Dalton Knecht: college basketball's unlikeliest superstar
No. 6 Tennessee beat Florida in a resounding 85-66 victory on Tuesday, led by star fifth-year wing Dalton Knecht, who scored a career-high 39 points in a historic performance. Knecht became the first Tennessee player since former NBA All-Star Allan Houston to average back-to-back 35+ point games after he followed up his 36-point showing against Georgia on Saturday with an even better game.
Knecht also shot 13-23 from the field, 4-6 from three, a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line and hauled in eight rebounds against Florida.
Knecht has been sensational this season for Tennessee. He's scoring 18.5 points per game, a team high and good for fourth-best in the SEC. Knecht is also shooting a scorching 41.7% from three, another team high.
How Knecht got to Tennessee and became one of the best and most important players in the country is one of the most importable stories in college basketball.
Out of high school, Knecht had zero interest from any Division I, II or III schools. He was just 6 foot 1, came from an area without much basketball tradition and was an academic non-qualifier, meaning that any four-year college that he attended, he would have to sit out the first season to get his grades up.
That left attending a junior college as the best option for Knecht to continue his basketball career. He ended up at Northeast Junior College, a community college in Sterling Colorado. After two seasons at JUCO and a five-inch growth spurt, Knecht transferred to Northern Colorado.
Knecht spent his first season at Northern Colorado as more of a role player. He started 11 out of 35 games and averaged 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and shot 36.1% from three. His second season with Northern Colorado is when his game really began to pick up. He led the Big Sky in scoring with 20.2 points per game and was named to the All-Big Sky Second Team.
Knecht then made the decision to enter the transfer portal, where he was one of the most sought-after players. Knecht told the Messenger's Seth Davis earlier in the season that as soon as he entered his name in the portal, he received "about 500 missed calls and about 1,200 text messages" from coaches.
According to Isaac Trotter of 247Sports, every blue blood in the country was recruiting Knecht this time around.
Knecht made the decision to attend Tennessee for his final season of eligibility in a decision that has worked to near-perfection for both sides.
Tennessee, led by Knecht, has had an incredible season. The Volunteers are currently ranked at No. 6 and are looking like the best team in the SEC as well as a legitimate national title contender.
On a personal level, Knecht has become a consensus first-round NBA draft pick, with some draft experts even considering him a lottery-level talent.
From community college in Colorado, to the Big Sky, to the bright lights of the SEC and maybe even to the NBA, no one could have predicted Knecht's unlikely rise through college basketball.
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