Tennessee Basketball: Vols lands key guard transfer Dalton Knecht

Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht has committed to Tennessee Basketball, bolstering the Vols’ already formidable recruiting class.

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Knecht, a 6-foot-6 wing, ranked among the top-three mid-major transfers on our board. To put it simply, Knecht is smooth. He posted impressive numbers last season, averaging 20.2 points and 7.2 rebounds while earning All-Big Sky honors. While those counting stats may dip with a lower usage percentage on a talented Tennessee team, Knecht’s skillset will undoubtedly translate to the high-major level. He boasts good elevation on his mid-range pull-up, a soft touch on his floater, and nearly 40% shooting from 3-point range. With a long first step and sufficient ball-handling skills, Knecht is an effective player out of the pick-and-roll.

Tennessee ranked as the No. 1 defensive team on KenPom last season, but their offense often lagged behind. A physical performance against Duke propelled the Volunteers to the Sweet 16, but their offense faltered down the stretch against Florida Atlantic. They shot just 32.9% from 3-point range for the season and had several dreadful offensive performances in both wins and losses. Although Rick Barnes has transformed Tennessee into a consistently nationally relevant program, a lack of firepower has been a recurring theme.

That should change next season. Barnes and his staff have now added two sharpshooters in Knecht and Jordan Gainey, the latter of whom shot 40.8% from beyond the arc in two seasons at USC Upstate. Knecht and Gainey will provide an offensive spark on the wing, while Harvard transfer Chris Ledlum (18.8 PPG) gives Barnes an offensive-minded forward to help replace Olivier Nkamhoua.

Tennessee received more good news this week as Santiago Vescovi announced his return for a final season. Vescovi, the team’s top scorer last season and a two-time first-team All-SEC player, will likely handle point guard duties until Zakai Zeigler recovers from surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered in a February 28 game against Arkansas.

Rick Barnes-coached teams will always be physical and defend at a high level. With the Vols’ recruiting emphasis this offseason and Vescovi’s return, expect their offense to show a similar level of versatility and consistency next season.

Barnes has thrived on the recruiting trail but faces a few challenges regarding scholarships. Knecht’s commitment puts them at 14 scholarship players, not including Julian Phillips and Josiah-Jordan James, who are both testing NBA Draft waters while maintaining eligibility. Knecht’s commitment was a Vito Corleone-level offer that just couldn’t be refused.

Tennessee’s extensive name, image, and likeness funding could effectively cover the odd man (or men) out, but it seems more likely that underclassmen towards the bottom of the depth chart will enter the portal. It’s not ideal, but solutions to pushing scholarship caps seldom are.

Regardless, Tennessee boasts one of the deepest rosters of Rick Barnes’ tenure in Knoxville, with an array of guards, wings, and bigs who can handle, shoot, pass, and defend.

With nearly seven months left in the offseason, Tennessee already has the makings of a preseason top-10 team.