NBA Draft riser: Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
As arguably the biggest name in college basketball heading into the NCAA Tournament, there was plenty of hype built around Dalton Knecht. And he certainly managed to live up to it, and then some. Capped off by a 37-point performance in a loss against Purdue, Knecht may have proven his worth as a potential top 5 pick in what is being categorized as a very unpredictable 2024 NBA Draft.
Overall, Knecht averaged 26 points and seven rebounds on 41 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from 3-point range during his run with Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament. With many players shrinking under the big lights of the NCAA Tournament, Knecht rose to the occasion to solidify himself as one of the premier prospects in this year's draft class.
With the way he performed this season for the Volunteers, there's a very real case to be made that he deserves to be taken in the top 5 of the NBA Draft. Whether or not that's where he settles remains to be seen, but he's done everything he can to cement himself as such.