North Florida transfer guard Chaz Lanier arrives in Knoxville for official visit at Tennessee
North Florida transfer guard Chaz Lanier arrived in Knoxville Monday night to begin his official visit with Tennessee Basketball, sources told Volquest. The high-scoring guard, coming off visits to BYU and Kentucky, is scheduled to be with the Vols through Tuesday night.
On his drive through campus, Lanier noticed Vol fans painting the rock on campus in his honor and stopped by to check it out.
A recruiting dead period begins Wednesday and runs through June 3. Lanier has until May 29 to remove his name from the NBA Draft to retain his collegiate eligibility. Tennessee is seemingly getting the final visit for Lanier, who announced his intentions to go through the NBA Draft process on March 16 and entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on April 24.
He competed in the NBA’s G League Elite camp last week in Chicago and also held a pro day before the three recruiting visits.
Chaz Lanier last season: 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists in 33.4 minutes per game
Lanier is a Nashville native — he attended Ensworth School before going to North Florida — and averaged 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 33.4 minutes per game last season, shooting 51.0% from the field and 44.0% from the 3-point line.
According to Synergy Basketball, his 19.7 points came on just 16.3 possessions per game, putting him at 1.20 points per possession and ranked No. 1 in scoring efficiency last season.
Lanier at the G League Elite Camp measured in at 6-foot-3.75 without shoes. He had a 6-foot-9 wingspan and weighed in at 196.0 pounds. He had a max vertical of 36.0 inches and a standing vertical of 30.0 inches.
In two games there he scored 10 points in 33 minutes, going 3-for-7 from the field, including 1-for-4 from the 3-point line, and aded five rebounds, an assist and a turnover.
Tennessee has added three players from NCAA Transfer Portal so far
Tennessee so far has added three transfers out of the portal: Hofstra wing Darlinstone Dubar, Charlotte forward Igor Milicic Jr. and Ohio State center Felix Okpara.
Rick Barnes and his staff is in the midst of changing seven total roster spots from the 2023-24 to 2024-25 seasons. The three transfers added to this point helped offset the losses of forwards Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka, as well as redshirt freshmen guards Freddie Dilione V and DJ Jefferson, who all entered the transfer portal in April.
Aidoo transferred to Arkansas and Aidoo went to Arizona. Dilione signed with Penn State and Jefferson is headed to Longwood.
Tennessee still has three open roster spots to fill entering the summer months, should the Vols choose to fill all three. Lanier is the biggest name, and right now the only name, on the board for Barnes and his staff.
“It’s all new for me and my family,” Lanier said the NBA Draft process and his recruitment recently during an appearance on the ‘No Ceilings’ Podcast with Stephen Gillaspie, “but like I said, man, this is all God. It’s all a blessing man.
“It’s all brand new for me and my family, so I’m just enjoying the process and staying where my feet are planted and truly enjoying every day.”
