Transfer forward Dalton Knecht gave the Vols a major boost on the court in his first collegiate game with Tennessee on Sunday afternoon.
No. 9 Tennessee defeated No. 4 Michigan State by a score of 89-88 in a thrilling charity exhibition game in East Lansing behind Knecht’s 28 points on 8-of-16 shooting, 3-of-9 three-point shooting, and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. The former Northern Colorado forward also added in seven rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes played, which was tied with fellow transfer Jordan Ganiey for the most minutes on the court.
Knecht’s offensive ability gave Tennessee a new dimension on the offensive side of the court despite it only being the team’s first collegiate game together. Tennessee played some exhibition games during a trip to Italy this summer but it wasn’t the same as the rocking environment and Top 5 team that Lansing presented to the Vols. Moreover, Tennessee did not have guards Zakai Zeigler or Santiago Vescovi for the game.
Tennessee will return to Knoxville for a final exhibition game on Halloween night (Tuesday) against Lenoir-Rhyne before starting the season on Nov. 6 against Tennessee Tech at the Food City Center.
More from RTI: Everything Rick Barnes Said After Tennessee Beat Michigan State In Exhibition Game
After the conclusion of the exhibition game on Sunday, Knecht spoke to the media in attendance about his first time out on the court. Check it out below:
Fifth Year Senior Dalton Knecht
