With 12 minutes to go in a top-15 matchup against the Auburn Tigers, the Tennessee Volunteers found themselves in a hole. Down by eight and with Auburn on a scorching 16-4 run, Tennessee was desperately searching for an answer. That answer was named Dalton Knecht. From that point on, Knecht proceeded to single-handedly outscore the Tigers 25-21, carrying the Volunteers to a win and finishing the game with 39 points.
Knecht, who currently trails only Purdue center Zach Edey for the men’s Wooden Award (award for most outstanding player in college basketball), has been a superstar the entire season, resulting in the senior finding himself as a projected lottery pick in many expert mock drafts. However, Knecht has not always been a surefire NBA draft pick, spending the majority of his career fighting to climb the ranks of college basketball.
As a high school senior out of Prairie View, Colorado, Knecht was a zero-star recruit with zero Division 1 offers. As a result, Knecht elected to attend Northeastern Junior College. Averaging almost 24 points per game on 51.2% shooting over his freshman and sophomore years was still not enough for Knecht to earn a Power 6 offer, yet it did land him a scholarship at the University of Northern Colorado. Once again, Knecht shined, averaging 20.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Bears in the 2022-23 season.
In April 2023, Knecht finally got his chance to showcase his abilities on the big stage, yet the rising 5th-year senior was still heavily underrated. Knecht, not even considered to be the best player on the Volunteers by many experts, was left off of all draft boards and preseason all-American teams.
Knecht wasted no time changing that narrative with a mind-blowing 37-point performance against North Carolina in just his seventh game as a Vol, setting his new career-high and tying the record for most points ever by an opponent in the Dean Smith Center. This would be the first of Knecht’s six 30+ point games thus far in the 2023-24 season. With three games left to go in the regular season, Knecht now averages 20.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and has led the fourth-ranked Volunteers to an SEC-leading 22-6 record.
Knecht’s final test as a collegiate basketball player comes in March. Knecht and the Volunteers face off against three top-20 teams to end the regular season. This gauntlet is followed by a loaded SEC tournament and last, but certainly not least, March Madness. As difficult as the road ahead is for Knecht, this will likely be his best chance to cement himself to scouts as one of the best NBA draft prospects in 2024.
Knecht’s ability to dominate at all three levels offensively has helped him blossom into an extremely intriguing prospect. Explosive athleticism, a silky smooth jump shot, and an impressive ability to create off the dribble have shot Knecht up draft boards. At 23 years old, Knecht has proven himself to be NBA-ready and able to make an instant impact on a lottery team. In a 2024 draft class filled with loads of uncertainty, NBA fans should be very excited to see where Tennessee’s wonderboy lands.
Photo Cred: The Athletic
