Dalton Knecht is a Lottery Talent in the 2024 NBA Draft

Dalton Knecht went from JUCO product to NBA Draft Lottery talent this season at the University of Tennessee.

Dalton Knecht began his college career at Northeastern Colorado before jumping to the University of Northern Colorado ahead of the 2021-22 season. There, he eventually became the top scorer in the Big Sky conference and in the top 25 of all Division I scorers during the 2022-23 season. 

Knecht transferred to the University of Tennessee to play his fifth year of college at the SEC level with the Vols. He made an immediate impact during the Vols' overseas exhibition tour in Italy this Summer and has averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in the regular season. 

The Thornton, Colorado native is not just filling up the stat sheet; he has been supremely efficient, posting 48 percent from the floor, 39 percent from beyond the arc, and 79 percent from the line. 

Knecht boasts fluid movement, smooth handles, the ability to create for himself, and a high-level play-finishing ability. 

In transition, the Vols wing posts 1.171 points per possession, 1.583 points per possession as a cuter, and shoots 41.8 percent as a catch-an-shoot weapon for Tennessee.

Beyond the play-finishing aspects of his game, Knecht can navigate the pick-and-roll at a high level, setting up his teammates for easy buckets, knocking down pull-up jumpers, or creating the advantage by turning the corner on the screen and getting downhill to the rack where he finishes at a 59.4 percent clip.

Along with his offensive versatility, the senior leverages every part of his 6-foot-6, 197-pound frame to play high-end team defense while being athletic enough not to be exploited on an island. 

While Knecht will not be projected to be a top-notch point-of-attack defender at the next level, as the athletes get better and the spacing improves, he can make an impact on that end of the floor and avoid being exposed.

Given his ability to hold up his bargain on the defensive end and his elite flashes on the offensive end, Knecht is one of the best players in this 2024 NBA Draft class. The Vols should have a lottery pick in June as the process unfolds.   

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