Chaz Lanier was an integral part of Tennessee basketball’s continued success this season as well as leading the Vols back to another Elite 8. The transfer from North Florida averaged 18.0 points per game last season with the Vols while shooting 43.1% from the field and 39.5% from the 3-point line. He made 123 3-pointers in 38 games, breaking the previous record of 118 held by Chris Lofton.
Well NBA scouts and writers are taking notice as Lanier participated in the NBA Draft Combine on Tuesday in Chicago.
ESPN listed Lanier as one of the standouts at the combine after he shot 77% from the field during shooting drills. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote, “We knew Lanier would look like one of the best shooters entering the combine, and that carried over Tuesday.”
“He has been one of the premier perimeter shot-makers in college basketball over the past two seasons, making 44% of his 3s in 2023-24 at North Florida and 39.5% last season at Tennessee.”
Lanier finished second in shooting percentage on Tuesday only behind Alabama’s Mark Sears who shot 83%.
The former Tennessee guard has a 39-inch max vertical, measured 6-foot-3 barefoot and had a 6-foot-9 wingspan.
“He finished in the top five in all three 3-point shooting drills,” said Borzello, “and his touch and agility also caught the eyes of scouts. He had the fifth-fastest time in the pro lane agility drill, the third-highest no-step vertical leap and the fourth-highest max vertical leap.”
ESPN updated its NBA Mock Draft projections and has Lanier going No. 42 overall to the Sacramento Kings.
Rick Barnes has done an excellent job catapulting Tennessee to one of the top programs in the SEC and all of college basketball. He has produced four first-round picks (Dalton Knecht, Keon Johnson, Jaden Springer and Grant Williams) and four second-round picks (Julian Phillips, Kennedy Chandler, Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone) in his 10 seasons as Tennessee’s head coach.