By Ryan Cloud
Vols Weekly
What a roller coaster ride the transfer portal has been.CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein defines it best when he coined the term “Portal Kombat.”
Tennessee basketball has picked up some great additions with commitments from Felix Okpara (ranked 54th among transfers), Darlinstone Dubar (ranked 60th) and Igor Milicic Jr. (ranked 151). Okpara brings a solid post presence to Tennessee that can replace the production lost with the transfer of Jonas Aidoo. Dubar provides the Vols with a scorer who can slash to the basket and create his own shot when needed. Milicic is a stretch four who can help create driving lanes while knocking down the occasional three-point shot.
But Rick Barnes and the Vols aren’t done yet. As of Friday, it was announced that the Vols held a slight lead over Kentucky for the services of North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier. One of the most efficient scorers in the portal, Lanier averaged 19.7 points per game last season with a true shooting percentage of 67%. The eighth-ranked player in the portal, Lanier also shot 44% from beyond the arc.
While Lanier intends to go through the draft process before making his decision, he did not get invited to the NBA Draft Combine. Failure to gain an invite could push his timeline up a little more. With that said, both Tennessee and Kentucky message boards feel strong about their chances to land the guard.
In Tennessee’s case, landing Lanier could serve as a prime replacement for Dalton Knecht. If last year proved anything, it’s that your team needs a shooter who can take over the game when called upon. That could be Lanier next year. With Zakai Zeigler directing the team from the point, a slasher in Dubar, a stretch four in Milicic and a strong presence down low with Okpara, Lanier is the right puzzle piece to fit into Barnes’ system.
Now, it’s just a waiting game to see what happens. Who knows, by the time this article is publishes, the race may already be over.
Comments