Ahead of March Madness, perhaps the best player in men’s college basketball this season, of course, is from the Colorado Community Media area.
He’s Dalton Knecht, and before he was named the Player of the Year in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), he was dominating Colorado courts at Prairie View High School in Henderson.
Now at Tennessee, Knecht has his Volunteers sitting pretty as a No. 2 seed in the Midwest pool of the NCAA Tournament. Countless brackets around the country have Tennessee primed for a deep run in the tourney, and Knecht is the main reason.
The fifth-year senior transferred to Tennessee after two seasons at the University of Northern Colorado. The move was a splash for the Volunteers, who now enjoy over 21 points per game at a 46.5% field goal percentage from Knecht.
At Prairie View High School, Knecht averaged 21 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior in 2018-19.
The 6-foot-6 guard has had massive games throughout the 2023-24 season, including:
- A career-high 40 points against Kentucky
- 37 points at North Carolina
- 36 points at Georgia
- 39 points against Florida
- 25 points against Alabama
- 32 points at Vanderbilt
- 31 points against South Carolina
- 39 points against Auburn
Knecht also holds the following accolades:
- 2024 NABC First Team All-American
- 2024 AP First Team All-American
- 2024 NABC First Team All-District
- Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Semifinalist
- 2024 Unanimous Sporting News First Team All-American
- 2024 First Team All-SEC (AP & Coaches)
- 2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year
- ESPN Transfer of the Year & First Team All-American
- Julius Erving SF of the Year Finalist
- 2023 Second Team All-Big Sky Conference
- 2023 Second Team NABC All-District 6 Team
- 2021 First Team NJCAA All-American
- 2020 NJCAA All-Region IX Team
Have you filled out your bracket yet? Keep an eye out for Knecht and Tennessee as teams advance in the next few days. Find more stats and accolades of Knecht at ESPN.com.