Dalton Knecht....

#151
#151
taylorvol said:
John Adams wrote a recent article about who should qualify for VFL status. He agrees with you and so do I. 🍊👍😀😀😃🍊👍🍊
www.knoxnews.com

Time to update who's a VFL. It's not for everybody at Tennessee, especially opt-outs. | Adams

Being a Vol for Life means forever. You must finish what you started. There's nothing wrong with opting out of bowls, transferring. But VFLs don't.
www.knoxnews.com
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As to the VFL thing, I just don't see how anyone can apply that label to a kid you paid to come to your school. I know kids have been "paid" under the table forever and the idea that they've all chosen UT because of their "love for the orange" is naive and a fantasy, but this new era of the portal and NIL has brought things into the clear light of day. Now it's about clicks, social media, and "the bag". I have no problem with kids getting what they can from the system as it stands. If they win a bowl, league title or a natty, give 'em praise. Give 'em a ring. Heck, give 'em a bonus if you like. But they don't get VFL or their jerseys retired if it were up to me. I guess the argument can rightfully be made that kids like Nico are getting paid to sign right out of HS so does that eliminate him from consideration? If he remains at UT until he's draft eligible and he meets the criteria, then yes, he should receive those honors. Yeah, I know that sounds hypocritical, but I do see that situation as being more palatable than a one year mercenary. Unless we want to completely close the book on "VFL" and "retired jersey", there has to be some compromise/adjustment to the criteria/thought processes. It's just that one year thing that I can't get past. Oh to be a kid again and see sports and our heroes through a childs eyes again.
 
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#152
#152
CAVPUT said:
While I can see it from that perspective, I tend to look at a player being developed and grown throughout his career. If Bernard King had been at UT for 3 years then went to UK and had that one incredible season with all those accolades, where should he be recognized? Our program helped grow and mold him into the player he became, but he left and UK got the benefit of his growth and development for that one special season. Hang the jersey at Rupp? Maybe King becomes that great player no matter where he goes to school, but to be what he became was due, in no small part, to his time at UT with those mates and coaches. Guess I just see a jersey being retired at TBA as being a special thing reserved for special players having a special season in a career. I suppose we could go grab an elite player from the portal every season and when they manage to meet the criteria, we could add some more jerseys to TBA that way? Don't get me wrong. I'm not against Knecht and I'm thrilled we grabbed him for a year and hey, I won't complain if he helps us break through in March. I'll give him all the credit and praise he deserves, but to retire a jersey for a 1 year rental we got from the NIL/portal just doesn't feel right to me.
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I get it. I understand what you are saying. We don't know the final impact DK will have on this team until the end of the season. I see the Jersey Retirement the same as you, but he has to complete this season to even be considered and may not even qualify to be considered. So all this is premature to me.
The retirement of his Jersey will not be considered for years to come. Nothing is guarantee anyway.
DK does not get considered for POY SEC/National or AA status without TN or another Power 5 prominent program. Barnes comparing him to Durant is like a Special Endorsement, Barnes knows talent.

In contrast, DK at the right place right time. Should not be penalized. No Problem for me I will probably be dead when it happens.

I agree with you but NIL and portal transfers have changed the whole dynamic. Look at Football. Does Joe Burrow's Jersey get retired at LSU?
 
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#155
#155
Do people forget that the term VFL and the program to involve former players more started with Derek Freaking Dooley? It's only a little over 10 years old but the school and fans adopted it and ran with it.

If DK helps us get to the F4 or a championship then he is the most important piece of a team that makes UT history. He could have gone to lots of elite programs.....but he chose UT to prepare him in his final year and has probably opened the eyes of other transfers like him. Young man is a VFL and you can tell he loves his team and the fans.
 
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#156
#156
taylorvol said:
John Adams wrote a recent article about who should qualify for VFL status. He agrees with you and so do I. 🍊👍😀😀😃🍊👍🍊
www.knoxnews.com

Time to update who's a VFL. It's not for everybody at Tennessee, especially opt-outs. | Adams

Being a Vol for Life means forever. You must finish what you started. There's nothing wrong with opting out of bowls, transferring. But VFLs don't.
www.knoxnews.com
Click to expand...
John Adams is old school. Article for clicks and as someone pointed out the VFL program 10-12 years old of which the fans bought into. Now John Adams is telling us what a VFL is or is not
IHO which really doesn't matter what his opinion his. We are splitting hairs here. Times are changing with the Portal and NIL.
 
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#157
#157
CAVPUT said:
Told myself to stop digging this particular hole, but before I put the shovel down, I gotta chime in on this. While the NIL and portal have changed the sport and that gave us the chance to get Knecht, I just don't believe a 1 year guy from the portal should have a jersey hanging in TBA. Same for a kid who is one and done. I think that particular "ring of honor" should be reserved for guys who complete a 4 year career at UT and earn a degree. Yeah, I know with free agency, that's an antiquated and quaint notion, but for me, a 1 year player getting that honor kinda cheapens it. I have no vote or say, but if I did, a 1 year player would not have a jersey retired and hanging in my arena.
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So King wouldn't be in the "ring of honor"?
 
#158
#158
southgatevol said:
So King wouldn't be in the "ring of honor"?
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Bernard King did not play for only a single season. With that said, I don’t want my response to imply that I would be opposed to seeing Dalton in the ring of honor if is one season was sufficiently special (I.e. SEC POY and helps bring a National Championship to the University).
 
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#159
#159
volpack2 said:
Bernard King did not play for only a single season. With that said, I don’t want my response to imply that I would be opposed to seeing Dalton in the ring of honor if is one season was sufficiently special (I.e. SEC POY and helps bring a National Championship to the University).
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Understood. However the post I quoted stated the criteria as 4 years and a graduate.
 
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#160
#160
n_huffhines said:
The Larry Bird comparison...of course.

I can't think of a great comp for Knecht. It's a newer phenomenon to have somebody his size with his ability on the perimeter. Bird hit 3's but they were usually open and off the catch. Knecht is stepping back off crossovers to hit deep 3's.

That's a Luka thing, but he's not like Luka because he's way more athletic but not a playmaker at all. I guess it's closer to Tatum but he's not as athletic as Tatum and Tatum is a solid playmaker at this point.
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I don’t think Larry Bird became one of the greatest players of all time just because he could hit open 3s. He was way more than a 3-point specialist like a Steve Kerr.
 
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#161
#161
hUTch2002 said:
I don’t think Larry Bird became one of the greatest players of all time just because he could hit open 3s. He was way more than a 3-point specialist like a Steve Kerr.
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I'm talking what he did at the 3p line, specifically. Bird is one of the greatest playmakers of all time and Knecht doesn't have that at all, but Bird still was just a spot up 3p shooter for the most part. That was how the game was played. He didn't even take 2 3pa's per game.
 
#162
#162
taylorvol said:
Rod Clark was watching a game to support a former player of his at Weber St when he noticed Knecht. He was concerned with UT’s chances when he found out that the blue bloods of NC, KY, Kansas, Indiana were recruiting Knecht. He soon found out that Knecht’s favorite player was Kevin Durant. Of course, Coach Barnes coached Durant at TX, so Clark had an ace up his sleeve. Clark also leveraged the fact that he was a JUCO player just like Knecht and that Knecht knew he needed to improve his defense per NBA Scouts. Barnes and TN were a great fit—thanks to Rod Clark for reeling him in!
Source: Great article in The Athletic.

theathletic.com

Tennessee's scoring sensation is the All-American no one saw coming

Dalton Knecht spent four years at junior college and Northern Colorado. Now he's regularly dropping 30 points for a Top 10 team.
theathletic.com theathletic.com
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Thanks for the information& thanks to Coach Clark! What a find!!
 
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#163
#163
Sudden Impact said:
John Adams is old school. Article for clicks and as someone pointed out the VFL program 10-12 years old of which the fans bought into. Now John Adams is telling us what a VFL is or is not
IHO which really doesn't matter what his opinion his. We are splitting hairs here. Times are changing with the Portal and NIL.
Click to expand...
It’s all opinions but I like having high standards for retiring jerseys, rings of honor, etc.
 
#170
#170
As a huge NBA fan, I felt compelled to put together a scouting report on Knecht.

Defense: it's hard for me to project college D to the NBA but it looks like he has the ability to play NBA D. He has the size, he tries, and he's not a stiff.

Playmaking: this is not what he does. He's just a bucket on O.

Scoring: the stroke and handle are nice. He's got a little bit of Luka in him in that when he drives to the basket, he's trying to get you on his hip and uses his physicality to keep you back there. He goes at his own speed. He's a big wing doing step-back 3's behind screens. He likes to back down smaller guards and he's got a pretty good bag. He's also got a little bit of Tatum in him with the way he looks off-ball. He works hard without the ball, he's good at back cuts. He goes hard at the basket when he gets going downhill, especially on fast breaks. He runs the floor like a maniac. And he'll surprise you with a poster dunk if he gets a running start off one foot. If he's going off two-feet or without that running start, he's not that explosive and plays below the rim.
 
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#172
#172
UTvol1fn said:
"he tries" --- hot take here
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Yeah, I can see how a fan can go either way with him. When you're talking about a guy who is a NPOY candidate because he's a scorer, the strategy is often to keep him as fresh as possible on O and out of foul trouble, so these guys inherently take plays off on D. I mean, I was at BYU during the Jimmer Fredette years. That's what D usually looks like with these guys, and it's non-existent.

I see Knecht trying hard to get to his rotations, and that's probably the biggest part of NBA D. Nobody is shutting anybody down. Do you know where to be? Can you get to your spots on time? If you can do that, and you have size, you can play adequate NBA D.
 
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#173
#173
I really don’t think his defense lately has been as bad as some suggest. He’s made significant improvement, IMO, from Game 1. In November, guys were blowing by him with ease and it was obvious he was a liability but we played him anyway.

He’s been better lately and I think he’s going to continue to improve on that end as the year progresses.
 
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#174
#174
n_huffhines said:
Yeah, I can see how a fan can go either way with him. When you're talking about a guy who is a NPOY candidate because he's a scorer, the strategy is often to keep him as fresh as possible on O and out of foul trouble, so these guys inherently take plays off on D. I mean, I was at BYU during the Jimmer Fredette years. That's what D usually looks like with these guys, and it's non-existent.

I see Knecht trying hard to get to his rotations, and that's probably the biggest part of NBA D. Nobody is shutting anybody down. Do you know where to be? Can you get to your spots on time? If you can do that, and you have size, you can play adequate NBA D.
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Some guys have made a place for themselves in the league by playing tenacious defense and being adequate on offense. The list is long enough
 
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