Talk about a get for Eastern Kentucky hoops. Amarr Knox, the 6-foot-3 guard who sent Alabama State dancing with a cold-blooded layup in the NCAA Tournament’s First Round, is bringing his talents to Richmond for the 2025-26 season. After carving out a First Team All-SWAC campaign in 2024-25, Knox is poised to electrify EKU’s backcourt under A.W. Hamilton’s high-octane system.
Let’s rewind to March. Knox was the heartbeat of Alabama State’s 70-68 upset over Saint Francis, dropping a team-high 16 points, including that game-winning bucket with one tick left. Funny enough, he’ll now team up with Juan Cranford Jr., one of the guys he outdueled that night, who inked with EKU back in April. Knox wasn’t done, either, he led the Hornets with 18 points and four boards in a gritty second-round battle against top-seeded Auburn. The Memphis native finished the season averaging 14.5 points, 2.3 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals, shooting 40% from the field, 31% from deep, and 76% at the stripe.
EKU’s head man A.W. Hamilton didn’t hide his excitement: “We’re so excited about Amarr joining our program. He’s an electrifying player that plays fearless on both ends of the floor. Amarr had a magical run last March with Alabama State, he’s a winner and fits perfectly in our program.” Hard to argue with that. Knox’s knack for big moments, like his 37-point explosion at Florida A&M or a seven-assist gem at Southern, screams “clutch.”
This isn’t new for Knox. The former Tennessee Class 4A Mr. Basketball finalist was a star at Bartlett High, leading the Panthers to their first TSSAA state tournament since 2001. He averaged 18 points as a senior, dropping 33 in his final game, a heartbreaking 70-69 loss to eventual champ Dobyns-Bennett. A 3-star recruit, Knox originally committed to Memphis before finding his groove at Alabama State. Over three seasons, he went from a 4.1-point freshman role player to a 6.9-point contributor in 2023-24, then erupted as the Hornets’ go-to guy this past year, scoring 20-plus points in nine games.
Off the court, Knox’s story is just as compelling. His fiancé, DaKiyah Sanders, helped Southern University notch its first-ever NCAA Tournament win this spring. Talk about a power couple.
For EKU, Knox is another weapon for a program that’s been on a tear. The Colonels hoisted the Atlantic Sun Conference title in 2024 and stayed in the hunt for another crown until the season’s final weeks. They’re the only ASUN squad to win six or more league games in each of the last two years, and their eight-game ASUN win streak in 2024-25 was the program’s longest since a 12-game run across 1964-66. Since Hamilton took the reins, EKU has shattered 103 program records. With Knox in the fold, expect a few more to fall.
