The Tennessee Volunteers are ranked No. 6 in the country, with 12 wins and four losses on the season. This squad only gives about eight players true minutes every game who all contribute in their own way. But it has been the transfer, Dalton Knecht who has been the star player for this Tennessee team.
Knecht leads the team in scoring at 17.2 points per game while shooting 47% from the field and nearly 40% from the outside.
These last two games have been Knecht’s best two game stretch of the season as he’s averaging a ridiculous 32 points on 22-for-38 shooting. The senior wing played these last two years for Northern Colorado but didn’t really stand out until last season, exploding for 20 points a night. There was some hype heading into the season for Knecht as we heard some rumblings about how exciting of a scorer he is, but he’s outplayed his preseason draft projection.
The 6-foot-6 wing is a ridiculously good shot-maker that can convert on difficult pull-up jumpers from inside and outside the arc. The scoring guard can really shoot it but he's more than just a spot-up shooter, with the ability to slash and attack closeouts very aggressively. He can finish at the rim with either hand and has solid above the rim finishing ability. His game fits what the NBA is looking for in the new age sharpshooter as he brings valuable scoring tools outside of spot shooting.
At the start of the season Knecht wasn’t found on many mock drafts, and about a month ago he was considered a fringe first round pick. Fast forward to the year 2024 and he’s undoubtedly a first round talent with the potential to be a top-20 pick. The scoring instincts combined with some high level shooting at 6-foot-6 has made scouts fall in absolute love with him.
Tennessee often heavily relies on Knecht to bail them out of many situations in which he succeeds at doing. If he can show more consistency as a passer and defender then there’s a real chance we could be talking about him as a lottery pick come June. The exciting scorer has really looked like a star player these last two games and if he keeps the play up, he has a real conversation for the national player of the year award.
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