Collin Chandler appeared to be Mark Pope’s biggest fan, but now, the Kentucky Basketball guard is headed to the transfer portal, according to CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz. It’s currently unclear if he’ll consider a return to Kentucky.
Pete Nakos says Chandler has a do-not-contact tag, so it appears he already knows where he wants to go.
The former 4-star recruit committed to Pope in high school before going on a two-year mission trip. Upon his return to the States, Chandler was one of the first
new commits of the Pope era.
The soon-to-be junior guard stands at 6-5 with loads of athleticism. He had a rocky year 1 as it took some time to knock the rust off, but he showed flashes in March, knocking down 12 3s on just 23 attempts (52%). That included going 5/8 from deep in the NCAA Tournament.
Chandler took a major step forward in his sophomore campaign, averaging 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 41% from behind the arc as Kentucky’s only reliable 3-point shooter. His play was somewhat polarizing, as his shaky handle and up-and-down defense caused frustration, but he made highlight-reel plays, shot the lights out, and always played hard.
Originally hailing from Utah, Chandler is a devout Mormon whose family remains in his home state. He’s married to a woman whose family is also back in Utah, so the Wildcat could be returning home to play for the BYU Cougars. As much as he loves Pope, family always comes first.
The hope was that Chandler was on the Richie Saunders progress timeline, meaning a major jump was on the horizon, but we may now have to watch from afar.
