DETROIT — The way he started lightly bouncing on his feet when he was about to take over a game. The corner triples that felt like layups on baseline out of bounds plays. The swagger when he got in the open court, convinced he was going to dunk on anyone in his way. Officials imploring him to tuck his jersey in multiple times a game.
These are the reoccurring moments from Dalton Knecht’s lone season on Rocky Top that will be nearly impossible to forget.
He was a scoring sensation, finishing his super senior season with 21.2 points per game. He scored 35-plus points six times and 25-plus points 13 times. A 6-foot-6 guard that Rick Barnes described as a “flame thrower” who could score from anywhere at any time. A player that the SEC hasn’t seen and won’t see again in a very long time.
“DK, he’s a fighter. Every night he’s going to do what he did tonight,” Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler said following the Vols’ 72-66 season-ending loss against Purdue. “We think he’s the best player in the country. That will always be how I see him in my eyes, best player in the country.”
But Knecht’s scoring prowess was just a part of what made him so special.
He embraced everything that came with playing for Rick Barnes. Knecht told his head coach that he wanted to be coached hard before even committing. That was easy enough for Tennessee’s veteran head coach. But Knecht never complained or shied away from it when it came. He took everything in stride doing whatever it took to get better.
“I would say it’s by far the closest I’ve ever had to be with a coach. He’s coached me super hard ever since I told him on my visit that I wanted to be coached super hard, and he’s held up to his hand,” Knecht said. “Coach Barnes, I love him to death, and I can’t thank him enough for bringing me in for my one year here.”
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Knecht didn’t feast on weak competition, playing his best when the lights were brightest and his team needed him the most. That was the case again on Sunday when he scored 37 points and made six triples in the season ending loss. There was no moment too big for the Thornton, Colorado native who was brand new to the main stage and bright lights of big-time college basketball.
He was integral in Tennessee winning its first outright SEC Regular-Season Championship since 2008 and making it to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history.
But Knecht never made it about himself. He credited his teammates, enjoying talking about them while slow to talk about himself and his own stats and accolades.
“He was great. Even besides his performances all year, he is never into himself or talking about himself,” junior guard Jahmai Mashack said. “He’s always for the team and I think that’s probably the most special trait. He’s always a team first guy. We want him to score the ball like that.”
The duality of meeting every moment while also being humble and not making things about himself is such an incredibly rare trait. Knecht’s ability to do it in a year that he faced completely new challenges on-and-off the court is awe-striking.
And win-or-lose, Knecht was at Thompson-Boling Arena for an hour-plus after the game signing autographs and taking pictures with young fans. He was never too busy or too important to give a moment of his time for someone that looked up to him.
“A special guy,” Barnes said.
A special guy, a generational player and a perfect superstar.
One Response
Great job capturing the essence of Dalton. Nice article, Ryan!