Guard Dalton Knecht of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Tennessee Volunteers at the Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Guard Dalton Knecht of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Tennessee Volunteers at the Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. Credit: Photo courtesy of Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

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. 

Guard Dalton Knecht of the Tennessee Volunteers dunks during the game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Tennessee Volunteers at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. Credit: Photo courtesy of Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

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.

Dalton Knecht was just a pup at Prairie View High School but was a stud on the basketball court. He’s pictured here between plays on the high school court. Credit: Photo by Steve Smith

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: 

Guard Dalton Knecht of the Tennessee Volunteers poses after the game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Tennessee Volunteers at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. Credit: Photo courtesy of Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

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.

Leave a comment

We encourage comments. Your thoughts, ideas and concerns play a critical role helping Colorado Community Media be more responsive to your needs. We expect conversations to follow the conventions of polite discourse. Therefore, we won't allow posts that:
  • Contain vulgar language, personal attacks of any kind, or offensive terms that target protected classes
  • Promote commercial services or products (relevant links are acceptable)
  • Are far off-topic
  • Make unsupported accusations