When Kentucky basketball assistant Cody Fueger tweets “BOOM!”, you know a commitment is on the horizon.
Unfortunately, a “BOOM!” This time it never came, as Chaz Lanier has committed to the Tennessee Volunteers, according to Keynote USA’s Jonathan Givony.
Lanier recently visited BYU, Kentucky and Tennessee in that order, and the Vols emerged victorious.
NEWS: Former North Florida guard Chaz Lanier, one of the top players available in the transfer portal, has committed to Tennessee, he told Keynote USA. Lanier was among the best shooters in college basketball last season, averaging 20 points per game and making 44% of his three-point attempts. pic.twitter.com/djJ9VRZ60R
-Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 24, 2024
Ranked 11th by 247 Sports and 42nd by Keynote USA, Lanier was a highly sought after prospect. Originally from Nashville, he was believed to be a Tennessee native during a long period of his recruiting. While Kentucky pushed, with Mark Pope and Co. having multiple meetings with Lanier (virtual and in-person), he ultimately decided to play at home for the Vols.
While Lanier did not commit to Kentucky, you have to appreciate his history and work ethic. As a 5-foot-6 freshman in high school, Lanier had to work his way up, moving from Freshman to Junior Varsity and finally Varsity, growing to 6-foot-4.
As a senior, he earned state honors and was a finalist for the Tennessee Mr. Basketball award. Despite that, he had limited exposure, as he had never played on a Grassroots circuit. As an unranked prospect with only two Division 1 offers, North Florida and Campbell, Lanier chose North Florida.
Much like his high school career, nothing came easy for Lanier and he had to work to achieve success once again. As a freshman, he admitted that he wasn’t ready to play. Of 32 games, he appeared in only 10, averaging less than 10 minutes per game.
Lanier saw more playing time in his second and third years, becoming the Sixth Man in his third year. However, he was still playing behind three All-Conference level players. With that, he became accustomed to playing the role of three-yard player off the bench.
By staying smart and patient, Lanier had a great senior campaign last season. After averaging less than five points on just four attempts per game as a junior, Lanier astronomically increased his averages to 19.7 points and with over 50% field goals and 44% three-pointers, becoming one of the most efficient scorers from the country. .
“One of the key guys graduated and two others transferred, so that spot opened up to be the guy.” Lanier told reporters. “I was prepared for it. I stayed down for it. I worked and the opportunity presented itself. And I made the most of it.”
Lanier has been testing the waters of the NBA Draft, including an appearance at the NBA G-League Camp, where he wanted to showcase his defensive and playmaking ability. He returns to college with the goal of proving that he is more than just a scorer and doing so against better competition. Unfortunately, that will be with Kentucky’s rival to the south.
For Kentucky, there is still a role for a high-scoring option on the roster. The focus will be on Jaxson Robinson, Wooga Poplar and potentially others.
In the next.
Keynote USA
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