3 biggest commitments secured by John Calipari after making his way to Arkansas ft. Karter Knox
John Calipari left Kentucky and joined Arkansas for the 2024 campaign. After arriving in Kansas, he has been busy building a strong roster for the program. Some of the players followed Calipari from Kentucky, in a display of loyalty to the coach, and others were carefully earmarked and signed by the man himself.
Let's look at the 3 biggest commitments John Calipari has secured for the 2024-25 season at Arkansas.
Calipari's new wards for the upcoming season
#3, Boogie Fland
Boogie Fland followed Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas. He was a five-star prospect when he signed for Kentucky after rejecting various offers from Alabama, Indiana, UConn, and others. He was a key player for Kentucky but de-committed after John Calipari's exit.
Fland is not the only player who followed Calipari to Arkansas. Zvonimir Ivisic and Karter Knox also decided to pack their bags. Boogie Fland was No.15 overall in the ESPN 100 for the class of 2024. He averaged 14.1 points and 2.6 assists per game last season. He was also a part of McDonald's All-American Game 2024 in which he scored 17 points.
#2, Billy Richmond
Billy Richmond is a small forward who committed to Arkansas. He was rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports and was No. 25 overall in the class of 2024. Interestingly, his father played for Memphis under Calipari back in the day.
He started his high school career in Memphis as well. In 2023, he joined Kentucky after an official visit. Richmond joined Kentucky because of his father's ties with Calipari. He then followed the legendary coach to Arkansas.
In the 50 games that he has played in his collegiate career so far, Richmond averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He secured 36.6 percent attempts from the field and 20.7 percent from the 3-point line. Moreover, he averaged 60.4 percent from free throws.
#1, Karter Knox
Hailing from Riverview, Florida, Karter Knox attended Tampa Catholic High School. As a junior, he had an impressive record there as he averaged 19.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He was also named to the 2024 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.
A top-30 prospect in the class of 2024, Knox committed to play for Kentucky at first. However, the news about Calipari leaving the program made him decommit. He later followed Calipari to Arkansas.
Sport runs in his veins as his father was also a wide receiver in the NFL. His elder brother, Kevin Knox II played in the NBA for the New York Knicks. He was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.