Collin Chandler: "Ever since I was 15 years old, I know that I've wanted to play for Coach Pope."

It’s going to continue to take time, but freshman Collin Chandler is slowly beginning to put it together. He took another step in the right direction on Friday night during Kentucky’s 108-69 win over Jackson State.

Chandler only saw 13 total minutes of action, but he made the most of every second. The 6-foot-5 guard finished with six points on a pair of made three-pointers. He also added two rebounds, a steal, and a block. Most notably, he led the entire team in plus/minus with a +29.

“Collin is not scared,” Head coach Mark Pope said postgame. “He checked in the game and raced down and shot a 30-footer in transition and was like ‘Yeah, I’ve got this.’ He’s an incredible talent. None of us, I can’t, there’s nobody in this room that can relate to going and putting down the basketball for two years. He is an extraordinary talent and we are all going to be surprised with what he turns into, but we shouldn’t be. He’s really an extraordinary talent. Beautiful, beautiful young man too.”

Chandler took two full years off from basketball after high school for his Mormon mission. Even simply picking up a ball during that time was rare. The focus for his first college offseason was to ramp up back to where he was two years prior. There was a minor injury early (not unusual) upon his initial arrival in Lexington but he hasn’t skipped a beat since.

Fans have to remember that he’s still a freshman though, even if he’s older than a traditional first-year player. He’s only played five real games in two years. But he knew that playing for Pope was going to help make up for that lost time better than any other coach could. While at BYU, Pope coached plenty of guys who went through what Chandler did. It’s why Chandler originally committed to BYU as a four-star high school prospect.

It’s also why he followed Pope to Lexington.

“Ever since I was 15 years old, I know that I’ve wanted to play for Coach Pope,” Chandler said. “I’m glad that I get to do it now. It’s fun every day and he pushes us to be better.”

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Chandler continued. “But I knew I was going to be learning from Coach Pope and that’s exactly what’s happened. I’m learning every day to pick his brain and learn from him every day. It’s definitely expanded my basketball knowledge.”

The only time this season that Chandler looked out of place was during Kentucky’s win over Duke when he saw just two minutes. But he’s seen double-digit minutes in the Wildcats’ other four games. Chandler had six points against Jackson State, just a few days after recording five points, one assist, and one steal in 16 minutes during a win over Lipscomb.

“Tonight, it felt like I took a step forward,” he said.

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