Former Tennessee Vols standouts Dalton Knecht and Santiago Vescovi faced off in NBA summer league matchup on Sunday night

Former Tennessee Vols guard Santiago Vescovi will go down in Tennessee basketball lore as one of the most beloved players ever for his dedication to the program over five seasons and his relentless effort on the court.

On the other end of the spectrum, Dalton Knecht also etched himself into Tennessee record books - and the hearts of fans - in just one season in Knoxville after winning SEC Player of the Year and first-team All-American honors while pacing the Vols to their first Elite Eight appearance in 14 years.

Both players are looking to establish themselves at the next level of the sport, albeit coming from substantially different places.  Knecht, the 17th overall pick with the Los Angeles Lakers , should end up in a key role for the Lakers, likely no worse than a significant contributor off the bench this season.

Vescovi, however, has much further to go to earn a shot.  Undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft, he signed as a free agent with the Golden State Warriors, joining the other new faces and roster hopefuls on the Warriors' NBA Summer League team.

As it would be, Knecht and Vescovi's teams faced off Sunday evening from the Chase Center in San Francisco, which Golden State won handily 92-68.  Knecht led the Lakers with 12 points, adding 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist.  However, he struggled to find his shot again after an off-night shooting in the Lakers' opener on Saturday , making just 3 of 13 attempts from the field.

He did manage to have one of the plays of the game, cutting through the lane and slamming the ball home between two defenders in the third quarter.

Vescovi managed to have some moments during his 15 minutes on the court.  He scored 6 points on 3 of 4 shooting, including sinking a wild runner through contact for an and-one opportunity.  He also managed to swipe a rebound away from his old teammate Knecht for a putback basket.

Seeing former UT teammates face off against each other directly is a bit of an odd sight, but hey, that's a good thing as it means more VFLs are finding their way into the league searching for an opportunity to continue playing.  We'll see as the summer goes on how much of an impression Vescovi can make with the Warriors.