Dalton Knecht's path to SEC POY paved with memorable moments

As the clock ticked inside of eight minutes at Stegman Coliseum in Athens on Jan. 13, the Vols were starring down their second-straight conference loss and a 1-2 start to league play after a 14-point lead gave way to an 11-point deficit in the second half.

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Georgia was on the cusp of potentially changing the outlook for the rest of Tennessee's season of promise when a 3-pointer put the Bulldogs up 10. Then Dalton Knecht took over.

It started with a couple of free throws. Then a layup. A deep three suddenly put Tennessee in front for good with under two minutes left. The Vols won, 85-79 and Knecht was responsible for 36 of their points.

It was the first of six 30-plus point performances from Knecht over the next two months, carving his own path to SEC Player of the Year and helping the program to its first outright conference championship in 16 years.

If there were any doubts that the former JUCO product and Northern Colorado transfer could transition his game into the rugged SEC after impressing in the non-conference, Knecht silenced them for good at Georgia.

"When (Knecht) gets that look in his eye, he can go do this," Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes told reporters after the game. "And he did."

Knecht knew he could play at a high level in the SEC long before that game. That confidence was behind his decision to transfer to Tennessee last summer and he backed it up.

"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."

Three days after sparking the first of many Vols' comeback victories, Knecht tied a then-career in scoring with 39 points in Tennessee's 85-66 drubbing of Florida and posted 25 in a 20-point win over Alabama.

But Knecht's heroics were needed again in Nashville.

The Vols were surprisingly trailing Vanderbilt at halftime and about five minutes into the second half at Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 27. Knecht rattled off a 7-0 run on his own, starting with a three and including a jumper that provided a lead on the way to another road win behind his 32 points.

After flirting with it for several games, Knecht finally reached the 40-point threshold--a career high--in his final game on Tennessee's home floor, though it came in a 85-81 loss to Kentucky last Saturday.

The loss likely kept it from being Knecht's most memorable moment, at least in the regular season. For now, the game that defines his lone season with the Vols was one of his patented takeovers down the stretch of a top-15 game against Auburn late last month.

In a battle for the top spot in the SEC standings, the Tigers were inching closer to taking control of their own destiny, leading Tennessee by nine with 12 minutes to go. In a familiar twist, Knecht started the trek back with a 3-pointer, but this time was different.

Knecht was on another level, playing the kind of basketball that gets talked about for decades after. He scored 23 of his 39 points over the last 12 minutes of regulation to beat Auburn, 92-84 and keep the Vols' championship aspirations alive and well.

Tennessee secured the title one week later at South Carolina. Knecht scored 26 points in the game and one of his late threes staved off a Gamecocks comeback bid in the final minute.

For his teammates and coaches, Knecht's scoring bursts and furious comebacks almost felt routine, but they were no less amazed watching it unfold before them night in and night out.

"You think you kind of would get used to it, but every time (Knecht) goes on those stretches, it’s just like wow," Tennessee assistant coach Justin Gainey said. "It’s just big shot after big shot, tough shot after tough shot. And in the different ways that he kind of gets it, you sit back in amazement. And it’s only a handful of guys in the country that can fill it up the way that he does when he goes on those runs.”

There are likely more accolades in Knecht's immediate future, including All-America status and potentially even the Naismith Player of the Year. At the very least he belongs in the conversation.

But there are bigger goals for Knecht, who despite being the talk of college basketball, hasn't missed an opportunity to thank his teammates for his accomplishments.

The ultimate team reward would be a Final Four berth and a national championship, neither of which the program has ever accomplished. But Tennessee may have never looked as primed for one as it does now.

"(Tennessee) gave me everything. The whole entire coaching staff, every single day I've asked them to come shoot or rebound or anything, they'd always do it," Knecht said. "Just thankful for my teammates and the coaching staff. It's a special year. It's just one of the most craziest years I've ever been a part of and it's really just a dream come true."

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