The University of South Florida, which has struggled to consistently land local boys basketball talent, picked up a commitment from a player whose family has plenty of name recognition in the area.
Former Tampa Catholic standout Kobe Knox, whose older brother Kevin currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, decided to become a Bull after helping Grand Canyon reach the NCAA tournament as a redshirt freshman this past season.
It is the first local recruit for USF coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who was hired last month to take over for Brian Gregory.
“I have a great relationship with Coach Rahim, and I believe in him and the coaching staff’s vision to make USF a powerhouse program,” Kobe said of his decision to transfer to USF. “It’s also great to play in front of my hometown.”
With the Crusaders, Kobe led the program to state semifinal appearances each of his four seasons, including two trips to the state title game.
He played a year of postgraduate basketball at Don Bosco Institute before committing to Grand Canyon, where he averaged 5.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
Kobe’s younger brother, Karter, is a five-star recruit at Tampa Catholic who is deciding between Kentucky and Louisville, among other schools, heading into his senior season.
