The NCAA's transfer portal has created a chaotic, free agency-like feeling for college athletics. Some people love the change, others hate it. But there is no denying that it has given players a second (or third, or fourth) chance to find the right situation to succeed.
Take Tennessee star Dalton Knecht as the prime example of a player maximizing his talents in a new environment.
There isn't much argument that Knecht was the best transfer in the country this season. The senior forward turned into one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball, averaging 21.1 points per game on his way to becoming SEC Player of the Year and a Consensus All-American.
But how did Knecht go from a relatively unknown player to a Tennessee star and NBA Draft prospect? His path was far from traditional.
MORE: 2024 NBA Mock Draft: Will Dalton Knecht be a lottery pick?
How Dalton Knecht went from junior college to Tennessee
Northeastern Junior College (Colorado)
Typically, if you search for any player on a high-major D-I roster in a high school recruiting database, you'll find something on their recruiting path. For Knecht, that is not the case.
He was a zero-star recruit and wasn't even placed on 247Sports' Junior College recruiting rankings.
"Coming out of high school I had zero D-I offers," Knecht told the SEC Network in a profile on his journey earlier this season. "I was 6-3, 170, still kind of growing into my body a little bit."
Knecht attended Northeastern Junior College in Colorado, where he spent the first two seasons of his college career. During his time in JuCo, Knecht grew to 6-6 and averaged 23.9 points per game as a sophomore.
His growth spurt and breakout season gave him the momentum needed to take the step to the D-I level, transferring to the University of Northern Colorado.
University of Northern Colorado
Knecht didn't find immediate success at Northern Colorado. Even though he played 24.1 minutes per game as a junior in his first year, he only averaged 8.9 points and 3.6 rebounds.
His biggest leap came in his second season as a senior. Knecht started to show signs of the three-level scorer he'd become, leading the Big Sky Conference with 20.2 points per game.
After that season, Knecht decided to use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic to enter the transfer portal.
University of Tennessee
"Coming out of the portal, I had no clue how many schools would hit me up. At 8 in the morning, my name hit [the portal]. After my workout, about an hour, I had over 500 calls and 1,000 messages," Knecht told the SEC Network.
"I chose Tennessee ultimately because I wanted to be in the NBA and they showed me a blueprint of how I could get there and you get to play for a hall of fame coach."
Knecht's "bet on himself" paid off exactly how he planned.
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The fifth-year senior had no trouble adjusting to the high-major D-I level, averaging 21.1 points per game while shooting 39.1 percent from 3. He terrorized the SEC all season, exploding for a handful of 30-point games and one 40-point game in conference play.
His productive season didn't just earn him SEC Player of the Year and All-American honors. It put his name on NBA Mock Draft boards everywhere. Knecht is widely projected to be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but his journey at Tennessee is not over yet.
The Volunteers are rolling into the Sweet 16, looking to reach their second Elite Eight in school history. They have never been to a Final Four or a national championship.
Knecht has the chance to etch his name in Tennessee history forever after a long journey from Junior College to Knoxville.