Vanderbilt knew Collin Chandler could shoot.
They prepared for it, talked about it, and even had him on their scouting report.
And it still didn’t matter.
Chandler erupted for a career-high 23 points in Kentucky’s dominant 91-77 win over No. 25 Vanderbilt at Rupp Arena, torching the Commodores from deep and flipping the script from the teams’ January meeting in Nashville. The sophomore guard drained 6 of 8 shots from beyond the arc — and arguably should have had seven.
One potential 3-pointer was waved off in the second half after officials ruled Chandler kicked his leg out on the attempt. But by then, the damage was already done.
A First-Half Explosion
Five of Chandler’s six made 3-pointers came in the first half. Four of them dropped in the opening seven minutes, immediately energizing Kentucky’s offense.
“I thought the shots that Chandler made in the first half gave the entire team confidence and energy,” Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said afterward.
Byington didn’t hold back.
“If you make a mistake on him, it’s a 3-point mistake,” he admitted. “And that’s what the first half was.”
Chandler wasn’t just hitting open looks, either. He made tough, contested shots — the kind that deflate a defense and excite a crowd.
Not a Fluke, But a Trend
This wasn’t an outlier. Over Kentucky’s last eight games, Chandler has gone 29-of-53 from deep — a stunning 54.7%. For the season, he leads the Wildcats in both 3-point percentage (44.8%) and total makes (65).
If he keeps this up, Chandler could post the best single-season 3-point percentage by a Wildcat since Reed Sheppard shot 52.1% in 2023-24.
Several of Chandler’s best recent games include:
Four 3s in a win over Oklahoma
Five 3s in a road game at Florida
Six 3s in a loss to Georgia
Saturday’s six 3-pointers came during one of Kentucky’s sharpest offensive performances of the season.
“He’s 6-for-8 — really 7-for-9 — and nobody that’s watched him is surprised,” head coach Mark Pope said. “That’s what he does.”
A Long Road to This Moment
Chandler’s rise hasn’t been overnight.
A four-star recruit in the 2022 class, he paused his basketball career for two years to serve a Mormon mission. Originally committed to Pope at BYU, Chandler followed him to Kentucky when Pope became head coach in April 2024.
His freshman season was a challenge. After two years away, Chandler had to adapt to the speed, strength, and physicality of SEC basketball. Early struggles gave way to growth, especially in the final stretch of his first year when he played at least 10 minutes in each of Kentucky’s final eight games.
“At the beginning of last season, a lot of things felt new,” Chandler said. “How fast gaps close, how fast you’ve got to get your shot up — those things take reps. I got reps, and now I’m building on that.”
Now a Core Piece
This season, Chandler isn’t just contributing — he’s starting.
He has started 24 of Kentucky’s 29 games and ranks third on the team in scoring (10.5 points per game), assists (2.2), and minutes (25 per game).
While Pope’s system emphasizes pace and 3-point shooting, Kentucky has had to adapt due to roster limitations and injuries, including playing 10 straight games with just nine healthy players.
Still, Chandler has found ways to shine.
“We’ve had to adapt because of the tools and pieces we have,” Chandler explained. “We’re getting more comfortable. We’re getting reps. We’re getting better.”
Since Jan. 21, he has scored 18 or more points five times — each outing matching or surpassing previous career highs.
The March X-Factor
With the postseason approaching, Kentucky remains somewhat undermanned. But Chandler’s emergence could be a game-changer for the Wildcats.
“He’s got a calmness and a poise,” Pope said. “He’s always been confident, but he’s getting more comfortable. His ceiling is incredibly high. He’s got so much more in the tank.”
If that’s true, Vanderbilt’s painful lesson may not be the last.
Because when teams make a mistake guarding Collin Chandler, it’s not just a mistake.
It’s a three-point mistake.
