Dalton Knecht vs Zach Edey – Career High 39 Points Make the Case for NPOY vs Purdue Special

The Tennessee Volunteers are on a roll. They decimated the Alabama Crimson Tide by a 91-71 margin and sent strong signals to the critics. With this, the Volunteers notched up their conference tally to 4-1. Among other players who stood out for the Tennessee was their guard Dalton Knecht. Knecht basketed a game high 25 points with four rebounds and that had all their opponents devising unsuccessful plans in containing the North Dakota-born.

Knecht has performed exceptionally in his last four games which gets him compared to the Purdue Boilermakers Zach Edey.

How has Knecht performed?

The game against the Crimson Tide marked the fourth straight game where Knecht dropped 25 or more points. The beginning of this streak was marked by the 22-year-old smoking 28 points against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Although the Volunteers lost the game by a 72-77 margin, nonetheless it proved that Knecht was a player for big moments.

Another noteworthy thing from that game was that Knecht had exceptional shooting skills. He has a 55.6% field goal percentage and 44.4% three-pointer percentage. Other than that he had a 66.7% free throw percentage. This game foreshadowed what was to come next.

In the next game against the Georgia Bulldogs, Knecht smashed 36 points. He also nabbed 4 rebounds and 3 assists. This showed his prowess in both offense and defense and how Knecht was selfless even though he had assumed a central scoring role for his team. His shooting stats too spoke a story of brilliance.

His 62.5% three-pointer percentage stood out from the other numbers and was a testament to the fact that Knecht not only knew how to spot open spaces but had expertise in taking complete advantage of them. Then in his game against the Florida Gators, Knecht smoked a career-high 39 points.

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The remarkable score was backed by  8 rebounds. Other than that he had a cent percent free throw percentage and a 56.5% field goal percentage. His three-pointer conversion was also commendable with a 4-for-6 tally. Overall, Knecht had proved that he wasn’t made of ordinary stuff and made a name for himself among big players. These numbers have caused a lot of confusion regarding his comparison with Edey. The previous stats paint a more complete story.

How has Knecht performed in his previous games?

The Volunteers were a great defensive team even during last season. What they lacked was a player who could go big offense and with Knecht performing the way he is, he has sent clear signal to his opponents that while top teams like the Purdue Boilermakers rest on their center Zach Edey, he too can be don the role of the alpha for his team. It is quite similar to how the Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson has amped his game since his transfer to the Kansas.

 Knecht’s brilliance does not end here. He proved his mettle against top ranked teams like the North Carolina Tar Heels when he throttled 37 points in a losing cause. With this game, Knecht displayed that he was going to come on top no matter whatever the situation and team and would go on a rampage from the word go. This makes him a special player for the Volunteers in clutch moments and big matches. He also had a 13-for-17 field goal tally along with an 87.5% free throw percentage.

Another of his on-court brilliance came against the Illinois Fighting Illini when Knecht put 21 points in the basket and propelled his team to notch up a win by an 86-79 tally. Again it was a masterclass in shooting by the champion who converted 76.5% field goals and sent the message to his locker room that he could be relied upon.

He also has a decent 4.4 rebounds per game and can run swiftly from coast to coast. This is another thing that puts him in the league of players like Edey and Dickinson who are prime contenders to win the NPOY awards. However, he lacks in certain areas which obstruct him from getting the credit he deserves.

Is Knecht as good as Edey?

Knecht has given them an innovator. It allows them the slack to experiment with their players. Without him, the Volunteers are too scripted offensively and their plans can easily be tracked by their opponents. But with Knecht, it has given them the liberty to try different things on court and come out on top when the situation has demanded. 

It is worth contemplating that Knecht has basketed an average of 18.8 points per game but has only played for an average of 28.8 minutes per match in the 18 games he has played. Thus, it remains to be seen what wonders will Knecht do if he is given more time on the court. He might as well surpass Edey who averages a whopping 23.3 points per game.

Another point worth considering is if the Volunteers will be able to make it to the Final Four. If the Volunteers do then it will add more credibility to Knecht’s performances and will make him a prime contender to win the NPOY awards. But until then going by the stats Knecht isn’t as efficient as Edey. Where he trumps Edey is his three-pointer shooting skills, but Edey still has a lead over Knecht due to his higher points scored.

The other thing that keeps Knecht’s name being taken in the same breath as Edey is that the former has not been consistent. While he has basketed a career-high of 39 points this season, he also has horrendous scores in single digits. This makes the Volunteers not completely rely on him with closed eyes. If Kencht can better these points, then he can surely be as dangerous as Edey.  

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