After ending a standout junior season averaging 17 points per game, former Longwood forward Khris Lane earned a spot on the 2017-18 roster for the No. 26 program in Division I basketball - Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Lane, now a graduate transfer, said one of the primary factors in his final decision was that he would be playing close to home, calling VCU his “backyard.” As a Richmond native, Lane grew up around two minutes away from VCU’s campus.
“It sounds cliché, but it was just a perfect situation,” Lane said. “It all just presented itself at the same time, and obviously I’m from Richmond, have lived there my entire life, so the opportunity to come home and play, it’s absolutely special.”
The 6-6 student-athlete announced his commitment by way of multiple social media outlets, including Instagram and Twitter on April 22.
Lane said he filtered out all outside influences in his choice, deciding by his own gut instinct. Ultimately, he said all-around team success carried more weight to him than his own individual record.
“I was really contemplating coming back and really pushing hard to have a better year next season as a team,” said Lane, a 2016-17 All-Big South second-team selection. “Individual success is nice, but I really wanted to win, and that was something big while I was (at Longwood) and in my decision making process.”
He averaged 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive .527 field goal percentage over the course of his two-season Longwood career. Last season, Lane led the team in those three categories.
Lane said at least 40 different schools expressed interest in him, which he narrowed down choices to Rhode Island, George Washington, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh and VCU.
Lane said he made his final decision while he was on his first official three-day visit at VCU starting April 21. Lane recalls being with VCU head coach Mike Rhodes during his visit when he suddenly decided that VCU would be his next home.
Longwood men’s basketball head coach Jayson Gee praised Khris’ work ethic, saying his commitment to the game of basketball was unlike any other.
“(Lane) has as incredible a work ethic (as) I have ever seen in 27 years,” Gee said. “His commitment to improve his game, his commitment to his conditioning, his commitment to his overall health, was as high as anyone I have ever coached.”
Lane spent his first season of eligibility at Drexel University, where he played in four games. He transferred to Longwood for the 2014-15 season but didn’t see the court until the next year due to NCAA transfer rules.
Chris Cook, the assistant vice president for athletic communications, said players who transfer schools are forced to sit out the proceeding season to discourage players from jumping around transferring from school to school.
As a VCU graduate student and transfer, he is immediately eligible for competition unlike when Lane transferred to Longwood.
Over the past decade, there have been an increase in the number of transfers in Division I basketball.
Cook said there were over 700 transfers in 2016 and 600 in 2015 across the division.
Including Lane and former Longwood junior forward Obi Romeo latest transfers, the Lancers have seen nine players change programs in the past four years.
Of the nine, four have moved on to other Division I schools.
Lane said he greatly appreciated the opportunities Coach Gee presented him when he transferred to Longwood three seasons ago, and the entire Longwood community means a great deal to him.
“Coach Gee and the coaching staff gave me the opportunity to come back close to home and still play at the Division I level,” Lane said. “Everyone (at Longwood) has been amazing, all these people here played a part in my success.”
The Lancers will enter their 2017-18 season ranked No. 343 in the nation, coming off an injury-plagued season that ended in a 6-24 record.
Gee said Lane and Romeo’s two spots as forwards may be filled by one of the team’s returners, listing junior Jahleem Montague, redshirt senior and captain Damarion Geter, sophomore JaShaun Smith and junior Chris Shields as options.
The four-year head coach also signed two new forwards for this season - junior Boaz, of Houston, Tx. and freshman Jordan Cintron, of Bronx, N.Y. W
He assured the team was “fully prepared” for the movement of players this offseason.
Despite past struggles with health and academic issues, ending with only six players available for last February’s first round of the Big South tournament, Gee said he is excited for what the future holds for the Lancers.
He said, “We are excited about next season. This is the best team we have returning that we’ve had here in my four years being here, and I’m looking forward to coaching and leading them.”