Tennessee basketball has been battling with an SEC rival for the commitment of the top guard in the transfer portal. The Vols have received predictions to land Chaz Lanier out of North Florida, but Kentucky has become a big player for the Ospreys guard over the past few weeks.
First-year Kentucky head coach Mark Pope is looking to make a splash in the transfer portal to build some momentum ahead of his first season as the Wildcats coach. However, after numerous conversations with Lanier and his family, it seems like his recruitment is still wide open between the two SEC programs.
Lanier and his family spent a lot of time talking with Pope at the NBA Draft Combine and between visits, but after all of his conversations with Kentucky, Lanier still decided to take an official visit to Tennessee.
He came to Knoxville earlier this week to see all the Vols had to offer, and students came prepared, painting the rock as a recruiting tool for Lanier. Since his visit, Tennessee has gained a lot of momentum to earn his commitment.
Rumors swirling on Twitter/X say Lanier has made a decision but hasn't announced where he intends to play. Those rumors say that Lanier will be a Vol for the 2024-25 season. While it's not official, having this much hype build up after his official visit has to say good things for the Tennessee program.
On3 Sports has Lanier's recruiting down to Kentucky and Tennessee. According to On3, it's essentially a flip of the coin: The Vols have a slight edge over Kentucky, with 53.3% confidence he will go to Tennessee and 46.7% going to Kentucky.
Lanier was one of the most efficient scorers in all of college basketball last season and he showed off his shooting skills at the NBA Combine earlier this month. He showed off his shooting ability, specifically from three and made over 20 straight three-point shots at one point during the combine.
UNF’s Chaz Lanier ripped off 20+ straight threes (18 in video) at the Tandem Pro Day — the most consecutive makes I saw during combine week.
— Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) May 20, 2024
Measured w/ a + 5 ¼” wingspan at the G League Elite Camp.
Among the most highly coveted transfer portal targets testing the draft waters. pic.twitter.com/H5Xb8Nnw8M
Lanier entered the portal and entered his name in the NBA Draft earlier this spring to weigh all his options, but he seems to be leaning towards returning to college for one more season.
Last season, he averaged 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 51% from the field and 44% from three. Adding Lanier would add another Dalton Knecht-type player to the roster on the offensive end of the court.
The Vols have a few scholarships still available after the spring transfer window and don't seem to be in too much of a hurry to fill those spots. Rick Barnes and company have their priority set on adding another efficient scorer to the roster for next season, and Lanier could be their guy.