Kentucky guard Collin Chandler arrives in college following a two-year mission trip.
When Mark Pope took over the Kentucky program one month ago, his entire roster was empty — including incoming players in the 2024 class as every signee put the breaks on their commitments to the Wildcats.
Following the transfer portal’s use to confirm some team members, followers of Kentucky saw a new name—one they had never heard of before.
It was Chandler Collin. Chandler signed with BYU and was a member of the recruiting class of 2022. However, he went on a two-year mission trip, thus in 2024–2025, he would be starting his freshman season. Not long after Pope accepted the Chandler, he broke his promise to the UK 2024 class and adopted a Kentucy stance.
In a short of weeks, he went from being considered an afterthought by Kentucky fans to perhaps a “sneaky candidate” for SEC Freshman of the Year.
According to Brandon Jenkins, national analyst for 247Sports, “Colin Chandler is a sneaky candidate to look out for.” Chandler, a 2022 graduate, recently returned from a two-year mission trip. Chandler should push his way into the starting lineup if the Wildcats decide not to add another two-guard via the portal. At six feet four, he can attack vertically, descendhill, and drill bullets.”
Chandler finished his senior year as the Utah Gatorade Player of the Year and was ranked among the top 35 players in the class of 2022. During his final year, he averaged 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.
Chandler attended Farmington High School (UT) and finished his career with 1,587 points and 135 3-pointers.
Pope stated, “Collin Chandler is one of the most gifted high school athletes in the nation.” “He possesses an incredibly smooth jumper, a skillful touch around the hoop, a powerful burst, and—above all—an incredibly fast mind that enables him to read time and space and create plays out of pure instinct.”
Chandler is without a doubt a gifted guard who fits perfectly in Mark Pope’s scheme. But after being away from the game for two years, how will he adjust?
Pope has experience working with athletes who return from missions trips, so this won’t be a novel experience. Chandler is back at home and in the gym already.
It will take time for him to recover, but if he can do it swiftly, there’s no doubt that he may be a player to watch this season.
