FARGO — Dalton Knecht was born in Fargo and his family moved to the Denver area when he was 1 year old, but the University of Tennessee sharpshooter still has multiple ties to North Dakota.
The VFW in Enderlin, North Dakota, is hosting an NBA Draft party Wednesday night for Knecht, whose father Corey Knecht is a 1990 Enderlin High School graduate.
“I think that’s amazing,” said Carrie (Wagenman) Knecht, a 1991 West Fargo High School graduate and Dalton’s mother. “It kind of goes to show Corey was a well-liked basketball player in the community so I think people are following Dalton because of that. It’s such a cool honor for them to have this draft party and be so excited to support him in that. It’s really neat I think.”
Dalton is expected to have his name called in the first 10 picks at the NBA Draft, which starts at 7 p.m. (CT) Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Carrie and Corey will be there along with a group of Dalton’s family and friends. The second round of the two-day event is slated for Thursday.
In ESPN’s latest mock draft, Dalton is projected to go to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 6 overall of the first round. He’s one of the 25 prospects the NBA invited to the green room for the draft.
“It’s been a whirlwind and it’s been so much fun to see his journey,” Carrie said. “We’ve always told him, work as hard as you can and see where it takes you.”
Tennessee Volunteers guard Dalton Knecht (3) celebrates against the Purdue Boilermakers during the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament March 31, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan. Knecht is projected to be a top-10 selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports
Dana Nelson, an Enderlin teacher and Knecht family friend, is going to be at the VFW on Wednesday night, excited to see where Dalton gets drafted. Nelson, who coaches elementary-age girls basketball, helped decorate the VFW for the special occasion.
“It’s very exciting to almost feel like you know somebody that’s a celebrity,” Nelson said. “He’s a big deal. For our community, we still claim him because of his parents. There’s still a lot of people around that know his parents. It’s just really exciting.”
Dalton’s grandmothers both still reside in the area. Arlene Knecht lives near Enderlin, while Randa Wagenman lives in West Fargo. Carrie said both grandmas will be in Brooklyn for Dalton’s big night along with his aunt Holly Knecht Swenson. Holly is a 1992 Enderlin High School graduate and now lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
“Corey was a really good basketball player and so was Holly,” Nelson said.
Corey was an all-state basketball player for Enderlin in 1989-1990. The Eagles played in the 1990 North Dakota Class B state boys basketball tournament.
Even after moving to Colorado, Carrie said the family returned to North Dakota often while Dalton was growing up, visiting family in the Enderlin or Fargo areas. Dalton has put up plenty of shots in the Enderlin gym or at the YMCA in Fargo during those family visits.
“We always tried to make the family feel closer and make sure that he felt that as well,” Carrie said. “I think he always felt that connection when we would go back.”
Tennessee small forward Dalton Knecht, right, takes a photo with his parents Corey, left, and Carrie, center, in Times Square on Monday, June 24, 2024. Corey and Carrie are from North Dakota. Dalton is projected be selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Submitted photo
Dalton, a 6-foot-5 small forward, started his college career at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, where he spent two seasons. He then played at Northern Colorado for two seasons before playing his final college season at Tennessee.
“He’s pretty humble and hard working and I know he has a lot of fans,” Nelson said.
Dalton averaged 21.7 points per game, shooting 40% from 3-point range, this past season for the Volunteers.
When he was at Northern Colorado, Dalton played against North Dakota State during the Lobo Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in November of 2022. Knecht scored 22 points in Northern Colorado’s 80-70 victory against the Bison. NDSU forward Grant Nelson, from Devils Lake, North Dakota, scored 31 points in that game. Last season, Dalton and Grant Nelson faced off two times in SEC play with Dalton at Tennessee and Grant at Alabama.
“That was so much fun,” Carrie said.
Carrie and Corey took a photo with Dalton on Monday night in Times Square. They will all be on national television once Dalton gets drafted.
“It’s kind of been like ranging from excitement to very nervous to just trying to take it all in really,” Carrie said. “When his name is called, we will probably be very excited and happy and stuff.”
Carrie credits her son with doing the work needed to get to this point.
“He had a dream and we just encouraged him to work hard,” Carrie said.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor has Dalton rated as the No. 7 overall prospect in this draft. O’Connor described Dalton as a “Do-it-all scorer from all areas of the floor who has a tendency to catch fire.”
Carrie said she doesn’t have a preference for which team drafts Dalton.
“Wherever he goes, he goes,” Carrie said.
Dana Nelson — who has Tennessee Volunteers apparel, including a “Knecht 3” t-shirt — is excited to see what’s next for Dalton. She purchased mini foam fingers for Wednesday’s party at the Enderlin VFW.
“People are really excited to see where he goes next so we can continue to follow him,” Dana Nelson said. “His fan base is blowing up around here.”