Rocky Top is home sweet home for a trio of fan-favorite former Volunteers, who were all back in Knoxville this month to get some reps in during the summer days.
On Saturday morning, Tennessee Basketball’s official social media account posted a picture of Dalton Knecht, Zakai Zeigler, and Jordan Gainey back in the Vols’ gym for a workout. The post comes about a week after Knecht held his first-ever youth basketball camp on Tennessee’s campus.
Last weekend, Tennessee made a post showing Knecht, Gainey, and Jordan Bowden all in the gym together.
“VFL WFH (work from home),” Tennessee posted.
VFL WFH pic.twitter.com/WVKzRogaFL
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) June 20, 2026
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Knecht just wrapped up his second year in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. In his second season as a whole, Knecht averaged just 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 58 games on the court. He averaged 10.2 minutes on the court per appearance with one nod in the starting lineup.
While the Luka Doncic-less Lakers made a run to the second round of the playoffs in the spring, Knecht didn’t get a ton of playing time in the regular season or the postseason. As Los Angeles contemplates its future with LeBron James, some Tennessee fans have been hoping for a fresh change of scenery for Knecht this offseason.
In his first season away from Tennessee, Jordan Gainey turned into a breakout star with KK Cedevita Junior Zagreb in Croatia’s Premijer League. He led his team (min. 10 GP) in points and steals per game, both of which put him in the Top 10 in the league. On the season as a whole, he averaged 14.0 PPG and 1.4 SPG.
Zeigler is also in his first season away from the Vols as he took his talents to Nanterre 92 in the French Beltic Élite league. While playing in 29 games, Zeigler averaged 7.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 21.0 minutes. His assists per game mark ranked third in the league as just a rookie, proving that his game at Tennessee could translate to pro ball overseas. Zeigler’s presence helped Nanterre 92 go from the third-worst to the third-best in the 16-team league.
Knecht, Zeigler, and Gainey all played on Tennessee’s 2023-2024 squad together. The Vols made it all the way to the Elite Eight that year, sparking a run of two more runs to the Elite Eight in the next two seasons. Tennessee won the SEC regular season title that season and was a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Vols reached a season-high No. 4 ranking in the AP Poll in Week 16, and finished the final 14 weeks of the season with a single-digit ranking.
Tennessee Basketball has been busy this offseason. With major turnover on the roster, the Vols brought in the top-ranked transfer portal class on ESPN with eight new players. While speaking to the media last weekend, Knecht shared that he’s gotten to watch practice and meet with some of the new Vols in the program.
“It’s really cool, I got to go watch them practice yesterday,” Knecht said, via WVLT’s Rylee Robinson. “Juke (Harris) and a couple of the guys, they’ve got so many questions with Coach Barnes. Just got to stay with it. He’s only doing it out of love. I told them that. He’s a great coach. Great person off the court. They’re going to for sure enjoy it and I can’t wait for what Tennessee Basketball is about to do this year.”
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Basketball coverage throughout the offseason.
