BetOnline has set the over/under for Dalton Knecht’s NBA Draft position at 8.5 according to numbers released this week. The NBA Draft is set for June 26-27 in New York.
Knecht is being widely projected as a lottery pick in the draft. ESPN updated its mock draft after the lottery determined the draft order on Sunday and projected Knecht to be the No. 8 overall pick to the San Antonio Spurs.
“The Spurs surely have eyes on being competitive sooner rather than later with (Victor) Wembanyama about to become an MVP candidate in the near future,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote, “so picking a 23-year old plug-and-play shooter/scorer such as Knecht looks like an attractive option.
“His defensive shortcomings can be mitigated to an extent playing behind a future Defensive Player of the Year like Wembanyama.”
‘When you turn on the tape for Knecht, you see shot-making’
Knecht was named one of the Day 1 winners at the NBA Draft Combine by On3’s Jamie Shaw after he measured in at 6-foot-5.25 and 212 pounds, with a 6-9 wingspan and a 39-inch vertical jump.
“When you turn on the tape for Knecht, you see shot-making,” Shaw wrote. “His ability to knock down jump shots off the catch, off movement, and in pull-up fashion popped throughout the year.
“That type of shooting showed during the NBA Draft Combine as reports of his spot shooting drills and pull-up shooting drills were overwhelmingly positive.”
Knecht was a First Team All-American and finished as a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year award after averaging 21.1 points per game last season and 25.5 in SEC play. He was First Team All-SEC and won SEC Player of the Year.
Tennessee Basketball’s NBA Draft History
Tennessee Basketball hasn’t had a player drafted as high as No. 8 since 1977, when Bernard King went No. 7 overall to the New York Nets. Ernie Grunfeld was the 11th overall pick to Milwaukee in the same draft.
Dale Ellis was the No. 9 pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, three years after Reggie Johnson went at No. 15 in the 1980 draft. Allan Houston was the No. 11 overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft and Marcus Haislip went at No. 13 in 2002, Tennessee’s last lottery pick to date.
Tom Boerwinkle is the highest draft pick in program history, going No. 4 overall to the Chicago Bulls in the 1968 NBA Draft. Gene Tormohlen was the 11th overall pick in 1959.
Seven Tennessee players have been drafted during the Rick Barnes era: Grant Williams (First Round, No. 22, Boston); Admiral Schofield (Second Round, No. 42, Philadelphia); Jordan Bone (Second Round, No. 57, New Orleans); Keon Johnson (First Round, No. 21, New York Knicks); Jaden Springer (First Round, No. 28, Philadelphia); Kennedy Chandler (Second Round, No. 38, San Antonio); Julian Phillips (Second Round, No. 35, Boston).
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