ESPN has two Tennessee players ranked in top-100 prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft
Two Tennessee Basketball players are ranked in ESPN’s top 100 prospects for the NBA Draft. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony recently ranked Chaz Lanier at No. 42 overall and Igor Milicic Jr. at No. 94 overall ahead of this summer’s NBA Draft.
Lanier starred for the Vols after headlining their NCAA Transfer Portal class, averaging 18.0 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 39.5% from the 3-point line and 43.1% from the field.
He broke Tennessee’s single-season 3-point record by making 123 threes in 38 games.
Milicic averaged 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.4 minutes per game, starting all 37 games he appeared in during his only season at Tennessee.
Milicic transferred to the Vols from Charlotte and Lanier, a Nashville native, transferred from North Florida, picking his home-state school over Kentucky and BYU.
Where Chaz Lanier is projected in ESPN’s NBA mock draft
Givony in his NBA mock draft three weeks had Lanier as the No. 41 overall pick to the Golden State Warriors. Milicic was not in the mock draft.
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.
Lanier won the Jerry West Award on Saturday, given annually to college basketball’s best shooting guard, and was also named third-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and The Sporting News.
He was also named an All-American by the Wooden Award, was First Team All-SEC and won the SEC’s Newcomer of the Year award.
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Tennessee Basketball’s NBA Draft history during the Rick Barnes era
Eight Tennessee players have been drafted during the Rick Barnes era, including four first-round picks. The Vols have had 13 first-round picks in program history and 15 second-round picks.
Dalton Knecht was the No. 17 overall pick in last summer’s NBA Draft, selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. The other three-first round picks were Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer in 2021 and Grant Williams in 2019.
Johnson went at No. 21 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers and Springer was picked at No. 28 by the Philadelphia 76ers. Williams was selected by the Boston Celtics at No. 22 overall.
Three Tennessee players were picked in the 2019 NBA Draft. Williams going in the first round was followed by Admiral Schofield (No. 42 overall, Washington Wizards) and Jordan Bone (No. 57, Detroit Pistons) in the second round.
Kennedy Chandler and Julian Phillips were also second-round picks. Chandler went at No. 38 overall to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022 and Phillips was the No. 35 overall pick to the Chicago Bulls in 2023.
