, it can provide even better spacing on the floor for his teammates.
Veteran presence in the locker room
While it can feel weird to refer to someone who is 19 years old as a veteran in a locker room, the fact that college basketball as a whole doesn't have a lot of impact players who enter their second season at the same school makes it so.
Both on and off the court, Knox's experience playing in the SEC and under head coach John Calipari can't be understated. Calipari focused on retention of his current team for that reason, and Knox is one of four returners from last year's squad.
Culture was repeatedly a point of emphasis from Calipari leading into last season, and having another piece from that squad can help cement that culture in a big way.
It also helps that Knox went through the ups and downs the Hogs had last year, including an 0-5 start in SEC play and a Sweet 16 tournament run. Experience in both of those areas can be vital for a team hoping to replicate that success and refrain from those struggles.
Knowing what Calipari expects out of his players and understanding the ins and outs of the offense and the defense will provide another piece of stability for Arkansas' roster in an age where transfers seem to dominate the sport.
