Dalton Knecht Is Raising Tennessee to New Heights

Transfer guard continues to shine during Volunteers' magical run.

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Dalton Knecht's collegiate career began at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, not far from where he played his high school basketball. Then he spent two years at Northern Colorado, where he captured the attention of major programs by scoring 21.1 points per game last season. The 6-foot-6 guard chose to play for Rick Barnes at Tennessee and it's worked out better than anyone could have expected.

He's now on the sport's biggest stage, becoming a household name and leading the Volunteers on a deep NCAA Tournament run. Knecht had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in Tennessee's 82-75 victory over Creighton Friday night in Detroit. The only thing standing between them and the first Final Four in school history is No. 1 seed Purdue.

“When I transferred here, this is what they said I was going to do and this is what we were going to do," Knecht said after the win. "We knew it could be something special.”

The first former junior college player to earn All-American honors since Larry Johnson in 1991 made two three-pointers down the stretch to double the Volunteers' lead and fight off the Blue Jays. From Tennessee's very first exhibition game against Michigan State in the fall, Knecht has shown that no moment is too big for him.

He's saved his best games for the toughest opponents and risen to the moment, scoring 40 points against Kentucky, 39 against Auburn and 37 against North Carolina. His shot-making abilities are matched with extreme confidence and the flair for the dramatic.

His remarkable story has unfolded slowly but he continues to write thrilling new chapters. And he's not done yet.

Kyle Koster is an editor at The Big Lead.