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Tennessee coach Rick Barnes sees Dalton Knecht facing the Grizzlies-Lakers

Posted on by Kennedy
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes sees Dalton Knecht facing the Grizzlies-Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht was warming up before Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies at FedExForum when he saw an old friend walk onto the court.

It was Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes who surprised the former Volunteers player. UT defeated Gardner-Webb on Monday night in Knoxville, but Barnes took time to travel to Memphis to watch Knecht make his first start in his NBA career.

“I just love him to death,” Barnes told The Commercial Appeal before the game. “He's so excited. But I love the fact that every time I'm with him he tells me how much he misses Knoxville and the time around us. It was truly a joy for us to be able to spend a year together.”

Knecht, the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, quickly rose up draft boards during his lone season in Knoxville. He arrived after stints at Northeastern Junior College and Northern Colorado, but quickly established himself as a dynamic star with the Volunteers, leading Tennessee to the Elite Eight and earning SEC Player of the Year honors.

The Volunteers ultimately lost in the Elite Eight to Purdue, which was led by the Grizzlies' No. 9 overall pick, Zach Edey, and there were many fans who had hoped that the Grizzlies would take Knecht and not Edey in the draft would.

Barnes remembers watching Knecht in the exhibition game between Tennessee and Michigan State last season and realizing he was a completely different type of player.

“We knew when he came to campus,” Barnes said. “The players talked about how well he could score, how strong he was, how competitive and athletic he was. And of course I was with him every day when it came to defense.”

Barnes wasn't the only person wearing Tennessee colors at FedExForum. There are many Tennessee alums in the Bluff City, and orange fans could be seen throughout the arena coming to see Knecht.

That included Grizzlies season ticket holder Gordon Summerfield, who also happens to be a Volunteers fan. He wore orange but said he was still rooting for the Grizzlies to win.

“He was the guy who took us to the next level,” Summerfield said. “Barnes had some great classes, but he was a superstar. And he just plays the game the right way.”

Knecht averaged 7.9 points in his first seven NBA games. He scored three points and grabbed four rebounds in the Grizzlies' 131-114 win, but left early after being hit in the face. He was not made available after the game.

“I've been underestimated my whole life, from junior college to my old school and stuff like that,” Knecht said on Shootaround earlier in the day. “I feel like I’ve been underestimated my whole life, so I always have a chip on my shoulder.”

Reach sportswriter Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.

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