Dalton Knecht Is The SEC Player Of The Year, With A Tennessee Team Primed For Final Four Run

Conversations surrounding the national player of the year have centered around Purdue's Zach Edey since he announced his return to college basketball. But if you've been paying attention to what Rick Barnes is doing in Knoxville, you'd know that an argument should be made for Tennessee's Dalton Knecht. 

This past offseason, Rick Barnes knew he needed another contributor on the offensive side of the ball, so he set his eyes on a 6'6 sharpshooter from the University of Northern Colorado. Portal players have come and gone in Knoxville over the years, and even 5-star high school prospects that have caught the attention of NBA scouts prior to their arrival in East Tennessee. 

But for Dalton Knecht, averaging 20.3 points per game at Northern Colorado was his calling card to a much bigger stage. Last season, he led the Big Sky conference in scoring, starting all 32 games for a team that finished with just twelve wins on the season. 

His path to college basketball was unique on its own. Being that he finished his high school senior season at only 6'1, Knecht did not have many offers that would lead him to the college level. So, he decided to enroll at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado. 

It was in the small town of Sterling that Dalton Knecht grew into the large shooter that got his shot at Division-1 basketball. It was his body transformation that led to a star being born, growing five inches while at the junior college, with a growing jump shot to match . After putting up numbers that led him to becoming an All-American at the junior college level, he enrolled at Northern Colorado, and his collegiate career was about to soar to new heights. 

Rick Barnes had a shot at getting the transfer, who had one year of eligibility remaining. It was Tennessee that caught the eye of Knecht, digging into the details of what Barnes had done with previous players in the Vols program during his tenure in Knoxville. 

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 28: Dalton Knecht #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers dunks against the Auburn Tigers in the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 28, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

So, with high expectations inside the program from performances in summer exhibition games and practice, Tennessee knew they could have something special on their roster. What that could be with returning players like Josiah-Jordan James, Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Ziegler was yet to be determined, but Barnes knew he had to get Knecht in the starting rotation. 

It was an exhibition game against Michigan State In October that set the stage for what was to come this season, scoring 28 points against the Spartans, sending Tennessee fans into a frenzy over this transfer from Colorado. 

Could Dalton Knecht become the player Rick Barnes needed to make a run towards an SEC Championship, and possibly a final four? He hasn't let down his team, scoring in single-digits only four times this season, and that came during a five-game stretch, 

From that hiccup in his scoring, he has put up over 20 points in ten games, scoring 39 against Florida in early January. 

But it's what he has done for his teammates that make this Tennessee squad dangerous, especially if Knecht is connecting. 

Auburn Learned The Hard Way, Trying To Defend Knecht

In a battle of SEC heavyweights, Auburn and Bruce Pearl arrived in Knoxville on Tuesday afternoon for a shoot-around, trying to figure out a way to keep Knecht at bay. Turns out that plan went up in smoke during the second half. Yes, there were times when the Tigers looked as if they could keep the game separated enough on the scoreboard to escape with a win, but unfortunately for them, Dalton Knecht was about to make his late surge. 

At the 12:01 mark in the second half, this game started to look like the Knecht showcase outing. The sure-fire SEC player of the year scored 25 of his 27 second-half points from the 12:01 mark on, outscoring the entire Auburn team 25-21 during that stretch. 

Once again, Dalton Knecht proved that he could be one of the top picks in the NBA Draft, by leading the Vols down the stretch with shots that would make Chris Lofton flinch. And he did all of this while his two teammates, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi combined for just four points on the night. 

Tennessee needed a player that could change the game in one possession, and they found that in Knecht. For all the talented teams that Rick Barnes has had in previous years in Knoxville, this one feels different, and that's no slight at Grant Williams and Admiral Schoefield, who led the Vols to new heights. 

But this player is different, and the college basketball world knows it. Yes, Zach Edey has once again dominated college basketball, with a chance to become back-to-back national player of the year, currently 2nd in scoring. Though maybe it's time to look around and reward a player for dominating from all areas of the court, and try something different. 

One thing is for certain, the SEC Player of The Year voting should've been wrapped up on Wednesday night in Knoxville, as Dalton Knecht once again scored 39 points, this time against the 11th ranked team in the country. 

There are a number of great stories in college basketball this season, but the rise of Knecht might be the grittiest one of them all.