Collin Chandler’s move from Kentucky to BYU helps Kevin Young fill need: Experience

Kentucky guard Collin Chandler (5) reacts to defeating Tennessee 80-78 during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Wade Payne

Collin Chandler coming to BYU is a no-brainer for both the former Farmington High star and the Cougars.

Chandler, a 6-foot-4 elite 3-point shooter who just finished starting 31 games for Mark Pope at Kentucky, announced on Instagram Saturday that he is enrolling at BYU for his junior season.

With Robert Wright III entering the transfer portal, BYU needs a seasoned veteran to lead in the locker room and on the floor. Chandler’s SEC experience and leadership at Kentucky, plus his total understanding of the religious culture in Provo, make him a needed and useful addition for Kevin Young.

With Chandler, Young should next concentrate on bringing in a big-man presence not only as a rim protector, but also as an offensive lob target.

As former BYU star Jimmer Fredette explained on BYUtv’s “BYU SportsNation,” “It’s a 1A and 1B situation. You need size and you need a really good point guard. And ultimately, you need shooting. You need those three things.”

Chandler’s presence in Provo will help with the shooting. The 1A and 1B are a work in progress.

Chandler’s situation is one of the cleaner “homecoming” transfers in recent cycles. His elite 41% 3-point shooting, athletic finishing, steal generation and Power Four experience make him a plug-and-play upgrade for BYU’s perimeter needs.

This move maximizes Chandler’s personal/family happiness while giving him a high-upside role on a competitive roster — potentially All-Big 12 caliber production.

Wright ranks No. 4 in ESPN’s Top 60 transfer portal rankings. Chandler ranks No. 49 after averaging 9.7 points per game with 41% accuracy from distance.

Kentucky loses a clutch performer and floor-spacer who started 31 games; Mark Pope must now aggressively hunt replacement shooting in the portal. For Chandler, this is a low-risk, high-reward move tailored to his background and skillset.

With the expected departure of potential No. 1 NBA draft pick AJ Dybantsa, it appears Young will be moving from a one-versus-five, or three-versus-five isolation offensive scheme to a more traditional BYU that will involve tough post play and ball sharing to set up shooters, piloted by a yet-to-be named pass-oriented point guard.

Chandler fits the mold of what Young told reporters he needed to find in the offseason: a bunch of proven shooters and defenders.

Here are some Mark Pope quotes about Chandler during his career at Kentucky. These come primarily from official postgame press conferences and media sessions through UK Athletics.

On Chandler’s performance and ceiling (after a strong shooting night vs. Vanderbilt):

“Yeah, he’s got so much more, doesn’t he? The thing is, he’s 6 for 8 tonight. Is that right? Six for eight, really? Seven for nine. And nobody that’s watched him is surprised. Is anybody surprised? I mean, a week ago he was the number one 3-point shooter in the SEC. It’s crazy a guy goes 6 for 8 and nobody is surprised. That’s what he does. He’s got a calmness and a poise ... He’s always been confident, but he’s just getting more and more comfortable. And his ceiling is incredibly high.”

On clutch play and mentality (after the Tennessee win):

“He loves the moment. He’s not afraid of the moment. He’s not afraid of all the pressure that comes with it. And he just embraces it.”

“He loves it down the stretch, doesn’t he? I mean, my goodness, he just is putting together play after play after play after play.”

On being a competitor (“killer” mentality):

“He’s a killer. OK. So, the word on the street is that his family doesn’t like to play board games with him because he just … he almost wins every time, and when he doesn’t, he’s really salty about it. So, he is a killer. He’s a competitor.”

(Pope shared this after a highlight-reel dunk, noting Chandler’s quiet demeanor hides intense competitiveness.)

On gutting out a sick performance (vs. Texas):

“Yeah, Collin has been sick, really sick for the last couple days. He gutted out practice and today we just sent him home. He didn’t come to shootaround today. He was pretty sick. But I thought he was great ... for him to come and perform like he did tonight, I thought he was elite. I thought he was aggressive, I thought he was sure. ... He put together a really incredible performance.”

On Chandler’s ice-cold demeanor and defensive/offensive impact (Tennessee postgame):

“Collin Chandler continues to be like ice in his veins ... Collin Chandler just continues to, it’s been every game, like every game, the scout on him is going to be in the last four minutes, like, just please guard him at 94 feet and don’t let him touch the ball. He’s making them on the defensive end, down on the glass, and on the offensive end.”

On growth and belief in big moments:

“And Colin is making strides. He just keeps getting better and better and better, and he loves the moment ... He just believes, right? He believes that he was made for the moment. He’s supposed to be in the moment. When you have a player like that, it doesn’t guarantee they’re going to step up and make the right play all the time, but it gives them a chance to go make the play.”

On early-season development and mindset (After a game where Chandler simplified his approach and delivered):

“What he told me is like ... ‘When I go back in, I’m just going to make the simple play.’ And the simple play was to go 4/4 from the 3-point line and have maybe the highlight dunk of the year. That’s the simple play.”

(Pope praised this as a mature example of controlling what you can control.)

How does Chandler compare with his portal transfer peers this spring?

He ranks as a top-20-type perimeter defender in the SEC among guards/wings, which is impressive for a sophomore on a team with defensive inconsistencies (Kentucky finished between 29th-40th in some KenPom defensive metrics at times, stronger in conference play).

Among the high-volume and high-efficiency 3-point shooters who entered the portal the past week, Chandler holds his own.

Tyler Lundblade, a 6-foot-6 Belmont transfer to Tennessee, was one of the elite shooters (43.9%) last year and his career 40% from distance surpasses Chandler in pure percentage (41% from 3), but played in a lower-level mid-major competition. Chandler’s SEC production and length give him an edge in projection at a high-major landing.

North Carolina State’s Paul McNeil (42.7% on 7.2 attempts per game) averaged 13.8 points per game, one of them a 47-point performance. He shot more than Chandler, but isn’t as good a defender and doesn’t have Chandler’s size.

John Blackwell, Wisconsin, is listed No. 2 on ESPN’s top-60 transfer rankings. He shot 38% from beyond the arc with 7.3 attempts per game. He averaged 19.1 points per game as a physical scorer and got better from distance. He was used at a higher rate, but Chandler was more accurate and had a higher steal rate on defense.

BYU’s Wright is at the top of many wish lists because of his dynamic ball-handling on the drive and finish. A 41% shooter from 3-point land on an average of four attempts per game, Wright is more of an initiator than Chandler because of his skills as a downhill attack guard. Chandler is a better off-ball athletic finisher with comparative shooting and is a better defender.

At Kentucky, Chandler showed great anticipation on steals and wasn’t afraid to mix it up as a defender and rebounder. He was consistent in transition offense and defense and was a 3-point threat.

His athletic burst is evident but he needs to bulk up to hold off expected physical play in the Big 12. His maturity as a returned missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a trait Kentucky fans appreciated.

Chandler served his mission in Sierra Leone, Africa, and later finished in London, England.

BYU needs locker room leadership with the departure of Richie Saunders, Dybantsa and Wright. Chandler fits that bill and can be useful along with injured guard Dawson Baker, if he can return to the floor for Young.

Young is now pushed to rebuild his roster. The priorities are obvious, especially witnessing how UConn and Michigan looked with size inside. The Cougars only need to be reminded of their last game and how Texas bullied them around in Portland.

The Chandler piece will be interesting. Paired with incoming freshmen Bruce Branch III and Dean Rueckert, the wing position should be in good hands.

Farmington's Collin Chandler is photographed at Farmington High School on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Chandler is Mr. Basketball 2022. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News