Gameday is decision day for Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht, whose status is up in the air because of a left ankle injury entering Tuesday’s game in Knoxville against George Mason.
The Volunteers (4-3) enter the game with three consecutive losses. The most recent was a 100-92 setback to then-No. 17 North Carolina, which followed defeats to the top two teams in the rankings at the time — Kansas and Purdue — in the Maui Invitational.
“I think it’s day-to-day,” head coach Rick Barnes said of Knecht. “When you don’t get it fixed, it’ll linger all year and we don’t want that.”
Knecht scored a career-high 37 points on 13-of-17 shooting at North Carolina on Nov. 30, but left the late with a sprained ankle.
A fifth-year senior, Knecht was able to walk to the bus under his own power after that game. A rhythm shooter dependent on good footwork and a strong base, Knecht’s toughness is a decided strength.
He enters the game as Tennessee’s leading scorer, averaging 20.3 points per game, which ranks 36th in the nation entering Monday.
A transfer who quickly became a go-to option for the Vols in November, Knecht has also had his off nights, including a 4-of-17 shooting night in the Maui Invitational loss to the Jayhawks. He also scored 24 points at Wisconsin.
Tennessee’s schedule doesn’t let up this week with yet another ranked foe on deck Saturday when the Vols welcome Illinois (7-1). The lone loss this season for the Fighting Illini was to Marquette, which knocked off Kansas in Maui.
First up Tuesday is George Mason (7-1), and the Patriots are no slouch. GMU comes to Tennessee with a four-game winning streak, including their first road game (Toledo) of the season.
–Field Level Media