In adjustment to defenses, Dalton Knecht gives assist to Jahmai Mashack

Not long after arriving at Tennessee by way of Northern Colorado, the transfer guard went toe-to-toe with one of the Vols’ best defenders in Jahmai Mashack.

Now, Knecht is one of the top ball handlers and scorers in college basketball, averaging a team-high 17.2 points per game and shooting more than 47% from the field through 16 games.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

"(Mashack) and me play ones every single day," Knecht said. "He's one of the best defenders in the nation, if not the best. So, you go against him every single day, you've got to get better on offense, so big shout out to Shack."

Knecht, who was a JUCO product before playing two seasons at Northern Colorado and transferring to Tennessee as a fifth-year senior, isn't being overlooked on anyone's scouting report.

He made an immediate impact for the Vols offensively and has had stretches where he has taken the team on his back. That was evident in Tennessee's game against Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum last Saturday.

The Vols trailed by as much as 11 in the second half as the Bulldogs were on the cusp of putting it out of reach before Knecht took over, finishing with 36 points and giving Tennessee the lead for good with a late 3-pointer in a 85-79 win.

Even when Georgia knew Knecht was going to keep the ball all the way to the basket, there was little its defenders could do to stop it.

If there was any concern that Knecht wouldn't be able to handle defensive pressure in the SEC, he has quelled it, averaging 32.0 points in his last two conference games, both of which have been on the road.

Knecht averages an astounding 31.3 points in true road games this season.

“(Knecht) is getting better with (handling opposing defenses)," Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. "But I think he owes it all to Jahmai. Guarding him every day in practice and going at it and these other guys knowing how he’s being played. And some of it too is, I still think even though we’ve had some guys that maybe have struggled a little bit shooting it, I think there’s still a lot of respect for the people that he’s surrounded by.”

"One play will determine the game, pretty much," Knecht added. "Every little detail matters in SEC play."

For Knecht, his relationship with Mashack developed before his commitment to Tennessee.

The two would exchange texts with Mashack gauging Kencht's interest in the program. Once he committed, they were in the team facilities, going up against each other. But it has grown into a friendship off of the court, too.

"(Mashack) would text me and just ask me how feel about Tennessee and stuff," Knecht said. "When I committed, he said, 'Let's go to the gym and get some ones. We play ones every single day and we just love competing against each other."

–––––

– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @TMansfieldMedia, @ByNoahTaylor, @RealTBannerman, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media, @TylerIvens.

–––––