Getty Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope
After a honeymoon college hoops month in which much went right for new Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope, something finally went decidedly wrong. The Wildcats lost out on a key player in the transfer portal, as North Florida scorer Chaz Lanier rebuffed Pope and UK and announced he was signing with Tennessee.
It is a tough blow for Kentucky, and in a way, the Lanier decision shows how much had changed for UK even before coach John Calipari departed for Arkansas in April. Lanier chose Tennessee, the defending SEC champ, because of coach Rick Barnes, and likely would have done so no matter who was coaching Kentucky basketball.
Lanier had taken visits with Kentucky and BYU, in addition to Tennessee.
Tennessee and Barnes had created a pathway for former North Colorado guard Dalton Knecht, who is likely to be a Top 5 pick in next month’s NBA draft. The Vols sold Lanier on following Knecht’s path, something Pope was not able to match.
“UT was the best because of the fit and the play style,” Lanier said, per ESPN. “I’ll be able to showcase my ability to put the ball in the basket at the highest level of college basketball, and also develop my defense under a hall of fame coach in Rick Barnes, who has a track record of sending players to the NBA.
“Tennessee never compared me to Dalton in terms of our play style or game, but we did talk about the route he took which is a very similar path. It’s possible I can do the same thing.”
Chaz Lanier Averaged 19.7 Points Last Season
Lanier is a polished 6-foot-4 scoring guard who averaged 19.7 points for the North Florida Ospreys last year. It was a breakout season for Lanier, as he had averaged just 4.2 points on 42.3% shooting in his first three seasons. But he got his shot together as a fourth-year junior, making 51.0% from the field and 44.0% from the 3-point line.
He was a first-team All A-Sun player last year, after spending most of his career coming off the bench. There is some question about how well his numbers from last season will translate in 2024-25, because the A-Sun is ranked as the worst conference in the nation, and Lanier’s production might well have been a one-off.
Lanier will need to put up good numbers to have a chance at making the leap into the NBA—few scouts rate him as even a second-round pick in 2025.
Kentucky Basketball Still Has an Option
The Wildcats had certainly put their chips in on Lanier, as the team searches for a proven collegiate scorer. His efficiency as a shooter would most certainly have been welcome.
But Kentucky also is awaiting the decision of BYU star Jaxson Robinson, who has until Wednesday to decide whether he is keeping his name in for the NBA draft or whether he is returning to college. Once he makes that decision, he will have to pick which college he’ll be attending in 2024-25—he is in the transfer portal.
Pope, of course, has been his coach with the Cougars, and the presumption is that Robinson will join Pope in Lexington if he pulls out of the draft. Robinson averaged 14.2 points for BYU last season but he is not nearly as good a shooter as Lanier. He made 42.6% from the field last year and 35.4% from the 3-point line. On his career, he’s shot 40.5% from the field and 34.3% from the 3-point line.