Chaz Lanier shot his way into Tennessee basketball history and into the NBA.
Lanier was picked at No. 37 overall by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft on June 26.
Lanier averaged 18 points and shot 39.5% on 3-pointers in his lone season at Tennessee. The guard set the Vols’ record for 3-pointers in a season with 123, breaking Chris Lofton’s mark of 118 that stood since the 2007-08 season.
The Nashville native is the ninth player drafted under coach Rick Barnes. The Vols have had a player picked in five straight NBA drafts for the first time since the NBA moved to a two-round draft in 1989.
Lanier won the Jerry West Award as the top shooting guard in the nation. He was named SEC Newcomer of the Year, a new award given to a transfer who has not previously competed in the SEC. He also earned a handful of third-team All-American honors, a remarkable rise after he averaged 1.7 points as a freshman at North Florida in the 2020-21 season.
Chaz Lanier stats with Tennessee basketball
Lanier broke Lofton’s 3-pointer record against UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and is one of three players in UT history to make more than 100 3-pointers in a season. His 123 3-pointers marks the sixth-highest single-season total in SEC history.
He had a season-high 30 points and made eight 3-pointers at Texas A&M on Feb. 22 to become the fourth player in program history to make eight or more 3’s in a game. Lofton did it twice, while Allan Houston and Jordan McRae each did it once.
He ranks ninth in Tennessee history with 684 points in a season. He is eighth in career 3-point shooting percentage (39.5%) and fourth with 3.24 made 3-pointers per game in a season.
Lanier scored 29 points against Wofford in Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament opener on March 20. He made six 3-pointers to tie the UT NCAA Tournament record.
Chaz Lanier scouting report in 2025 NBA Draft
Lanier’s calling card is his shooting ability, and that is his path to a spot in the NBA. He shot 40.2% from 3 in his college career, including a 44% mark at North Florida in 2023-24. He is an elite catch-and-shoot guard who plays well off screens and is always a threat to shoot when he gets the ball.
He is physical and big enough at 6-foot-4, 199 pounds to hang defensively in the NBA, and he made major strides on that end of the court at Tennessee.
Lanier didn’t often create his own shot by breaking down defenders at Tennessee. He relies on his savvy, using spacing and his athleticism to get open and score. He can get points at the rim but isn’t a player who gets there a lot off the dribble.
He was a role player at North Florida for two seasons, averaging 4.5 and 4.7 points as a sophomore and junior, respectively. He averaged 19.7 points in 2023-24 in his breakout season.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.