“I think [Georgia State] hit a home run with Rob Lanier,” Paul Biancardi of ESPN said.
On the same night the Georgia State men’s basketball team defeated the Dartmouth Big Green 83-80 in overtime, Biancardi was at State Farm Arena, speaking at this year’s Atlanta Hawks Coaches Clinic.
When asked about Lanier and his Georgia State men’s basketball program, Biancardi heaped on the praise.
“They have had some great wins,” he said. “They’ve had some really good battles. Georgetown was close [and the Duke loss] was only 11 points. And we know how good Duke is.”
The National Recruiting Director for Boys High School Basketball is more than familiar with Lanier’s story.
“I’ve known Rob [a long time],” he said. “He was the head coach at Siena, [was] a great assistant coach at Texas with Rick Barnes and did an unbelievable job at Tennessee.”
Biancardi, who won the Horizon League’s Coach of the Year award at Wright State in 2004, is delighted to see Lanier get another chance at a head coach’s job.
“He’s one of the best player evaluators in the business,” Biancardi said. “He’s got a great mind for the game.”
Lanier’s first season is off to a good start. The Panthers currently boast a 5-3 record, as they prepare to face off against the Mercer Bears on Saturday.
