Tennessee updates the status of Dalton Knecht's ankle injury
Dalton Knecht is considered day-to-day with the left ankle injury suffered at North Carolina last week, according to a Tennessee spokesperson. Head coach Rick Barnes is scheduled to speak with local reporters before practice Monday afternoon.
Tennessee (4-3) hosts George Mason (7-1) on Tuesday, a 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time start on SEC Network+ at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Knecht is coming off a 37-point performance in Tennessee’s 100-92 loss at North Carolina on Wednesday in the ACC-SEC Challenge at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill. On the season he’s averaging 20.3 points per game while shooting 50.5% from the field and 40.5% from the 3-point line.
In three true road games against Power 5 competition — the exhibition win at Michigan State on October 29, the win at Wisconsin on November 10 and this week’s trip to Carolina — Knecht has combined for 89 points on just 48 shots.
His 37 points at North Carolina came on 13-for-17 shooting from the floor. He made a season-high four 3-pointers and went 7-for-8 at the foul line. He scored 22 in the second half alone, making 8 of 9 shots.
Dalton Knecht: 20.3 points per game, 50.5% FG, 40.5% 3FG
“He stepped on somebody’s foot, turned his ankle,” Barnes said during his postgame press conference at North Carolina. “It looked like he got it pretty good because he’s the kind of guy that, he bounces back. And for him not to get up, he, he got it pretty good.”
Knecht became one of just three Tennessee players to score 37 or more points in a game in the least 33 years, with Grant Williams, who did it twice, and Ron Slay. He tied Allan Houston for second-most points scored by a Tennessee player in a road game.
“He’s a three-level scorer,” Tennessee fifth-year wing Josiah-Jordan James said of Knecht on Wednesday, “… just a dynamic player.”
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Knecht had 24 points in the 80-70 win at Wisconsin, going 8-for-15 from the floor, 1-for-4 from the 3-point line and 7-for-9 at the foul line.
He had 28 at Michigan State in his unofficial debut, going 8-for-16 from the floor, 3-for-9 from the 3-point line and 9-for-11 at the foul line.
Up Next: Tennessee vs. George Mason, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+
Knecht scored 17 in the season-opening win over Tennessee Tech on November 6, had 18 against Wofford on November 14 and combined for 46 points over three games in the Maui Invitational, against Syracuse (17), Purdue (16) and Kansas (13).
Jordan Gainey is the second leading scorer at 11.6 points per game and James is averaging 10.9.
“I’m comfortable with anybody stepping up and taking (Knecht’s) place,” James said. “Obviously it’ll be different just because of how well he scores the ball offensively, but somebody else can come in and add something completely different that can change.
“I’m confident in whoever needs to step up will step up.”
