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ESPN explains why Tennessee's Chaz Lanier stood out at the NBA Draft Combine

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•05/14/25•

GrantRamey

Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Basketball | Andrew Ferguson, Tennessee Athletics
Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Basketball | Andrew Ferguson, Tennessee Athletics

Chaz Lanier was one of the best shooters in college basketball the last two seasons and he looked the part at the NBA Draft Combine on Tuesday in Chicago. ESPN listed Lanier as one of the combine standouts after he shot 77% from the field during shooting drills.

“We knew Lanier would look like one of the best shooters entering the combine,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote, “and that carried over Tuesday.

“He has been one of the premier perimeter shotmakers 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.”

Chaz Lanier was second in shooting percentage at NBA Draft Combine

Lanier has a 39-inch max vertical, measured 6-foot-3 barefoot and had a 6-foot-9 wingspan. His 77% shooting, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, was second highest of the day, behind only Alabama’s mark Sears at 83%. 

“He finished in the top five in all three 3-point shooting drills,” Borzello wrote, “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 after the league held its draft lottery Monday night. Lanier is now projected to go at No. 42 overall to the Sacramento Kings in the second round.

Before the lottery, ESPN has Lanier going No. 41 overall to the Golden State Warriors. ESPN on March 25 ranked Lanier No. 38 on its list of the top 100 NBA Draft prospects.

Chaz Lanier last season: 18.0 points, 43.1% FG, 39.5% 3FG, 123 3FG

Lanier, a Nashville native who spent one season at Tennessee after transferring from North Florida, averaged his 18.0 points per game last season 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. 

Lanier had a breakout senior year at North Florida in 2023-24, averaging 19.7 points per game and making 108 threes in 32 games, shooting a career-high 44.0% from the 3-point line.

He entered the NCAA Transfer Portal last spring while going through the NBA Draft process, before ultimately picking Tennessee over Kentucky and BYU.

Head coach Rick Barnes 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. The Vols have had 13 first-round picks in program history and 15 second-round picks.

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