NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 3 in 2023-24 season

1. Dalton Knecht (Tennessee)

Very few people knew about Knecht just a few seasons ago. He spent a pair of years at Northeastern Junior College before transferring to Northern Colorado. His second season with the Bears saw him stunning opposition with more than 20 points per game, but not many people expected his production to actually increase after transferring into the SEC.

Knecht would become the missing piece for the Volunteers, becoming an offensive stalwart in a defensive unit. He averaged 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, making 39% of his 3-pointers and at times becoming a one-man wrecking crew for Tennessee. The former junior college forward became the SEC’s top scorer and was named both SEC Player of the Year and a First Team All-American while also taking home the Julius Erving Award.

Tennessee advanced to the Elite Eight in a 27-win campaign and Knecht played a monumental role throughout the year. He had six different games with at least 36 points (all against power conference foes), most notably dropping 37 on Purdue in that season-ending loss in the Big Dance. Knecht also scored 40 on Kentucky, put up 39 against Florida and was always a threat to go off at any time. It’s hard to properly describe his impact; he truly thrived and was perhaps second only to Zach Edey as the very best in the entire nation.