Mark Sears, Chaz Lanier lead all shooters in NBA Draft Combine drills

Mark Sears and Chaz Lanier are hoping that they won’t need to wait long to hear his name selected during June 25 and 26’s 2025 NBA Draft.

Sears, who ranges from a late 2nd-round pick to going undrafted altogether, and Lanier, projected as a late 1st-round pick, are looking to make strong cases for themselves to move up the draft boards during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, which began on Sunday.

So far, they’re off to a good start.

During the combine’s shooting drills, Sears and Lanier led the way. Sears posted a 83 percent mark while Lanier shot 77 percent. They were 2 of 4 SEC players inside the top 10: Walter Clayton (71 percent) and Koby Brea (69 percent) were 8th and 9th, respectively.

Sears began his college career at Ohio before transferring to Alabama ahead of the 2022-23 season. He was a consenus 2nd-team All-American in 2024 before garnering 1st-team honors in 2025. He was also an All-SEC first-team player in 2024 and 2025. Lanier, who spent 1 season at Tennessee, averaged 19.7 points for the Volunteers en route to SEC Newcomer of the Year honors.

While there’s obviously a long way to go until the draft combine is over, Sears and Lanier have certainly made a immediate impression.

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.