NBA Draft: Tennessee's Chaz Lanier Continues Hot Start in Baylor Win

In a 77-62 victory over Baylor, Tennessee’s star senior, Chaz Lanier, exploded offensively and has continued to gain attention ahead of the 2025 NBA draft.

Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier (2) dribbles the ball during an NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Montana Grizzlies at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee has a very well-rounded roster this season, and this has shown up against tough competition in the early part of the season. Led by transfer Chaz Lanier, scoring outbursts have been a nightly occurrence.

While Lanier stood out in his previous two Power Five matchups against Louisville and Virginia, his performance against No. 13 Baylor has significantly elevated his draft stock due to his undeniable offensive game. Let’s take a look at Lanier’s hot start to the season and highlight his most recent game, where he played a major role in helping Tennessee knock off a ranked opponent.

Lanier is a 6-foot-4 and 199 lbs wing who has clearly been ready to compete at a higher level after transferring to Tennessee from North Florida. Through his first six games of the season, he has led the Volunteers in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game while also contributing 2.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals. He has not skipped a beat since joining his new team and seems prepared to keep this hot streak going with impressive efficiency, as seen in his shooting splits of 48.8%/54.8%/83.3%. As mentioned earlier, he had already faced off against two Power Five programs before his matchup with Baylor, averaging 22.5 points while leading Tennessee to a 22-point victory in each of those games. While his performances against Virginia and Louisville were impressive, he took his game to the next level in his most recent victory over Baylor.

Lanier got off to a hot start against the Bears, scoring all 25 of his points in the first half while knocking down seven threes. He clearly wanted to showcase his scoring ability, aggressively hunting for shots to help the Volunteers secure a 27-point lead at the break. He got to his spots with ease, both on and off the ball, and looked extremely comfortable taking shots from deep, regardless of how he got to them. He also navigated screens well, which appears to be one of his most translatable skills in terms of pro potential. The shooting was lights-out in the first half, as he hit 7-of-8 attempts from beyond the arc, with multiple shots coming from well beyond NBA range. While his shooting stood out, he has demonstrated a much more well-rounded game in other performances.

When elite mid-major players transfer to much larger schools, it is not always safe to assume that their productivity will carry over. Last season at North Florida, Lanier averaged 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists, so his numbers have looked quite similar. This strong start is a small sample size of who he is as a player, but it offers hope that this level of play will be a consistent factor moving forward. His success last season at a lower-level school was also just a one-year sample, so there were still questions ahead of this season. He seems to have answered the majority of those questions with his excellent start through six games.

Lanier has filled the role left vacant by former first-round pick Dalton Knecht. While he may not be quite the same level of prospect at this point, he has the potential to continue expanding his game and climb further up draft boards.

All 7 of Chaz Lanier’s 3’s from the first half. pic.twitter.com/Fe3dEea9cs

— Kerry Williams (@kerrywilliams_) November 23, 2024

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