Last year it was Dalton Knecht hearing his name called in the NBA Draft. Will Tennessee have another called this year? It’s much more questionable this time around, but according to a big board released by ESPN, Chaz Lanier seems like he’s got a good chance.
Lanier, the Nashville native and latest transfer portal success story for Rick Barnes, is ranked No. 42 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. That would obviously project Lanier has a mid-second round selection in next month’s NBA Draft.
The 6-4, 199 pound guard is 23 years old, coming off of one big season of production in perhaps the greatest conference of all time. Lanier averaged 18 points per game, shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range. He didn’t quite have the game-takeover ability that Knecht had, but he filled his shoes nicely to help lead Tennessee to another Elite Eight.
Lanier previously spent four years at North Florida, where he was a role player for three seasons. The light came on for Lanier in his fourth year at North Florida as Lanier exploded out of nowhere to average nearly 20 points per game. His minutes jumped from 19.6 to north of 33 per game, and Lanier responded by hitting 44 percent of his shots from long range. He’ll now take that quick shooting stroke to the NBA level, where he could likely fit as a shooter off the bench.
Igor Milicic was also ranked in the top 100 by Givony. The Charlotte transfer ranks 94th overall, likely staring at an undrafted free agent route to get started as a professional. Milicic, standing in at 6-10, 225 pounds, scored 9.4 points and pulled down 6.7 rebounds per game for Tennessee in his lone season with the Vols. Milicic’s father is a decorated head coach over in Poland, so that could be a natural backup plan for Igor if the NBA doesn’t work out.
Looking ahead, Nate Ament checked in at No. 4 overall in an ESPN 2026 NBA Mock Draft. The five-star prospect picked Tennessee over Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas and several others a few weeks ago, giving Rick Barnes an elite prospect to mold for one season. The 6-9 forward will be a focal point for Tennessee this upcoming season in hopes of going very early in the 2026 draft.
The 2025 NBA Draft is set for Wednesday, June 25th. ABC and ESPN will have the coverage.