One more transfer portal move Tennessee basketball needs to make

The transfer portal has closed to new entries, but Tennessee basketball could look to make one more move before solidifying its roster for the 2024-25 season. Tennessee lost eight scholarship players to the transfer portal and graduation this offseason, so the Vols have plenty of scholarships to work within the portal. 

Tennessee has three players in its 2024 transfer class as of April 1: Ohio State transfer center Felix Okpara, Hofstra transfer forward Darlinstone Dubar, and most recently, Charlotte transfer forward Igor Milicic Jr. 

Those three additions round out Tennessee's depth at the three, four, and five positions, but Rick Barnes might be looking to add a guard to the 2024 roster to bring a little more depth to the Vols bench. 

One name that has been thrown around with Tennessee is North Florida transfer guard Chaz Lanier. Lanier had a breakout season last year, averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 51% from the field and 44% from three. 

Along with entering the transfer portal, Lanier also entered his name into the NBA Draft and will go through the entire draft process. He may hear his name called in this year's NBA Draft because he was one of the country's best, most efficient shooters last year. 

When he entered the portal, he immediately jumped to the top of the board, ranked the No. 1 combo guard and No. 6 overall player in the portal. This means there will be plenty of competition for Lanier, including Tennessee rival Kentucky, who seems to be a big player for Lanier. 

The addition of Lanier would bring another Dalton Knecht-like shooter to Tennessee's lineup next season. His scoring efficiency brings a 61% true shooting percentage, and Synergy Basketball ranks him as the most efficient scorer in the country. 

You may recognize a familiar name at No. 4 in Synergy's rankings. Dubar is another highly efficient scorer and could be lethal with Lanier. With shooting struggles last season, Barnes has emphasized targeting high-efficiency scorers in the portal. 

While we don't know if Lanier will enter his name into the NBA Draft or return to college, On3 Recruiting's Jamie Shaw has predicted Lanier to commit to Tennessee with a 60% confidence score. Tennessee is currently the only team on the list and could be the leader in the clubhouse for Lanier.