Facing Texas again, two years later, is a full-circle moment for Tennessee's Dalton Knecht

CHARLOTTE — Dalton Knecht started and played 31 minutes. He scored four points on 2-for-7 shooting, missing all four of his attempts from the 3-point line. He had four rebounds, four turnovers, a couple blocks, a couple fouls and an assist. 

The date was November 17, 2021 and No. 8 Texas bounced back from a loss to Gonzaga with a 62-49 win over Northern Colorado at Frank Erwin Center. The Longhorns led 37-15 at halftime in a game that was never competitive. 

For Knecht, it was his first real experience on the road playing power-conference basketball. This was his first look at a hostile environment.

“I was fresh out of JUCO,” Knecht, the Northeastern (Col.) Junior College product, told Volquest on Friday. “I was still learning the Division I game a lot. It was fun just going out there and hearing 20,000 fans screaming and yelling at me. It was cool.”

Now a very different Knecht, the consensus First Team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year, leads No. 2 Tennessee (25-8) against No. 7 Texas (21-12) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night (8 Eastern Time, CBS) at the Spectrum Center. 

“We lost against them,” Knecht said of the Texas game way back when, “so I got to change (that), redeem myself.”

Knecht had 23 points and eight rebounds Thursday in his NCAA Tournament debut, pacing the Vols in an 83-49 romp over No. 15 Saint Peter’s.

“He has NBA size, and he’s an NBA player, for one,” Texas coach Rodney Terry said during his press conference Friday, describing Knecht as “a youngster” when the Longhorns faced him two years ago. 

“We’ve seen him grow … he’s really bulked up his body right now a little bit in terms of that. He plays a lot stronger and more aggressive.”

‘(Dalton Knecht has) made a huge, huge step as a player’

Knecht averaged 13.3 points in 15.2 minutes per game during his lone JUCO season, then 8.9 points per game, a career low, in 35 games in his first season at Northern Colorado. He averaged 20.2 points last season and is up to 21.2 points per game through 33 games with the Vols. 

Knecht described his role in his first season at Northern Colorado as a scorer and a rebounder, starting early in the season then struggling to overcome an injury suffered in practice not long after the loss at Texas.

“That was when I never quite got back to myself,” Knecht said.

Texas knows exactly what this version of Knecht looks like — the future first-round pick in the NBA Draft this summer — when he’s playing like himself.

“He can always score the basketball,” Terry said. “He’s a three-level scorer. He can score in transition. He can score getting downhill. He’s a terrific player with size. I think that’s the one thing, he can raise up and shoot over smaller guards.”

Knecht entered the NCAA Tournament shooting 46.5% from the field and 39.7% from the 3-point line this season. He averaged 24.8 points in true road games and 25.5 points in SEC play during the regular season, becoming the league’s highest-scoring player over the last 22 seasons.

He scored 25 or more points 10 times, 30 or more points seven times, 35 or more points five times and 39 or more points three times, including 40 against Kentucky on senior day.

“He’s made a huge, huge step as a player,” Texas sixth-year forward Brock Cunningham said, “moving over to Tennessee, becoming the SEC Player of the Year. He’s an extremely potent player. 

“He can shoot the ball far away from the basket. He’s extremely athletic, a well-rounded player. He’s just dynamic, and we’re going to have to put a lot of focus on working to stop him.”

No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Texas, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, CBS

Knecht looked back Friday still appreciating his days at Northern Colorado and the ways it changed his game.

“Learning how to play in the post,” he said. “Just learning the overall aspect of the game.”

At Tennessee he’s added muscle — 20 pounds, in his estimation — and learned how to shift defenses in different ways off the dribble and by attacking gaps.

“I’ve learned a lot in those two years,” Knecht said.

So much so that he’s nearly unrecognizable, from the player he was at Texas in November 2021 to the superstar he’s grown into at Tennessee.

“He’s a tough guard,” Terry said. “You’ve got to do a great job of really trying to really just contain him. You’re not going to stop a great player like him from scoring. 

“He’s going to score, but it has to be on our terms and hopefully not let him have one of those crazy nights where he goes off for 30 points.”

You can watch the tournament live on Prime Video. Add on your favorite channels and watch at home or on your phone or laptop at work!