When Chaz Lanier transferred from North Florida to Tennessee for his final year of college eligibility, there were immediate comparisons to Dalton Knecht—a high-scoring, mid-major transfer poised to take the SEC by storm. But the two had distinct playing styles: Knecht excelled at creating his own shot off the dribble, while Lanier thrived as a catch-and-shoot threat coming off movement.
Now, another prolific mid-major scorer has his sights set on the SEC. While he won’t be landing in Knoxville, Lamar Wilkerson looks like the next standout in the Lanier mold. And whichever program secures him could significantly impact the SEC title race in what’s arguably the most competitive conference in college basketball.
Wilkerson, a transfer from Sam Houston State, has scheduled visits with Auburn, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Indiana. The Arkansas native averaged 20.5 points last season with impressive shooting percentages—48% from the field, 45% from three, and 82% from the free-throw line. He may well be the best shooter available in the transfer portal and has a skillset that should translate smoothly to a high-major program.
Not every mid-major star thrives in power conferences, but Lanier was a natural fit at Tennessee. He averaged 18.0 points per game, shot a high volume from beyond the arc at a strong percentage, and earned second-team All-SEC honors. Wilkerson appears to be on a similar upward path.
Like Lanier, Wilkerson took time to develop, though he broke out a year earlier than the Tennessee standout. The 6-foot-5 junior guard made a significant leap this past season, earning First-Team All-Conference USA honors while boosting his scoring by 6.7 points and improving his three-point shooting by nearly 10 percentage points. His main weakness is finishing at the rim—he converted just 54% of those looks—but his elite shooting more than compensates for that.
Wilkerson isn’t just a catch-and-shoot guy either. While he scored 1.2 points per possession on spot-ups (ranking in the 87th percentile), he also created offense by running off screens, pin-downs, flares, and elevators, making the most of even minimal separation with his quick release.
Landing a shooter like Wilkerson would be a game-changer—especially for programs like Auburn or Kentucky (no offense to Chris Beard and Ole Miss).
Bruce Pearl is revamping his Auburn roster after another Final Four appearance. With UCF’s Keyshawn Hall potentially taking on a central offensive role, much of Auburn’s offseason hinges on decisions from Tahaad Pettiford, who’s testing the NBA Draft process, and Chad Baker-Mazara, who’s contemplating a return at age 26. Regardless, Wilkerson’s shooting would be a seamless fit.
At Kentucky, Mark Pope already has more pieces in place. Otega Oweh is back for a final season after emerging as the team’s top scorer, and Pope has bolstered the roster with transfers Kam Williams, Jaland Lowe, Mouhamed Dioubate, and former five-star big man Jayden Quaintance. Wilkerson would be a perfect replacement for Koby Brea on the wing and could help push the Wildcats to the top of the SEC—and potentially into national title contention.
