Tennessee's Dalton Knecht went from idolizing Kevin Durant to playing like him on the road

Sometimes Dalton Knecht gets a look in his eye. Rick Barnes sees it all the time. Jonas Aidoo said all his Tennessee teammates see it, too, usually on a daily basis in practice at Pratt Pavilion or Thompson-Boling Arena.

The look in Knecht’s eye on the road, though? It’s at a different level.

Knecht scored 36 points to lead No. 5 Tennessee to a frantic rally Saturday afternoon, beating Georgia 85-79 after trailing by 11 with six minutes left. 

“Dalton,” Barnes said after the game, “you guys have seen him and know that when he gets that look in his eye, he can go do this. And he did. He did it.”

He scored 13 points in the final eight minutes, rescuing the Vols (12-3, 2-1 SEC) after they gave up a 14-point lead of their own, after Georgia used a 15-0 run to turn the game around, outscoring Tennessee by 25 over a span of 17 minutes.

“Just get downhill and make the right play,” Knecht said, explaining the message from Barnes in the closing minutes. “Coach just said get the ball and make the right play. Find your teammates or get downhill and get a layup or a free throw. Get to the free-throw line.”

Dalton Knecht in four road games: 31.3 points per game, 61.4% FG, 48.3% 3FG

Knecht is now averaging a staggering 31.3 points through four true road games this season. He had 28 at Mississippi State on Wednesday in Tennessee’s 77-72 loss and, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is the first Tennessee player to score 26 or more in back-to-back games since Chris Lofton in 2006.

But the only comparison Barnes had for Knecht after the game was Kevin Durant. 

Durant averaged 28.7 points in true road games during his one-and-done season at Texas in 2006-07 — he scored 37 on the road three times, 32 twice and 26 or more nine times — on his way to becoming the Wooden Award winner, a consensus All-American and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Barnes said his star at Texas and his star at Tennessee share one thing in common: Mindset.

“A mindset where (they have a) short memory, not afraid of the moment,” he said, “willing to go make the big play and if they don’t, they have a great ability to bounce back.”

Knecht showed that bounce-back ability at Mississippi State on Wednesday. He scored two points in the first half, seemingly continuing his slump after scoring just 38 over his previous five games.

Then he went off for 26 in the second half, helping Tennessee tie the game three different times before the Vols fell in the final minute. 

Knecht had 16 in the first half on Saturday, 20 in the second half and finished 12-for-20 from the field, including 5-for-8 from the 3-point line, in his 33 minutes. He completed the 11-point rally with free throws to tie the game at 78 with 2:33 left, then delivered the dagger with a deep 3-pointer 26 seconds later.

“I just had the confidence,” Knecht said of the late three, crediting Tennessee assistant coach Rod Clark for helping make it happen. “Me and RC have both been working on it, going down and shooting a deep three. Just felt comfortable.”

Later Knecht explained his mindset as “just go and be myself.” Nothing more than that.

“And big props to my teammates,” he added, “for giving me in the right spot, making it easier for me, as well as the coaches for putting me in those spots.”

Up Next: No. 5 Tennessee vs. Florida, Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Knecht’s second half at Georgia was his third 20-point half on the road this season and his second in as many games, following the 26 in the second half Wednesday at Mississippi State.  

He had 22 in the second half at North Carolina on November 29, when his 37 points tied a record for an opposing player against the Tar Heels at the Dean Smith Center. 

“As a kid you want to grow up (wanting to) play in these type of environments,” Knecht said. “And I think all of us have, and I think all of us are just ready to always perform in front of those type of crowds.”

Knecht transferred to Tennessee in part because of Durant, his favorite player growing up. He wanted to be coached by his favorite player’s college coach.

After his performing his latest heroics on Saturday, Knecht was told Barnes had compared him to Durant. He hesitated, then answered the best he could with a smile on his face.

“I mean, it’s kind of really cool just to hear that,” Knecht said.