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The Tennessee Volunteers' chances in March Madness hinge partly to the production of touted scoring guard Chaz Lanier. Teams are already taking notice of Lanier ahead of the NBA draft.
The latest NBA mock draft projections largely have Lanier as a second-round pick. Yet, a strong March Madness performance could have Lanier emerge as part of the first-round conversation.
Heading into the SEC title game, Lanier is averaging 17.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1 assist per game while shooting 40.4% from long range in 33 starts.
One NBA team in the market for a scoring guard is the Sacramento Kings after trading De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs at the mid-season mark.
ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo's latest NBA mock draft released on March 13 has the Kings selecting Lanier in the second round with the No. 40 overall pick. The 6-foot-4 guard is a bit of an older NBA draft prospect at 23 years old.
Chaz Lanier has proven himself a surefire All-American and potential NBA draft pick at Tennessee — impressing teams with his sharpshooting, persistence, and toughness as the key catalyst for a top 5 team in CBB. https://t.co/orslKBFfay pic.twitter.com/23JomFP5UB
— Jacob Myers (@League_Him) February 25, 2025
Sacramento could look to pair Lanier with Zach LaVine. The two-time All-Star's five-year, $215 million contract is slated to go through the 2026-27 season.
"Tennessee's Chaz Lanier is one of the best shooters/scorers in college basketball, making 48% of his 3s this season," Givony reported in a Dec. 10, message on X. "Ton of NBA executives at Madison Square Garden to see him and the entire Jimmy V Classic field."
I think it’s time we start having some serious conversations about Chaz Lanier as not just an NBA prospect but potentially a late first round to early second round pick. He’s a certified sniper from behind the arc shooting 46.7% from 3 on 8.6 attempts per game and has also been… pic.twitter.com/39ufia9cyl
— Hutson Boggs (@hutson_boggs) January 5, 2025
A deep NCAA Tournament run could not only help the Vols but boost Lanier's NBA draft stock.
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Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should absolutely see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Why Yankees' trade for All-Star 3B is disappointing
The New York Yankees’ first move ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline falls a bit flat. They traded two prospects most fans have never heard of to acquire Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, a lackluster move that indicates New York is throwing in the towel on the 2025 season. McMahon is an upgrade — but only a slight one. Yankees GM Brian Cashman replaced a .147 hitter in Oswald Peraza with a .217 hitter in McMahon, who also happens to lead the National League in strikeouts (127). But really, New York just added another Anthony Volpe — one of the biggest problems in the Bombers’ lineup — to the left side of their infield. The two infielders’ 2025 stats tell virtually the same sad tale: McMahon: .217/.314/.403, 16 home runs Volpe: .214/.286/.400, 13 home runs The Yankees should have risked a top prospect or two for Arizona Diamondbacks power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A 2026 free agent, Suarez is a rental, but with his .252/.325/.593 slash line, 33 home runs and MLB-leading 86 RBI, he’d be a huge upgrade at third base, rather than a slight one. Instead, the Yankees opted for a player who they’ll have control over until 2028 and cost them almost nothing to acquire. Apparently, they believe McMahon will prove valuable in the long run, based on his advanced analytics. After all, he’s been crushing the ball in 2025, averaging a 94 mph exit velocity. However, his ability to hit the ball hard doesn’t mean he’s just been unlucky this year, as his xBA is just .232 — not too far below his .240 career actual batting average. Compare that to another guy who’s known for hitting the ball hard in Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who is hitting just .232 but has an xBA of .289. It doesn’t matter how hard McMahon hits the ball if he tends to hit it directly at a fielder. There’s still a week until the trade deadline, but don’t expect the Yankees to make any truly splashy moves. Suarez was the better choice to fix New York’s third base issues, and their pivot to McMahon was disappointing.
Raiders Add Former Chiefs, Texas DT After Christian Wilkins Release
The Las Vegas Raiders signed former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a four-year, $110 million deal last offseason. Unfortunately, he only played in five games during the 2024 NFL season due to an injury. Wilkins had not yet returned to the offseason program for the Raiders this year, as he suffered a setback in his recovery process. A bitter, ongoing debate between him and the franchise about how best to rehabilitate his injury led to his release on Thursday. After this sudden move, Las Vegas needed to act quickly to add another defensive tackle to the roster. On Friday, NFL Insider Aaron Wilson reported that the team had been awarded Keondre Coburn off waivers. "#Raiders awarded DT Keondre Coburn off waivers, per a league source," Wilson wrote. Coburn played his college football with the Texas Longhorns and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. There, he only played in one game during his rookie season, but won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs. He spent the last one and a half seasons with the Tennessee Titans, where he saw his role marginally increase. Coburn played in 15 contests last season for the Titans, starting one game and recording 14 tackles. The new regime in Las Vegas, spearheaded by head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek, will give Coburn another chance in the NFL. He is just 25 years old and lands with the Raiders after being waived by Tennessee the day prior.
'It's the violence of the cuts' – Dan Quinn details special traits of Commanders' rookie breakout candidate that can help the offense
The Washington Commanders already have a handful of players impressing at training camp before the pads come on and one of them can fix a major hole on the team. Commanders HC Dan Quinn was asked about a certain rookie on Friday and he had high praise for a late round gem. He spoke on what impressed him the most already and how he can standout even more in the next phase of training camp. Late round rookies like Jacory Croskey-Merritt usually take some time to see the field, but the opportunities are there for him and his traits set him apart. Making an early impression to Dan Quinn Training camp is vital for rookies to learn the new systems on offense and become acclimated with the pace of the NFL. Croskey-Merritt hasn't wasted any time with the coaching staff on showing what he brings to the table. The traits he showed on tape in college are translating to the field for the Commanders already. "It's the violence of the cuts," Quinn told the media. "You know that he can get his shoulders square and get downhill fast." Quinn also credited running back coach Anthony Lynn on how he's going to "absolutely get them right" in the running back room. The Commanders need fresh legs in the backfield after the running game fell on QB Jayden Daniels' shoulders in the second half of the season and Croskey-Merritt is like a Mustang with four fresh tires. He's got a unique blend of power and elusiveness that makes tacklers miss in the open field and more importantly shows the vision to make the right reads and cuts. That's what Quinn looks for in practice right now, making the right reads on a play. "Running backs are sometimes the hardest," Quinn mentioned. "But what you can evaluate is the explosion on the cut, the assignment, was the read correct?" The next steps at practice for Croskey-Merritt You can tell what traits a running back has in the early practices, but you start to see a clearer picture when the pads come on and things get more physical. "It's a hard one to evaluate in non pads," Quinn added. "Because you don't know if the person makes the tackle, did he break the tackle?" Quinn can't wait to see the offensive line and the running backs get the pads on and really tell where Croskey-Merritt gets tackled and what tackles he can fight through. If Croskey-Merritt can ramp up his progression in training camp and impress in the joint practices against the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, he can quickly rise up the depth chart. The preseason is right around the corner as well and real live action has the biggest impact on your stock.
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