Tennessee basketball's Chaz Lanier makes history in huge win vs Texas A&M
Yesterday at 06:47 PM
Tennessee basketball star Chaz Lanier had a historic performance on Saturday. The clash between the No. 6 Volunteers and No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies was highly anticipated, with the winner still in the running for a No. 1 seed. And due to its efficient shooting and gritty defense, Rick Barnes’s team picked up another signature win. The 77-69 victory now puts Tennessee at 22-5 overall and 9-5 in the SEC.
Lanier, who has been a sensational addition to the Volunteers’ roster this season, led the charge with 30 points. The Nashville, Tennessee native shot ten of 18 from the field and eight of 13 from three-point range. According to ESPN Research, Lanier’s eight threes were the most by a Volunteers player since Jordan McRae in 2013. The former two-time First-team All-SEC selection made eight from distance in a loss to Georgia.
Tennessee basketball remains in firm contention to clinch its first No. 1 seed in program history
While the Volunteers have been a No. 2 seed on more than several occasions, they’ve never reached the top line for the NCAA Tournament. This group, however, has a legitimate chance to make school history, and Saturday’s win is a huge help. Tennessee basketball is now 8-5 against Quadrant 1 teams, including seven wins against teams ranked in the top 25 at the time.
The two most impressive victories are definitely this one over Texas A&M and the dominant home win over No. 5 Florida. The Gators are now the No. 2 ranked team in the country, meaning that that 64-44 blowout on February 1 continues to age well. The Volunteers have a couple of high-quality opponents remaining on their schedule.
On March 1, Rick Barnes’ team will host No. 4 Alabama. In addition, Tennessee basketball will travel to Oxford on March 5 to take on the No. 24 Ole Miss Rebels. Shortly after that comes the SEC Tournament, where the Volunteers will likely have to win at least a game or two to secure a No. 1 seed.
Overall, Rick Barnes has to be very encouraged about the form his team is in. Even in the vaunted SEC, Tennessee has won five of its past six games, with three victories over top 15 teams. And the headline player, Chaz Lanier, is still in All-American form.
However, unlike last year’s team, this squad has multiple stars that can lead the team in scoring on any night. Meanwhile, in 2024, on many occasions, the Volunteers relied highly on former star Dalton Knecht to carry the scoring load. This team is experienced and physical and can win in various types of games. That’s a dangerous prospect for any program that sees the Volunteers in March.
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