Kentucky guard Collin Chandler arrived in Lexington with high expectations but little recent game experience, having spent two years on a Mormon mission in Sierra Leone and England. Now, in his second season under Mark Pope, he has evolved from a quiet question mark into one of the Wildcats’ most dynamic and impactful players.
Chandler’s sophomore surge has been impossible to ignore. After limited minutes early in his freshman campaign, he carved out a larger role late in the year — and that momentum carried directly into 2025-26. His confidence, comfort, and efficiency have skyrocketed as he’s grown into a reliable scorer, a fierce competitor, and a highlight machine.
Chandler opened this season by becoming the first player in Kentucky history to hit four 3-pointers in each of the Wildcats’ first three games. That wasn’t a fluke — it was the continuation of a scorching stretch of 3-point shooting spanning 14 games, in which he connected on 55.3% of his attempts from deep.
And that’s not even the moment that made him go viral.
Chandler’s poster dunk over Nicholls forward Grant Sanders exploded across sports media, earning the No. 1 spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 and even drawing attention from Lil Wayne and a like from LeBron James. But for Mark Pope, the story wasn’t about the dunk — it was about the expression, the grit, and the journey behind it.
Pope praised Chandler’s mental toughness, noting how he has fought through doubt, setbacks, and the difficulty of returning to elite basketball after a two-year layoff. Even on the night of his viral dunk, Chandler was frustrated with missed shots — and told Pope his focus was simply to “make the simple play” the next time he stepped on the floor.
That mindset sparked a 4-for-4 shooting performance from deep and one of the most electric plays of the season.
Despite Chandler’s rapid rise, he’s far from finished. He aims to sharpen his ballhandling, improve as a defender, and become more comfortable creating off the bounce. Pope sees huge potential ahead and believes fans should enjoy every step of Chandler’s growth.
“When you capture those tiny little moments, it’s actually really special,” Pope said. “You only really get it if you’ve immersed yourself in it.”
Chandler isn’t just growing into his game — he’s rewriting what’s possible for a Kentucky player returning from a two-year absence, and he’s doing things the program has never seen.
