**Dalton Douglas Knecht** (born April 19, 2001) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. He played college basketball at Northeastern Junior College, Northern Colorado, and the University of Tennessee.
### Early Life and High School Career
Knecht, the son of Corey and Carrie Knecht, was born in Fargo, North Dakota, but grew up in Thornton, Colorado, where he attended Prairie View High School. Standing at 5 feet 8 inches as a sophomore, he grew to 6 feet 1 inch by his junior year, ultimately averaging 21 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in his senior season.
### College Career
Knecht started his college basketball journey at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, where he experienced another growth spurt, reaching 6 feet 6 inches. In his freshman year, he averaged 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. His sophomore season saw him excel, posting averages of 23.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
After transferring to Northern Colorado, Knecht averaged 8.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in his first season. As a senior, he led the Big Sky Conference with 20.2 points per game while also grabbing 7.2 rebounds. After this standout season, he utilized an extra year of eligibility granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Knecht joined Tennessee for the 2023–24 season, where he quickly made an impact. He was named SEC Player of the Week after scoring 17 points in a season-opening win against Tennessee Tech and followed that up with 24 points in a victory over Wisconsin. His performances peaked when he scored a career-high 40 points on senior night against Kentucky. He concluded the season earning both SEC Player of the Year and SEC Newcomer of the Year honors.
### Professional Career
Knecht was selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft and signed with the team on July 3, 2024.
### Career Statistics
**College Career Statistics:**
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|------------|---------------------|----|----|------|------|------|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
| 2021–22 | Northern Colorado | 35 | 11 | 24.1 | .436 | .361 | .753 | 3.6 | .9 | .5 | .5 | 8.9 |
| 2022–23 | Northern Colorado | 32 | 32 | 35.3 | .479 | .381 | .771 | 7.2 | 1.8 | .8 | .6 | 20.2 |
| 2023–24 | Tennessee | 36 | 36 | 30.6 | .458 | .397 | .772 | 4.9 | 1.8 | .7 | .6 | 21.7 |
| **Career** | | 103| 79 | 29.8 | .461 | .383 | .768 | 5.2 | 1.5 | .7 | .6 | 16.9 |
**JUCO Career Statistics:**
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|------------|---------------------|----|----|------|------|------|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
| 2019–20 | Northeastern JC | 31 | 14 | — | .504 | .451 | .786 | 2.9 | 1.1 | .5 | .3 | 13.3 |
| 2020–21 | Northeastern JC | 20 | 20 | — | .512 | .395 | .818 | 7.5 | 2.0 | .7 | .5 | 23.9 |
| **Career** | | 51 | 34 | — | .508 | .432 | .807 | 4.7 | 1.5 | .6 | .3 | 17.5 |
### Footnotes
The Newcomer of the Year award recognizes the top player in their first season of SEC play. This award is separate from the Freshman of the Year, which is limited to players in their inaugural college basketball season; the 2024 Freshman of the Year award was won by Kentucky's Reed Sheppard.
### References
- "Dalton Knecht - Men's Basketball." University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- Bowlin, Ryan (June 27, 2024). "#NDProud: Fargo Born Dalton Knecht Drafted No. 17 by LA Lakers." KVRR Local News. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- Tobey, Jacob (January 28, 2023). "Colorado native Dalton Knecht helping lead UNC basketball." 9news.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- "PHOTOS: Tennessee's Dalton Knecht set to join LeBron in LA as Enderlin celebrates." Jamestown Sun. June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- Lambert, Terry A. (April 21, 2023). "Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht commits to Tennessee." RockyTopTalk.com, SB Nation. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- Watson-Fisher, Jadyn (November 12, 2020). "Northern Colorado athletic programs add 20 signees to 2021 rosters." The Fort Morgan Times. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- "Dalton Knecht." Northeastern Junior College. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- Pisani, Hart (November 12, 2020). "NJC's Dalton Knecht signs with UNC Bears." Journal-Advocate. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- Ramey, Grant (August 9, 2023). "In Italy, Dalton Knecht showed why when he shoots 'you feel good about it going in'." On3.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- Ankony, Jack (April 5, 2023). "Indiana To Meet With Northern Colorado Transfer Dalton Knecht." SI.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- Watson-Fisher, Jadyn (March 14, 2023). "Dalton Knecht becomes fourth Bear to earn NABC All-District honors." Greeley Tribune. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- Watson-Fisher, Jadyn (March 23, 2023). "Northern Colorado men's basketball: Dalton Knecht enters transfer portal." Greeley Tribune. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- Moore, CJ; Vecenie, Sam (April 21, 2023). "Former Northern Colorado guard Dalton Knecht transfers to Tennessee." The Athletic. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- "Dalton Knecht offers what Tennessee basketball has been missing." Knoxville News Sentinel. November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- Lidskin, Jonathan (November 14, 2023). "Dalton Knecht Named SEC Player Of The Week." SI.com. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- Paschall, David (November 29, 2023). "Knecht's 37 points not enough as Vols fall at North Carolina." Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- Taylor, Noah (January 15, 2024). "Vols' guard Dalton Knecht named Co-SEC Player of the Week." Rivals.com. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- Wilson, Mike (January 16, 2024). "Dalton Knecht scorches Florida as Tennessee basketball rolls Gators." Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- "Auburn Tigers vs. Tennessee Volunteers Live Score and Stats - February 28, 2024 Gametracker." CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- Rexrode, Joe (March 10, 2024). "Vols' loss to Kentucky despite Dalton Knecht's 40 makes SEC tournament mission clear." The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- "2024 SEC Men's Basketball Awards announced" (Press release). Southeastern Conference. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- Zenor, John (March 12, 2024). "Tennessee's Dalton Knecht named AP's SEC Player of the Year; South Carolina's Paris is Coach of the Year." Associated Press. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- McMenamin, Dave (June 27, 2024). "Lakers thrilled with Dalton Knecht pick: 'Extraordinary' value." ESPN.com. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- "Los Angeles Lakers Sign Dalton Knecht and Bronny James." NBA.com. July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.