One of the main reasons Tennessee basketball made its way to its second-ever Elite Eight was an improved offense. This area was better by the play of SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht.

The transfer guard was seemingly unstoppable for the majority of the regular season and his hot-hand carried into the NCAA Tournament. Ultimately, he scored 104 total points in his four March Madness appearances.

This was good for the third most in the field despite playing in less games than the majority of others in the top 10.

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While making a top-three appearance on the most total points scored in the 2024 NCAA Tournament is impressive in its own right, the amount of time it took him to get there raises the bar.

When looking at average points scored per game of the top 10 players, Knecht sits just behind Zach Edey of Purdue who lost in the title game. Edey leads the way at 29.5 points while Knecht finished with 26.

This jumps Knecht over Mark Sears who led Alabama to the Final Four. Sears' mark per game was 24.2 points.

Other players on the list to play in more games than Knecht but still not reach his production are UConn's Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer and NC State's DJ Horne and DJ Burns Jr.

Knecht's best night came in the loss to the Boilermakers in the Elite Eight. He dropped 37 points in the contest on 45.2% shooting from the field and 50% from beyond the arch.

He also managed 26 points in the Sweet 16 win over Creighton and 23 points in the opening-round win over Saint Peter's. His worst game still featured 18 points against Texas in a defensive battle.

Knecht will now turn his attention to the upcoming NBA Draft. He is projected to be a mid-first round pick with lottery upside.

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