It seems as if Tennessee will get the last shot with Chaz Lanier. However, there is another school reportedly in the mix.
BYU, apparently, and quietly received an official visit this weekend from Lanier, who was previously thought to be down to just Tennessee and Kentucky. Now, the competition is heating up for the 6-foot-4 shooting guard transfer from North Florida.
While BYU could make a real run at Lanier, sources close to his recruitment still believe any choice other than Kentucky or Tennessee would be surprising. Understandably, NIL promises are a strong factor in his recruitment.
Lanier’s previous final two schools, before BYU entered the mix, couldn’t be much more different. Maybe that’s what’s taking the highly touted transfer so long to make his decision.
Based on sources from both sides, it’s a close battle, one that likely will come down to NIL money. That makes sense considering just how different the Cats and Vols are nowadays.
In Tennessee, Lanier can help the Vols take the next step in a more known atmosphere. Lanier was nearly committed – or perhaps committed – all together before a coaching change in the commonwealth moved the chess pieces.
Lanier, who is from Nashville, could also star at Kentucky, which is certainly a basketball blue blood. However, after John Calipari bolted for Arkansas, there’s some ambiguity in the commonwealth. Moreover, the two teams need for Lanier is far different. Lanier could be the main scorer at Tennessee, but just be one of the guys at Kentucky.
One would think Tennessee coach Rick Barnes would better prepare Lanier for the NBA, given his track record of doing so, compared to first-year Kentucky coach Mark Pope, but the Vols don’t want to look too far back in the past. Barnes would get my vote as a coach. Kentucky wins most of these battles with tradition as a backdrop.
The Wildcats have an appeal that few teams in the nation can match. Most any basketball player is going to take a backseat to a football player on Tennessee’s campus. If you’re a basketball player and want to be a star, Lexington has Knoxville beat hands down. However, there’s a way to battle that.
Barnes only needs to point to Dalton Knecht last season as proof of how welcoming Tennessee’s fan base can be. Knecht was like a fifth Beatle for a few months in Knoxville and would certainly be sports royalty if he had more time as a Vol. In fact, given UT’s fan base, he’ll still be beloved. Would he get that with a one-and-done, standout season among many other stand-out players? If so, Lanier is even better than we thought.
This all seems a bit convoluted to be about just one player. Maybe that’s because Kentucky has options and those options will respond to whatever Lanier does. Also, preseason prognosticators can’t forecast the Vols until they know where Lanier lands. With another school added to the mix, there seems to be no hurry. Let the bidding continue.
One Response
The notion that Rick Barns, coach of UT or John Caliparei, Arkansas’ New coach both can prepare players for the NBA better than UK coach, Mark Pope or any one else is “bull sh??!” Players make it to the next level on their own talent and hard work and speculation on how good they might be. All they need is a little guidance and motivation!
Does any know that Mark Pope might know a little bit about the NBA sense he played in the league for 10 years? How many years did Rick Barns or John Calipari play in the League? Calipari was a coach there but my memory tells me he wasn’t that sussefull!