Dalton Knecht has emerged as a star over the past few months, garnering the Tennessee Volunteers tons of national attention. Knecht has proven himself to be one of the best college basketball players in the country this year. The 6’6, 213-pound transfer from Northern Colorado has been lighting up box scores all season, averaging 20.1 ppg while shooting nearly 50% from the field.

The past couple of weeks have seemingly been his coming-out party. It started in early January when Knecht exploded for 26 points in a loss to Mississippi State. Knecht has been tearing up the rest of the SEC, not scoring less than 25 points in a game since, and cracking the 30+ point margin four times. This makes him far and away the favorite for SEC Player of the Year.

The scoring tear has many Tennessee fans declaring Knecht the best scorer the men’s basketball team has ever seen. Knecht certainly has a case, as he’s one of the only players to score 35+ in 3 games over their entire career at the university. Keep in mind that Knecht has only been playing basketball at Tennessee for three months. The explosiveness in his game makes Tennessee a threat to every team in the country. This stat line naturally gives Knecht national attention, as he has gained some serious ground in the race for the John R. Wooden Award, an award given to the most prestigious Men’s and Women’s basketball players throughout the season.

Knecht can take the Volunteers to potentially unseen heights. His efforts may just be what the Volunteers need to reach their first-ever Final Four in program history. In years past, Tennessee lacked a guy they can rely on in crunch time. Knecht fits that mold perfectly. Knecht could etch his name among the greats in Tennessee’s illustrious sports history if this incredible season continues.