When Northern Colorado small forward Dalton Knecht agreed to play his final collegiate basketball season on Rocky Top, Tennessee basketball struck gold last year. Knecht’s journey to Tennessee was not ordinary, but it will all be worthwhile when his name is called in the 2024 NBA Draft.
As a zero-star prospect coming out of high school, Knecht committed to JUCO Northeastern before moving to Northern Colorado, where he excelled as a small forward in the transfer portal in senior year. Knecht then traveled to Tennessee for his final season, where he emerged as a top prospect in this year’s draft.
He took off when SEC play began and ended the season averaging 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 39.7% from three-point range and 45.8% from the field. He nearly single-handedly saw the Vols through all of the highs and lows of conference play and contributed to the team’s SEC Championship victory.
Knecht is ranked No. 8 overall and the fourth-best prospect out of college according to ESPN’s ranking of the top 25 prospects for the upcoming NBA Draft. Knecht is also ahead of three G-League players and one foreign player. According to this, Knecht would be selected within the first 14 picks in the draft lottery.
“There’s little doubt Knecht is one of the most polished scorers in the draft after a huge season at Tennessee that legitimized him as an NBA talent — he wasn’t on the radar this time a year ago at Northern Colorado,” Jeremy Woo of ESPN writes. “Although not every team would place such a high value on drafting an older player, there’s a good chance Knecht will be chosen by a lottery team that is content with his defensive shortcomings. Knecht has distinguished himself as a reasonably easy player to assess in an unpredictable draft class; he should spread the floor and score when needed, and he will be desirable as a plug-and-play option starting in this area of the selection.”
A few athletes that stand out before Knecht include Donovan Clingan of Connecticut, Robb Dillingham of Kentucky, and Reed Sheppard of Kentucky. Knecht is rated highly on a lot of draft boards because he offers a level of physicality, toughness, and versatility that many players in this year’s selection lack.
The 2024 NBA selection is scheduled for June 26–27. Additionally, Knecht’s projected June selection position will be revealed on May 12, 2024, the day of the Draft Lottery. Additionally, the NBA Draft Combine will begin on May 12 and go through May 19.
Teams having picks in the top 14 of the draft will ultimately select players based on the results of the NBA Draft Lottery. Unlike the NFL Draft, when the poorest club receives the first pick, this process is less precise. The probabilities for each team to select first overall in this year’s draft are listed below.
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