When constructing Kentucky Basketball’s roster for the 2026-27 season, Collin Chandler was a name that was penciled in for a key role.
First, he and Mark Pope have had a very close relationship for the better part of a decade, with Pope starting to recruit Chandler in 2019. On the court, Chandler was the Wildcats’ only player to shoot better than 36% from three last season.
On Wednesday night, Chandler made the decision to put his name into the transfer portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag. Just three
days later, Chandler announced his commitment to BYU on Instagram.
The pull to move closer to home has been there for Chandler since arriving at Kentucky, who was very open about being “homesick” during his freshman season. Getting married in 2025, it was something his wife was interested in as well. This move allows them to be just 60 miles away from their families.
The even bigger pull, though, is the money. Kentucky was prepared to pay Chandler around $2 million this upcoming season, but BYU is reported to have offered upwards of $3 million to pull Chandler away from Mark Pope and Kentucky. While Chandler is a great athlete and shooter, that is a steep price to pay for someone who struggled to consistently create for themselves, which showed up in a big way through the postseason.
Chandler provided some clutch moments and athletic dunks during his time in Lexington, and all the best of luck to him in his future.
