Where Tennessee's Dalton Knecht is showing up NBA mock drafts
Any concerns about the brief slump Dalton Knecht went through in recent weeks — he scored a combined 38 points over five games between December 12 and January 6 — were quickly erased over the last three games.
After scoring just two points in the first half at Mississippi State on January 10, Knecht scored 26 in the second half, finishing with 28 in Tennessee’s 77-72 loss in Starkville. He scored 36 just days later at Georgia, helping the Vols rally from down 11 points with six minutes left to win 85-79 in Athens.
On Tuesday he returned home to drop a career-high 39 points against Florida, giving him 103 points over three games to set a new Tennessee basketball three-game scoring record.
Knecht is up to 18.5 points per game, fourth highest in the SEC, and doing so by shooting 48.6% from the field and 41.7% from the 3-point line.
Since arriving at Tennessee — Knecht transferred from Northern Colorado in the spring, after starting his collegiate career playing junior college basketball in Colorado — he’s been climbing draft boards.
Opinions are mixed on Knecht, though, who has been projected as high as a lottery pick to as low as the second round.
Here’s a look at three NBA mock draft projections for Tennessee’s star wing:
Bleacher Report: No. 13 to New Orleans
Jonathan Wasserman: “He’s a clear NBA shotmaker with 6’6″ size and the physical slashing ability and passing IQ to add value in secondary areas. Knecht’s offensive floor seems high enough to the point where a lottery team may be happy to settle on adding a surefire shooter and complementary scorer, even if the limited creation or quickness suggests there isn’t a path to stardom.”
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NBADraft.net: No. 13 to Oklahoma City
Aran Smith: “He’s an older player and will turn 23 in April so it puts a cap on his upside, but in the post COVID era of drafts, being 23 no longer carries the stigma that it once did. Knecht has hit some bumps in SEC play, so establishing a spot in the first round will require finishing the season well and some positive workouts leading up to the draft.”
SB Nation: No. 30 to Boston
Ricky O’Donnell: “Knecht has been one of the great transfer portal success stories this season at Tennessee after making the jump from Northern Colorado. His shooting touch and scoring efficiency hasn’t just maintained in jumping from the Big Sky to the SEC — it’s actually improved. The 6’6, 200-pound wing is one of the very best shooters in this class, knocking down 40 percent of his threes on five attempts per game, and 79 percent of his free throws.”
ESPN: No. 32 to San Antonio
ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft is over a week old, but has Knecht hearing his name called at No. 32 overall to the San Antonio Spurs, taken with the second pick in the second round, one spot behind Kentucky freshman Justin Edwards.
“Dalton Knecht’s ability to shoot off movement with tremendous footwork, balance and zero wasted motion, especially off inbound plays, is a tailor-made skill for the NBA,” ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony wrote in December.
