Lanier talks commitment to Davidson; Burnett prepares for another title at Knoxville Webb
Senior point guard Emory Lanier put an end to his recruitment Tuesday evening by committing to Davidson over Wofford, Rice, Chattanooga, Boston University and East Tennessee State. Some people, even some college coaches, thought Lanier was a for sure commit…
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Continue ReadingSenior point guard Emory Lanier put an end to his recruitment Tuesday evening by committing to Davidson over Wofford, Rice, Chattanooga, Boston University and East Tennessee State.
Some people, even some college coaches, thought Lanier was a for sure commit for Georgia State, which is being coached by his father Rob Lanier, but that was never the case. Emory Lanier’s father allowed him to make his own decision without interfering.
“Felt like I was the right fit there,” Lanier said about his commitment to the Wildcats. “Felt like I could be a better player in their system.”
What’s next for Lanier?
With Lanier’s college decision out of the way, he can now focus on his final season of high school basketball. He mentioned to me via text that he’s most likely moving to Georgia with his family, which signals an end to his time at Knoxville Webb.
“I don’t really want to move at all, but my family wants to be together for my senior year,” Lanier said.
The Spartans are the defending TSSAA Division II-A state champions and were the preseason favorite by many to repeat, but with Lanier out of the fold, Knoxville Webb will have hurdles to jump in order to get back to the state tournament.
Aside from basketball, there are plenty of things Lanier will miss about being part of the Spartans’ family.
“Everything to be honest, the school, community, my friends, basketball program, etc.”
One of Lanier’s teammates, Luke Burnett, was one of the first people to give great insight on the type of teammate Lanier has been at Knoxville Webb.
“He is a great player and also a great teammate and a friend to me, along with everyone on the team.”
What has Burnett been up to?
Burnett has spent his summer focusing on improving his weaknesses. He spent the summer playing with EAB Tennessee 17U.
“This summer helped me grow as a player and made me realize a couple of things I need to work on and my confidence has grown over the summer.”
Burnett’s confidence will be needed for Knoxville Webb’s chances of a repeat, but the talent around him will need to step up as well. Senior forward Uriah Powers and senior guard Tariq Daughton were part of last season’s state title run and will need to be big time again.
“I have some good players surrounding me, but I think I will need to step up and make shots as they come and take over when I am needed.”
Burnett has one offer from Presbyterian and is receiving interests from Campbell, Dartmouth and Cornell.