ESPN's Jay Bilas lauds Tennessee Basketball's work in the NCAA Transfer Portal
After striking gold in the NCAA Transfer Portal over the last two cycles, ESPN’s Jay Bilas compared Rick Barnes and Tennessee Basketball to ‘The Natural’ during the network’s NBA Draft coverage Thursday night.
“Tennessee, they got Dalton Knecht through the transfer portal,” Bilas said, “and they turn around and get Chaz Lanier from North Florida.
“They find Roy Hobbs every time they turn a corner,” Bilas added, the fictional main character in the book ‘The Natural’ by Bernard Malmud in 1952, which was later turned into a movie in 1984.
Knecht, Lanier went from NCAA Transfer Portal to NBA Draft picks
Knecht, the Northern Colorado transfer, was an All-American and the SEC Player of the Year in his one season at Tennessee, leading the Vols to an SEC regular-season championship and a run to the Elite Eight.
Lanier, from North Florida, was the SEC Newcomer of the Year and won the Jerry West Award while helping take Tennessee back to the Elite Eight.
Knecht was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, selected by the Los Angeles Lakers midway through the first round. Lanier on Thursday night was selected at No. 37 overall, taken by the Detroit Pistons early in the second round.
Knecht was an instant star after transferring to Tennessee. He was a consensus First Team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year after averaging 21.7 points per game and 25.5 points in SEC play.
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He scored a career-high 40 points against Kentucky in his final game at Food City Center. He scored 30 or more points in eight games, 20 or more points in 19 games and 10 or more points in 32 of Tennessee’s 36 games.
‘(My) year at Tennessee really helped me get ready for the next level’
Lanier in his one season at Tennessee averaged 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.
The Nashville native transferred to Tennessee from North Florida, picking the home-state Vols over Kentucky and BYU. He 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.
“(My) year at Tennessee really helped me get ready for the next level in a numerous amount of ways,” Lanier said Thursday night, “especially on defense. And on the offensive side, being able to play faster and just do everything a step faster.”
