Dalton Knecht says goodbye to Tennessee Basketball: 'You will always be home'
Dalton Knecht needed just nine words to say goodbye to the Tennessee Basketball program, posting on his Instagram account Friday afternoon along with a collection of photos from his one-and-done star run with the Vols.
“Thank you Rocky Top,” Knecht wrote. “You will always be home.”
Knecht led Tennessee back to the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history before falling to No. 1 Purdue in the Midwest Region final, despite his 37 points in 37 minutes in the 72-66 loss.
“I’m disappointed that we ended here,” Knecht said at the time, “but I think we’re all proud of each other, of what we have accomplished.”
The Elite Eight performance was Knecht’s eighth time in which he scored 30 or more points during his 36 games in a Tennessee uniform. He scored 37 or more five times, with two 39-point games and a career-high 40 on his senior day against Kentucky.
He scored 20 or more points 19 times and scored 25 or more points 13 times.
Dalton Knecht averaged 21.7 points per game, scored 780 points in 36 games
Knecht, who averaged 21.7 points per game, set a new program record for scoring in an NCAA Tournament game with his 37 points against Purdue and set another program mark with his 103 points scored over four NCAA Tournament games. He had 26 in the Sweet 16 win over Creighton, 18 in the second round against Texas and 23 in the first round against Saint Peter’s.
He also finished first in program history in 3-point percentage for a one-year career (39.7%), most 3-pointers made in a one-year career (93), field goals made in a one-year career (264) and scoring average in a one-year career.
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Knecht scored 780 points to finish second on Tennessee’s all-time single-season scoring list, 26 points shy of matching Allan Houston’s record of 806 set in 1990-91.
‘I just loved it. I love Tennessee.’
He picked Tennessee over Indiana and Oregon last spring, committing to the Vols while transferring from Northern Colorado. Now he’s widely projected as a lottery pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.
He burst onto the scene with 28 points in Tennessee’s exhibition win at Michigan State in October, continued with 24 points in a wire-to-wire road win at Wisconsin in November and rarely, if ever, slowed down over the next four months.
“All these guys are my brothers for life,” Knecht said after the loss to Purdue. “They accepted me for this one year and I can’t thank them enough, that they let me come in and be exactly who I am. I just can’t thank them enough. All these guys are my brothers.”
“I can’t thank them enough,” he added later, “I just loved it. I love Tennessee.”
