Kentucky freshman’s ‘unrecruiting’ sparked big changes. He’ll need more in NBA.

There is a term now common to college basketball coaches call “unrecruiting.” In effect, it means telling recruits once they’re on campus that they don’t already know it all.

Kentucky coach John Calipari practiced plenty of “unrecruiting” this season regarding Kevin Knox, a 6-9 forward from Tampa, Florida. Knox has the size and talent to end up a lottery pick in June’s NBA draft, but he still had a lot to learn about being a well-rounded basketball player.

“Learning to (have) a better (basketball) IQ, to be aggressive, to help my teammates out,” said Knox, who could be under consideration when the Charlotte Hornets make their first-round selection. “More communicative on the court, being able to talk” more effectively.

Knox and his Kentucky teammates play Davidson Thursday at 7:10 (CBS). The co-freshman of the year in the SEC, Knox led Kentucky in scoring at 15.6 points per game. He showed up in Lexington with a solid jump shot (35 percent from the 3-point line). Calipari wanted more: More drives, more rebounding, more physicality, more passion.

Recruits as prized as Knox can often get by on talent and size. They are typically surrounded by enablers, constantly reminding them how wonderful they are.

Calipari, instead, rode him hard at times this season.

“He pushes all of us outside our comfort zone, makes us get to another gear,” Knox said of Calipari, experienced as any college coach with so-called “one-and-done” players.

“He tries to get us to push each other as teammates. Talk on the floor, (and) off the floor. … Come every day and attack the day.”

This hasn’t been an easy season by Kentucky standards: Ten total losses, after starting the SEC regular season 7-7. But Calipari said Wednesday he had fun raising this team’s standards, finding a level at the end that won the conference tournament.

He was talking about the entire group Thursday, but this observation certainly applies to Knox:

“My first job is to make them understand they have to conquer themselves first, before they can worry about conquering anyone else,” Calipari said. “People around you are going to tell you you’re never wrong; it’s always somebody else.

“You can buy into all that (hype) and never change or you can self-evaluate and say, ‘I don’t like where I am. … If I do the same things over and over again, I’m not changing.’”

Knox was always going to be Kentucky’s designated shooter this season, but Calipari demanded more: Don’t settle for the jump shot if a drive creates free throws. Don’t sit back and admire your shot when you should prepare to rebound.

It took a while this season, but Wednesday Knox said that lesson has registered.

“When you come from high school, in practice you’re messing around, just throwing up easy shots,” Knox said. “But here, in Kentucky, you’re starting to play against All-Stars every year.

“You (better) come out and play every day, come out hard, because your spot can be taken.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2018 at 8:55 AM with the headline "Kentucky freshman’s ‘unrecruiting’ sparked big changes. He’ll need more in NBA.."