Sports
College basketball transfer portal: How prized Northern Colorado guard Dalton Knecht fits with top contenders – 247Sports
Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht is the No. 5-rated player in the transfer portal. To no one’s surprise, Knecht is garnering significant interest from high-majors across the country. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard erupted for 20.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this past season.
Knecht was a former junior college All-American at Northeastern JC before turning into Northern Colorado’s alpha. But Knecht wants to test himself at the next level for his final year of eligibility before vaulting into the pros.
Knecht is a flat-out, bucket-getter. Knecht rated in the 80th percentile in pick-and-rolls, per Synergy. He shot 38.1% from 3-point range and 77.1% from the charity stripe. Knecht showcased a true three-level scoring knack, and he attacked the rim with bad intentions. Knecht finished around the basket at a 65.2% clip, and his bag of tricks in the midrange game was really impressive. Knecht torched Colorado for 24 points in mid-December. He had a 12-point, 11-rebound, double-double in an early-November loss to Baylor. Knecht had eight games with 26-plus points.
Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today.
Here is how Knecht would fit with the schools that are in the mix:
Colorado: Knecht is a Thornton, Colo. native, so he’s very familiar with Tad Boyle and the Colorado program. Colorado is on the verge of potentially being a very scary team in 2023-24 if it can keep Julian Hammond, Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson while also bolstering the roster with a few big-time transfers. The Buffs are in the mix for Wyoming transfer big man Graham Ike, and there are plenty of shots on the wing for Knecht if he wants them. You add Ike and Knecht to the current Colorado roster and that’s one of the best teams in the Pac-12 next season.
Illinois: Brad Underwood is in a tough spot while he waits on NBA Draft decisions from All-Big Ten guard Terrence Shannon Jr. and do-it-all forward Coleman Hawkins. But after the Illini’s struggles from 3-point range, Knecht would be a massive talent upgrade with a clear path to start even if Shannon and/or Hawkins returns. Knecht’s ability to make tough jumpers would be a get-out-of-jail-free card for an Illini offense that could get a little bogged down in the halfcourt. Knecht shot 37.2% from the field on contested jumpers, per Synergy.
Arizona State: Arizona State needs to find a bucket-getter to step in for Desmond Cambridge (out of eligibility) and DJ Horne (in the transfer portal). A potential combination of Frankie Collins’ explosive downhill drives and Knecht’s silky-smooth shot-creation could be a winning formula for newly-extended coach Bobby Hurley.
Ole Miss: New Ole Miss coach Chris Beard has to rebuild the Rebels’ roster from scratch. Beard has a proven track record of putting his best player in a position to vault up NBA Draft boards (Jarrett Culver was a lottery pick after starring for Texas Tech). If Knecht wants to have a lead-dog role for a high-major team, Beard can offer that role.
Washington: If Mike Hopkins wants to keep playing a lot of 2-3 zone, Knecht would have the length to be a nice fit in that defensive scheme. He has really good instincts to jump into passing lanes for transition buckets. But Washington desperately needs an elite lead guard like Knecht if it wants to make noise in the wide-open middle of the Pac-12. Knecht and Keion Brooks would form a talented, two-head monster.
Nebraska: Knecht has some similarities to Sam Griesel who was a solid starter for the Huskers this past season. Griesel is more of a distributor than Knecht, but both guys have great size and really are adept at using post-ups to get high-quality looks. But Knecht is a very dangerous sniper –– something Griesel wasn’t –– which could unlock a different dimension for Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg. The Huskers put transfers like Griesel, Emmanuel Bandoumel and Juwan Gary in spots to perform. There’s a lot of opportunity and a pretty guard-friendly offense looming in Lincoln if Knecht so chooses.
Oklahoma: Porter Moser could surround Knecht with a horde of good defenders and hand the Northern Colorado transfer a 25-ish% usage rate. The Big 12 is filled with elite defensive teams, so if Knecht wanted to show NBA scouts he’s the real deal, getting buckets in college basketball’s best conference is not a bad place to go.
Utah: It’s pretty clear that Craig Smith is in the process of building something with Utah. Big man Branden Carlson is going through the 2023 NBA Draft process, but if he returns, the Utes could be in the mix for a NCAA Tournament bid. But it would need a high-level guard like Knecht to take it to the next level. Utah has plenty of solid role players, but it needs an alpha guard.
LSU: LSU simply needs to upgrade the talent on its roster. It’s not an easy job for Matt McMahon, but playing with a talent like Adam Miller could be attractive for Knecht. A Miller-Knecht backcourt can absolutely rain fire from deep.
Iowa State: T.J. Otzelberger’s history with transfer guards is really strong. Jaren Holmes had a great year for the Cyclones this past season. Izaiah Brockington had a career year for Iowa State in 2021-22. Following in the footsteps of Holmes and Brockington would be a seamless transition for Knecht. If soon-to-be-sophomore guard Tamin Lipsey sticks around, Knecht would be able to play off the ball a little more and utilize his eye-popping spot-up prowess.
Indiana: Knecht has the lead guard traits to build a pick-and-roll heavy scheme with him and Malik Reneau. But if Xavier Johnson is able to return to the Hoosiers next season, Indiana may have to sell Knecht on being more of the secondary, off-the-ball scorer. Knecht, Reneau and Johnson would be a very polished trio, and there’s no doubt Knecht is a midrange maestro who can attack the heavy dose of drop coverage he’d see in the Big Ten.
Missouri: Missouri’s up-tempo, run-and-gun scheme is really attractive for guards. Dennis Gates’ goal is to add as many bucket-getting guards as he can, and then play at a tempo with elite ball-and-player movement so that everyone can get theirs. Knecht would likely not be the alpha if Kobe Brown opts to return for one final season, but he’d get his in Missouri’s offense.
Kansas: Kevin McCullar’s status could loom large. McCullar could follow Jalen Wilson’s footsteps last season and go through the NBA Draft process before making a decision. If he chooses to depart, KU obviously would need to fill a large void on the wing. But even if McCullar returns, Kansas could make a ton of sense for Knecht. The defensive responsibility on Knecht is way less with McCullar and Dajuan Harris hounding opposing ball-handlers. Knecht could thrive as a secondary creator who adds much-needed floor-spacing, too.
Arkansas: Wichita State transfer Ricky Council IV’s enormous success with Arkansas is an easy template for Knecht to follow. Council has an intriguing stay-or-go decision with the 2023 NBA Draft, but even if he sticks around for a second year with Arkansas, it’s clear Eric Musselman is contacting shooters in the transfer portal. Knecht’s dazzling catch-and-shoot numbers demand Arkansas’ attention.
North Carolina: Hubert Davis has to find a Caleb Love replacement, and Knecht’s profile is so enticing because of his adept numbers in pick-and-rolls and the ability to play off the ball. Knecht could flip-flop with R.J. Davis and add a real scoring punch alongside big man Armando Bacot. There are questions about his ability to defend at an elite level, but there’s no doubt Knecht can fill it up and provide more creative lineup possibilities for Davis and the UNC staff.
Oregon: Dana Altman could do some really creative things with a big-bodied lead guard like Will Richardson. So with Richardson out of eligibility, Knecht could jump into a similar role. Richardson really developed into an excellent shot-creator for others, but Knecht is more wired to score in pick-and-rolls. His ability to navigate screens and hit a barrage of tough pull-ups would help everything click for the Oregon offense.
© 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc.