Tennessee basketball’s coaching staff had no idea Dalton Knecht would turn into the SEC Player of the Year. They had an idea of what he was capable of, though.
Knecht’s film spoke for itself. He was a shooter, but he could also get to the rim when he needed to. Defense was also a question mark when Knecht decided to transfer to Tennessee from Northern Colorado.
It became evident pretty soon to assistant coach Justin Gainey that Knecht would stick for the Vols.
Head coach Rick Barnes lectured Knecht about his lack of defense one day after practice, but Knecht didn’t flinch. He showed up the next practice and continued to score at will.
“He wants it real, and he wants to get better,” Gainey said on Monday. “And so he knows that what coach Barnes, his resume, he knows the guys he’s worked with and that (he has) helped get to where he’s trying to get to and do the things he’s trying to do. And it speaks volumes. It speaks volumes for Dalton that he welcomes that coaching, that realness and the tough love coaching.”
The decision to pursue Knecht has paid off. He was named SEC Player of the Year on Monday, capping off a dominant regular season. He averaged 25.5 points per game in league play — a mark that is second best in the league in the past 22 seasons. He did so while shooting 47.4% from the field.
For Knecht, there has never been a doubt if he could belong at Tennessee or in the SEC.
“I feel I’ve always thought I could play at this level,” Knecht said. “So, I just think it was playing with tons of confidence, and it was a big shoutout to my teammates for being super confident. Whenever during timeouts they’d always just tell me to go out and hoop. Just go play you — just go out and hoop.”
Fresh off being named the best player this season in the SEC — an honor he found out he won from center Jonas Aidoo and director of operations Mary-Carter Eggert — Knecht did the same thing he had done all season. He deflected praise to his teammates.
He credited his teammates with giving him an opportunity to win the award and play the way he does.
“It was for sure a real cool moment,” Knecht said. “You know, got a crazy award. It was a lot of hard work and big shout out to my teammates and the coaching staff.”
Knecht focused on the postseason
The SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, or the “big one” as Knecht put it on Monday, are at the forefront of the Vols’ mind.
“You still got the regular or the SEC tourney and the big one,” Knecht said. “So it’s a cool accomplishment, but at the same time, we’re ready to win the SEC tourney and win the big one.”
The Vols are currently projected to be a fringe No. 1 seed going into the NCAA Tournament, but they have locked up the No. 1 seed for the SEC Tournament.
With the honors and awards can come pressure, but Gainey isn’t worried. He trusts Tennessee’s veteran group to keep them focused on the goal.
“Another goal was to win the SEC Tournament, right?” Gainey said. “And so our team, they’re really goal-driven and goal-oriented, and I think they’re just gonna continue to chase those goals. That’s why the complacency doesn’t bother me as well because I feel like we have a good infrastructure to keep these guys motivated. Keep ’em going.”
