Knecht Sets Program Single-Season Record with Fourth SEC Player of the Week Honor
March 04, 2024 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the fourth time in 2023-24, Dalton Knecht of the University of Tennessee men's basketball team is the SEC Player of the Week, as announced Monday afternoon by the league office. The fifth-year guard shared the recognition with South Carolina's Meechie Johnson.
Since the award's inception in 1984-85, Knecht is the first Volunteer to win four SEC Player of the Week accolades in a single campaign. Only five others—Allan Houston, Chris Lofton (seven), Dyron Nix (five), Jarnell Stokes and Grant Williams—have that many in a full Tennessee career.
In addition, Knecht is the first player from any school to win four SEC Player of the Week plaudits in a season since Arkansas' Mason Jones in 2019-20.
A 6-foot-6, 213-pounder from Thornton, Colo., Knecht averaged 26.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game across a pair of top-15 victories last week. He shot 48.6 percent (17-of-35) from the field, 40.0 percent (6-of-15) on 3-pointers and 75.0 percent (12-of-16) at the stripe.
Wednesday at Food City Center, Knecht registered a career-high-tying 39 points to lead Tennessee to a 92-84 triumph over No. 11 Auburn. He tallied 25 of his points in the final 12:01—all in a span of 10:07—and personally outscored the Tigers during that stretch, helping flip an eight-point deficit into an eight-point victory. Knecht's 39-point performance was the first by an SEC player against an AP top-15 team in regulation in league play in the last 20 years (2004-24).
Saturday at No. 14/13 Alabama, Knecht battled foul trouble and double teams, but still finished with 13 points and five rebounds in an 81-74 win. He became the fourth SEC player in the last 18 years (2005-24) with 13-plus points in 15 straight league games in a single season and the third SEC player in the past 12 years (2012-24) with 13-plus points in 10 consecutive road contests in a single campaign.
This is the 20th time in head coach Rick Barnes' nine seasons a Volunteer has claimed SEC Player of the Week distinction, including the fifth in 2023-24, as junior forward Jonas Aidoo has also garnered the accolade this season.
Knecht and fourth-ranked Tennessee resume competition Wednesday at 7 p.m. against No. 17/16Â South Carolina, live on ESPN2 from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
