On the way to winning SEC Player of the Year and helping Tennessee basketball earn a conference regular season title, Dalton Knecht might also help improve the future of the Vols' program.

In the case of elite 6-foot-6 four-star guard Gabriel Sularski in the class of 2026, it was Knecht that led to him becoming familiar with Tennessee.

It all started with a trip to Michigan State to take in the Spartans' exhibition with the Vols.

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While Sularksi visited East Lansing to see what Michigan State had to offer, he couldn't help but notice a player on the Vols. In Knecht's first public outing in orange, he went for 28 points on 50% shooting including a posterizing dunk.

For Sularski, a high school prospect with a similar height and build to the Vols' senior, this caught his attention.

"I didn't really know a lot and then once kind of like Dalton came around and then I went to their exhibition game against Michigan State, that's when I kind of really started following them and then they offered a scholarship to me," said Sularski. "I really modeled my game off Dalton. I've been really kind of following him and he's been an inspiration to me."

While adding Tennessee to the long list of school's under consideration that also includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Purdue and Wisconsin, he picked up an offer from the Vols in October.

Sularski was able to make his way to Knoxville to see what Tennessee had to offer during an unofficial visit on March 9 for the game against Kentucky. While the Vols couldn't pull out the win, the trip still stood out.

"The pace of the game, I mean, you could see the fast pace the whole time," said Sularski. "I really liked that. That was a huge standout in the game. The arena was crazy. A whole bunch of fans and really nice atmosphere."

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Ahead of the matchup, Sularski was also able to interact with Knecht.

"I just went up to him and I just told him that this is my favorite player in college and that I really enjoy watching him," said Sularski. "He said thank you. Then, before the game I just told him good luck. Then, after he said appreciates me coming and looking forward to seeing me next time in Knoxville."

While watching Knecht explode for a season-high 40 points, Sularski took notes on how he can apply the same skillset to his own game.

Specifically, he took in Knecht's effectiveness in transition and his ability to use screens.

"Quick, right off the defensive boards, push it in transition," said Sularski. "Coming off a lot of curls and dribble handoffs, pick and roll. Either firing from the 3-point line or attacking the rim. Using his strengths on offense but also on defense, as well."

If Tennessee winds up being the choice for Sularski, he is prepared for the defense-first scheme Rick Barnes employs. As a long guard, he sees his frame as an advantage.

Not only does Sularski buy into his ability to guard multiple positions, but he knows how beneficial it can be on the other end. Getting stops creates fast-break opportunities which makes life easier for an offense.

"Defensive stops leading to that quick transition offense, that's huge," said Sularski. "Me as a defender, I think I call myself a versatile guard. So, I can really guard the one to the four, possibly sometimes if I had to the five. But getting those stops can really get to advantages like transition offenses."

This is one of the things Sularski is locked in on at the moment. As he prepares for the AAU season, improving as a defender is on the list of things he wants to accomplish.

This combined with making sure he remains an offensive threat is what ranks him as the No. 72 player in the class of 2026. Specifically, he is looking to work on 'shooting, dribbling and attacking the rim.'

At this point in his recruitment, Sularski is still in the process of feeling out all potential schools. He took a visit to Indiana the day after taking in Knoxville and is coming off a recent trip to Purdue, as well.

For now, he will likely stay home and focus on the AAU season, though, before returning to the road in the summer and fall for more visits.

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