Dalton Knecht proves once again he's 'not afraid' of the big moment
Dalton Knecht has proven time and time again that he isn't scared of big moments.
From hostile road environments to high-pressure situations, Knecht has come through consistently for Tennessee basketball.
This was most recently on display in the Vols' SEC regular season title-clinching win over South Carolina on the road.
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Of Tennessee's 66 points in the win over the Gamecocks, 26 were scored by Knecht. This featured a response to nearly everything South Carolina threw at the Vols.
When the Gamecocks made a run or hit a shot to get the crowd back into it, Knecht was there to hit a shot of his own seconds later. This was the theme all night as he refused to let South Carolina grab a lead.
The two biggest moments from Knecht came from distance. In the first half, South Carolina narrowed the deficit to just two. The Vols' guard responded by knocking down three straight 3-pointers to push it back to a double-digit advantage before the halftime break.
The second came midway through the second half. As Tennessee looked to extend its lead, Knecht drilled a 3-pointer through contact and ultimately completed a four-point play.
"It was fun," said Knecht on the shot. "I think that was my first four-point play in a long time. 'Knecht Four.'"
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Knecht knew this is what it'd take to claim an SEC championship against South Carolina. After all, this is the same team the Vols couldn't take down at home earlier in the year.
"We knew that they were going to make shots," said Knecht. "They're a great team. So, we knew we had to go out and execute and be ready. Just stay composed."
To Knecht's head coach, Rick Barnes, what makes the transfer out of Northern Colorado so effective in these moments is his steadiness in the face of chaos.
The guard doesn't get rattled by big moments or away crowds. He doesn't lose confidence when he misses a shot.
“Well, the one thing about Dalton, he’s not afraid," said Barnes. "He’s not. He’s not, he’s got a real short memory and he’s very confident. He thinks he can score. He thinks every shot he shoots is going to go in."
This is something that helps the rest of the team on the court with him. It's an aspect of his game that rubs off on his teammates and can be a calmness amongst a night of chaos.
Having this artillery elevates the play of everyone else in moments Knecht can't do it himself.
“He’s a guy that I do think the guys feed off of him," said Barnes. "I think he does give them confidence, but I did tell (Zakai Zeigler), I said, ‘Hey, you've got to get busy right here’ because I felt like we were just putting too much on him. And when they start talking, we talked about it last game, (Santiago Vescovi) in the huddle, when those guys are really talking to each other and communicating the way they have been over the last couple of weeks, you know you’ve got a good thing going. But Dalton’s tough, and again, he’s fearless and he’s not afraid of the moment so it’s a good weapon to have.”
There isn't a game left in Knecht's career that won't be a big moment.
Next, he will go through Senior Day as Tennessee hosts hated rival Kentucky to wrap up the regular season. Then, the Vols enter the SEC Tournament with a massive target on their back as the top-seeded squad. A run in the event could solidify them as a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, as well.
March Madness is then upon Tennessee as it looks to reach its second-ever Elite Eight and first Final Four. A lot rides on Knecht and his historic offensive abilities, but he's proven he's capable of shouldering it.
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