Brandon Knight has made the transition from a star high school senior to a household name as Kentucky’s late-game assassin.
In the Wildcats first game against Princeton Knight sped by the defender for a layup, sealing a 69-67 win. In Kentucky’s Sweet 16 win over Ohio State, he used his lightning-quick first step again and nailed a go-ahead jumper with five seconds.
“It’s not only the young man expects to make the shot, it’s more important that he’s not afraid to miss the shot,“ Kentucky head coach John Calipari said.
Knight is known for his intense focus toward the game, and spends long hours of practice in the gym. Being one of the first to arrive at practice and the last to leave makes him unphased with his high-pressure role.
“Coach and my teammates trust in me in putting the ball in my hands in those situations,” Knight said. “Just having the confidence that I’ll make the shot, and even if I miss it knowing I’ll make the next one. My confidence has never wavered. Some you make, some you don‘t.”
The Wildcats are set to face the UConn Huskies in the second game Saturday. The two teams met in the championship game of the Maui Invitational in November. Kentucky suffered a 84-67 loss. Knight said he is not expecting either team to look as they did four months ago.
“The difference is we’ve got a lot better,” Knight said. “We were still learning, we were still trying to figure out what we could do. We’ve got a lot better, but they’ve grown and become a better team too.”
Coincidentally, UConn was among the other teams that recruited Knight, and was high on his list of choices.
“It was a tough decision,” Knight said. “But Kentucky was my final choice. I liked UConn, but I just felt better off going to Kentucky.”
If Knight wasn’t on the radar of NBA scouts, the exposure from the tournament has catapulted his status as a legitimate prospect. No matter what team Knight is playing for next season, the ride has been an enjoyable one.
“It’s been a fun journey,” Knight said. “One with a lot of learning experiences. The beginning of the season I wasn’t playing so great, we had good games here and there, but there were a lot of things I had to learn as an individual. There were a lot of habits I needed to break. It’s been a great journey, I’m happy to be on it and continue to learn.”
-John Brannen
