The Tennessee Volunteers landed a commitment from former North Florida guard and Nashville native Chaz Lanier, he announced Friday.
Lanier chose the Vols over Kentucky and BYU after recently visiting all three schools.
Lanier, a first-team All-ASUN selection with averages of 19.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while making 106 3-pointers on 44 percent, is the Vols’ fourth transfer portal addition including center Igor Milicic Jr., (Charlotte), center Felix Okpara (Ohio State) and forward Darlingstone Dubar (Hofstra).
After receiving feedback at last week’s NBA G-League Elite Camp in Chicago, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard will withdraw his name from the 2024 NBA Draft.
NEWS: Chaz Lanier will transfer to Tennessee
Lanier was 1st team A-Sun with averages 19.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last season at North Florida @TheAthleticCBB pic.twitter.com/Rapx55tBlj
— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) May 24, 2024
Expect Tennessee to use the elite shooter similarly to potential NBA lottery pick Dalton Knecht who led the Vols to an SEC regular-season title and Elite Eight appearance.
According to Synergy Basketball, Lanier was the most efficient offensive player in the country with 19.7 points per game on 16.3 possessions (1.20 points per possession).
He shot 51 percent from the field, led the ASUN in scoring and scored 629 points this season, becoming only the second player in program history to score more than 600 points in a season. With Lanier in the fold, Tennessee has a strong chance to win the SEC again and make another deep tournament run.
What’s next for Kentucky?
Lanier to Tennessee is not only a big win for the Vols but also a loss for Kentucky and new coach Mark Pope. Lanier visited BYU, Kentucky and Tennessee on consecutive days recently. The Wildcats have done quite well in the portal, but they need to finish their roster with a talented wing scorer and made a major push for Lanier to fill that role.
Lanier would’ve also made UK arguably the most dangerous 3-point shooting team in the country. The Cats already have Kobe Brea (49.8 percent from 3 last season), Kerr Kriisa (42.4 percent), Ansley Almonor (39.4 percent) and Andrew Carr (37.1 percent).
Lanier, who shot 44 percent from deep on 7.5 attempts per game last season, would’ve given Kentucky an embarrassment of riches from beyond the arc – playing in Pope’s offense, which ranked No. 2 nationally in 3-point attempts last season at BYU.
So what now for Pope and the Cats?
They wait to see if Jaxson Robison, the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year last season playing for Pope at BYU, pulls out of the NBA draft before the May 29 deadline. If he does, Kentucky would be in great position to land the 6-foot-7 wing who averaged 14.2 points and shot 35 percent from 3 for the Cougars last season.
If Robinson stays in the draft – or picks another school – the Wildcats would likely push for a commitment and reclassification from five-star 2025 recruit Will Riley.
Riley, a 6-foot-8 wing who is averaging 21.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists on the Nike grassroots circuit this spring, has expressed serious interest in Kentucky and plans to visit campus in June. He also has not shot down rampant speculation that he’ll move up to the 2024 class and play college basketball this fall.
Required reading
(Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
