Dalton Knecht, No. 2 Tennessee Thrill March Madness Fans with Rout vs. Saint Peter's

Tennessee basketball came into Thursday's NCAA tournament matchup against St. Peter's eager to avoid an upset against a team that made a miraculous Elite Eight run in 2022.

The No. 2 Vols had no trouble against the No. 15 Peacocks, picking up a dominant 83-49 win behind a big night from star guard Dalton Knecht. Tennessee will now take on No. 7 Texas in the Round of 32 on Saturday.

The All-American and SEC Player of the Year Knecht was locked in during his first NCAA tournament. The Northern Colorado transfer had 23 points and eight rebounds on an efficient 8-of-15 from the floor.

Vols' big man Jonas Aidoo added 15 points and guard Zakai Zeigler had a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.

Knecht, who had seven games where he scored 30+ points this season, is looking to lead the Vols to their first Final Four appearance in program history this season. A strong start to the tournament has fans convinced he can do it.

Beating a No. 15 seed is to be expected, but the Vols' dominance has fans ready for what could be a deep run. Tennessee still has a long road ahead, but with an elite scorer like Knecht and a solid group of veterans, it seems this could be the team that finally gets the Vols to the Final Four.