Dalton Knecht selected at No. 17 overall in the NBA Draft
Dalton Knecht is off the board at the NBA Draft, selected at No. 17 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Knecht is Tennessee’s highest pick in the NBA Draft since Tobias Harris went at No. 19 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-6, 213-pound Knecht starred in his one and only season at Tennessee, after transferring to the Vols from Northern Colorado. He was a consensus First Team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year after averaging 21.1 points per game and 25.5 points in SEC play.
The Thornton, Col., native started his collegiate career with two seasons at Northeastern Junior College before transferring to Northern Colorado.
“I just think back to when I was a little kid, dreaming about hearing my name being called,” Knecht said leading into the NBA Draft. “I dreamed about it so much and it’s finally coming true. And it’s just a blessing.
“I can’t think everyone that’s helped me get through this process enough. My teammates, coaching staff and my parents. My family, my friends. I can’t thank any one of them enough.”
Dalton Knecht scored 30+ points in eight games last season
Knecht scored a career-high 40 points against Kentucky in his final game at Food City Center. He scored 30 or more points in eight games, 20 or more points in 19 games and 10 or more points in 32 of Tennessee’s 36 games.
He had 39 at home against both Florida and Auburn, 37 at North Carolina to tie a record for the most points scored by an opposing player at the Dean Smith Center, and 37 more in his final game, leading the Vols to the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history before falling to Purdue, 72-66.
Knecht scored 36 at Georgia, 32 at Vanderbilt and 31 against South Carolina.
He set another Tennessee program record with 104 points scored in the NCAA Tournament. He had 23 in the first round against St. Peter’s, 18 against Texas in the second round and 26 against Creighton in the Sweet 16, before dropping the 37 against Purdue in the Elite Eight.
Knecht is the fourth first-round pick during the Rick Barnes era at Tennessee. The Vols had eight first-round picks before Barnes, dating back to Tom Boerwinkle going at No. 4 overall to the Chicago Bulls in 1968 and going through Tobias Harris at No. 19 overall in the 2011 draft.
Tennessee’s NBA Draft history under Rick Barnes
Knecht is the eighth Tennessee player to be selected in the NBA Draft under Barnes, dating back to the 2019 NBA Draft, and the highest pick during that span.
Keon Johnson, selected at No. 21 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2021 NBA Draft, was the previous highest. He was one of two first-round picks in that draft, followed by Jaden Springer at No. 28 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Julian Phillips was selected in the second round, at No. 35 overall, by the Chicago Bulls in last year’s draft. Kennedy Chandler slid to the second round in 2022, taken at No. 38 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Tennessee had three players selected in the 2019 NBA Draft. Grant Williams went at No. 22 overall to the Boston Celtics, Admiral Schofield went at No. 42 overall to the Washington Wizards and Jordan Bone was one of the final picks, at No. 57 to the Detroit Pistons.
