Tuscaloosa, Alabama: home to the Crimson Tide, Dreamland barbecue, a vibrant music scene and Carolina basketball’s newest forward, Justin Knox. Standing at 6’9″ and putting up an average of 5.5 points per game, Knox adds a needed presence in the Dean E. Smith Center.
Knox, however, is not your average basketball player. In fact, Knox is a graduate student. He enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill this fall to pursue a master’s degree in sports administration.
The road here was not an easy one.
Growing up in Tuscaloosa, Knox knew sports. Whatever the season, Knox found a sport he could play, and play well. From a young age he juggled positions on basketball, football and baseball teams, excelling at each. However, by the time he entered high school, Knox had already determined his passion: basketball.
“I began to play AAU basketball in high school and hoped to get a scholarship for college. When I did get one, it was a blessing,” Knox says.
As if playing college basketball at the University of Alabama wasn’t already a demanding commitment in itself, Knox sought to challenge himself even further. As salutatorian of his graduating high school class, Knox was no stranger to hard work and long hours of study. Upon arriving at Alabama, he was told that he could complete his undergraduate studies in a mere three years, a test Knox chose to accept.
“I wanted to prove I could do it, so I took summer classes and did 15 hours a semester. It was a big accomplishment for me,” he says. “I just wanted to give myself a challenge.”
While many students would have cringed at the thought of spending summer days confined by classroom walls and the tedium of homework, Knox persevered, balancing school and varsity basketball. After graduating this past spring with a degree in business management, Knox made the decision to continue pursuing education.
Justin Knox dunks in a game against Clemson. (photo by Carolyn Van Houten)
Knox’s move from Tuscaloosa to Chapel Hill was fraught with stipulations, rules and restrictions, many stemming from his contract at Alabama. While Knox’s first choice was to carry out his final year of eligibility as a college basketball player at the nearby University of Alabama at Birmingham, he was prevented from doing so due to eligibility regulations. After considering other schools in the South, he settled on UNC-CH.
“Alabama blocked me for whatever reason, but I’m happy here. Happy being a Tar Heel,” Knox affirms.
From the day in August when the new team first gathered, Knox knew that becoming a Tar Heel was the right decision for him.
“We all hit it off. We played a lot of pick-up games and hung out together. We’re all just trying to get wins,” Knox says of his new teammates.
Coupled with the sheer enthusiasm and support of Carolina fans on and off campus, Knox’s experience at Carolina differed from his previous school. Alabama is known nationwide for its fan-packed football stadium, but its basketball team is less well-known. A far cry from Tuscaloosa, the spirit of basketball fans in Chapel Hill surprised Knox.
“Coming from a football school, it’s great how much the fans love the program, and there are supporters, win or lose,” he says.
Furthermore, Coach Roy Williams has shaped Knox’s season as a Tar Heel into an experience beyond the court.
“Before every practice, [Williams] will read a quote relating to how we are doing as a team or something inspirational. It brings something new to basketball that I haven’t seen before,” Knox says.
In fact, Williams’ “direct style” appeals to Knox’s own approach to basketball because there are no barriers to telling the players exactly what they do right and wrong.
While it may be hard to picture Knox wearing pedestrian clothing, living a life outside of the Smith Center and the realm of slam dunks and game-changing rebounds, there is another reason Knox came to Carolina. Knox chose UNC-CH for its prestige in the field of sports administration.
Knox says the major will prepare him for jobs in “athletic directing and administration in college sports.” The classes for a sports administration major entail sports marketing, statistics and event management, all of which Knox is taking this semester.
At the beginning of his second semester at UNC-CH, Knox can already cite two professors who have impacted his studies in the sports administration field.
“Both Dr. Southall and Dr. Cooper taught interesting classes. I really enjoyed the debates and conversations that were a daily part of class,” Knox says.
However, balancing a demanding academic workload with an equally demanding basketball schedule can seem overwhelming at times.
“You have to be good at time management. I put a lot of work and time into papers and projects for school. You have to focus on where you are at the moment, whether in class or playing basketball,” he says.
Because his graduate program is two years long, Knox is already contemplating life away from a college campus.
“I want to play professional ball after I finish grad school,” Knox says. “It doesn’t matter what team, just whatever team picks me.”
Knox also admits that he would like to return to be a sports administrator for a Division I school.
“Originally I wanted to own a business, but now I want to go into sports administration, or even sports marketing.”
This will be Knox’s last season of playing college basketball according to NCAA regulations, which only allow for four years of collegiate eligibility.
“I’ll be sad when I can’t play college ball anymore. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Knox says.
The future has not stolen his focus. Currently, Knox is keeping his eyes “on the stretch ahead” and looking to bring home a championship in March.
While Tar Heel fans will only see Knox play for one season, they can take pride in the knowledge that Knox won’t let his time at Carolina go to waste.
“I’m ready to…see what life holds for me,” he says.
