Posted: Ted Conroy

So, Syracuse recruit/Kentucky commit Brandon Knight never signed a letter of intent/financial aid offer sheet and the entire college basketball universe is buzzing, huh?

The Fizz documented Knight’s choice of Kentucky, and we did know that he didn’t officially sign the binding agreement.

In all honesty, this looks more like a safety move for Knight than a wavering decision.¬†We have mentioned it before: Knight has a 4.2 GPA. He’s a smart guy.

So when he reads things like “vacated Final Fours” and “NCAA investigations” he needs to make sure he’s protected against a fallout.

What if it turns out John Wall was driving a royal blue Bentley around campus during his time in Lexington and the governing body comes knocking in the next month? It’s good to have options open.

In a more formal, non-damning way, Jerry Tipton does¬†a great job explaining the family’s decision in an interview with his mother.

A letter of intent would have locked Knight into Kentucky, sink or swim. With the option he has now, he can jump if he needs to.

But don’t expect it. Knight will complete next season with the Wildcats and then jump to the NBA like so many Calipari chosen ones before him. Of course, whether the water is hot enough around UK may have everything to do with the speed of the NCAA compliance offices. If history is any barometer, Calipari’s next infraction may not be uncovered until well after Knight has departed.