Justin Knox can't get away from Kentucky.
He played against the Wildcats four times in three seasons when he was at Alabama. He will play against them for the second time this season for North Carolina today. And this game will be for the NCAA tournament East Regional championship, and a spot in next week's Final Four.
"I've played them a bunch of times," said Knox, a 6-foot-9 forward. "It's nothing new for me. It's nothing new to us as a team, either."
Knox lost all of his games at Alabama to Kentucky. He broke through with a victory on Dec. 4 when North Carolina won 75-73 in Chapel Hill.
"You always look forward to playing Kentucky because of their history and tradition," Knox said. "We always played them tough (at Alabama), but we couldn't come out with the victory."
Knox was a dependable player at Alabama, and is a reserve at North Carolina. Kentucky players Darius Miller and Josh Harrelson remember playing against Knox in the SEC and the problems he presented.
"He was tough down there," Miller said. "He played extremely hard and was physical. He does a great job of getting the job done. He'll be a tough matchup for us now."
Knox played nine minutes in Friday's 81-63 win over Marquette in the semifinals. He made his only shot, grabbed a rebound and scored two points.
He has played in all 36 of the Tar Heels' games and is averaging 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds. He filled in immediately for the losses of Will Graves, a forward who was dismissed from the team; and the Wear twins, forwards who transferred from the program.
North Carolina guard Leslie McDonald said that Knox's modest stats belie the help he has given the team in its 29 wins.
"Our main focus with him was to bond together as fast as possible," McDonald said. "When I heard he was coming I was skeptical, but as soon as I met him on the first day I knew he was going to gel. He's a down-to-earth person."
Knox never played in the postseason at Alabama. He said that a Final Four berth would easily be the top moment of his career.
"It would mean everything," Knox said. "It would mean a lot. Everybody is trying to get there. I'll be very pleased and happy if we win."
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