"Going to get picked pretty high in NBA Draft": NCAAB analyst Gary Parrish drops high 2024 draft projection for $369,000 NIL-valued SEC guard

College basketball analyst Gary Parrish hailed Tennessee Volunteers' Dalton Knecht and praised him for fixing the problems of the SEC team from last season. The 6-foot-6 guard, who transferred to Tennessee from Northern Colorado, is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

During a recent CBS Sports College Basketball broadcast, Parrish claimed that Knecht is projected to hear his name called early in the upcoming draft, given his talents and how he has been a star for No. 6 Tennessee this season.

"He's not only looking like a college basketball star, he's looking like somebody who's going to get picked pretty high in the NBA draft," Parrish said.

After pouring in a career-high 39 points to lead Tennessee past Florida, Knecht has commanded the attention of college basketball fans nationwide. The 22-year-old's offensive explosion fueled an 85-66 throttling of the Gators on Tuesday night.

Dalton Knecht was a man-possessed, unleashing his full arsenal on his opponents. He marched relentlessly to the hoop while also raining down fire from deep. The guard went 13-23 from the field, including 4-6 on 3-pointers. This was his second straight 30-point game and his third this season.

After being named SEC Co-Player of the Week, the On3 $369,000 NIL-valued guard is confident and acknowledged his teammates for their selfless play.

"I'm just playing with confidence," Knecht said. "It's a lot easier with my teammates. It's a lot of hard work. My teammates make it super easy."

Dalton Knecht's recent standout performances have bolstered his prospects in the 2024 NBA draft. After previously being projected as a late first-round pick in Bleacher Report's 2024 NBA mock draft, Knecht now looks poised to enter lottery consideration.

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Dalton Knecht has Tennessee eyeing history as SEC play tips off

Tennessee's Dalton Knecht

Tennessee basketball has come tantalizingly close to a Final Four berth multiple times yet has never broken through on the sport's biggest stage. An Elite Eight run in 2010 marked the pinnacle, while more recently, coach Rick Barnes has fielded squads with the talent to go further but ultimately fell short. This year, though, dynamo transfer Dalton Knecht could be the missing piece to propel the Vols to new heights.

Ever since the Northern Colorado import set foot on campus, Knecht has dazzled. Quickly establishing himself as a lethal scorer, he has gone on an absolute tear in the SEC that shows no signs of cooling off.

After a slow start to SEC play, Knecht has shifted into an offensive overdrive. Following lackluster showings against Ole Miss and the first half versus Mississippi State, the transfer caught fire. Over his last five halves of conference action, he's tallied a staggering 101 points—20.2 per half.

This blistering stretch culminated in Tuesday's career-best 39-point eruption to down Florida.

The versatile guard adds a nuclear element that Tennessee has lacked. With Knecht leading a balanced roster capable of contributing across the board, hopes have justifiably soared for a historic March run.