Memphis commitment Knox leads Bartlett to district title
Amarr Knox knew he had to hurry and get the ball up the court. There were 3.9 seconds left in the first half and Bartlett was down by two. A couple steps past the half court line, the 6-foot-3 junior launched a high-arcing running 3pointer at the buzzer. He watched it go in and chest-bumped a pair of his teammates.
The shot gave Bartlett a lead at the half and changed the momentum of the game.
"As soon as I got past my first defender I took two steps and threw it up. I saw it go in and my whole team running. It was good to see. When I hit it I felt real excited. I was just trying to get some momentum for my team," Knox said.
The transfer from Central scored a team-high 16 points and was named MVP for the District 14-AAA tournament as Bartlett beat Arlington 75-65 in the title game Thursday night. It was the third time Bartlett has beaten Arlington this season.
It's not the first buzzer-beater Knox made this season. He hit a game-winner
against ECS, capping a 31-point performance. He thrives in the clutch, like when he scored 37 against Calhoun School, featuring five-star point guard JD Davision, in the Iverson Classic.
"The bigger the moment, the better he plays," Bartlett coach Dion Real said. "He loves those big moments. And that's what lets you know he's an elite player. He doesn't shy away from any moments."
Knox, who committed to Memphis on New Year's Day, said that he's been keeping in touch with the Tigers' staff.
"Penny (Hardaway), (assistant) Coach (Cody) Toppert, I talk to all of them," Knox said. “We just check up on each other. They send me the games and I watch all their games and see what they're looking for at the guard position, seeing what they need and where they need help at. So I'm just working on what I need to work on to get there."
Knox had missed a few games, including the last time Bartlett played Arlington with a concussion Real said. But he's back healthy and showing glimpses of what he can do.
"He's so versatile on the offensive end, that's something I've been saying since Day 1. He's definitely a combo guard," Real said. "He can play with the ball in his hand and then also without it in his hands. And then on the defensive end tonight he didn't show it all the time as much as we would like but he can really guard and give the other team nightmares on the defensive end."