Collin Chandler's work ethic shining in summer practice: 'He can't breathe if there's not something on the line'

With expectations set high for year two of Collin Chandler at Kentucky, this summer’s offseason was massively important for the 6-foot-5 guard. Head coach Mark Pope has seen the progress being made behind the scenes to not only meet, but hopefully exceed them.

“He’s made an incredible jump,” Pope told Matt Norlander of Chandler this week on CBS Sports’ Summer Shootaround. “You know, one of the things that he was focused on this summer was his ball handling, his ability to get wherever he wanted to get and not have handling the ball slow him down from getting there. And he worked incredibly hard at it this entire summer. He’s made massive progress, like, it’s really stunning.

“I think he’s finishing the ball better. He’s another guy that grew immensely defensively during the season last year, and he’s carried that over. He’s got a chance to be an elite-level defender.”

Ball handling was an area Chandler clearly was not fully comfortable with to begin his freshman season. After taking two years off from basketball for his mission trip, it took a few months during the regular season before he rediscovered the groove that made him a top 35 national recruit. By the time March rolled around, he was productive, confident, and impactful as one of the first guys off Pope’s bench. His size and length should allow him to naturally improve as a finisher and defender as he continues to develop.

But it’s not just the improved on-ball skills or physical traits that have Pope excited about what Chandler’s sophomore campaign might look like — that would be his mindset and approach to a highly important offseason.

“He’s playing so hard for us right now,” Pope added. “I feel like he can’t breathe if there’s not something on the line, like he is the most competitive. He just can’t wait to get to the next competition. It doesn’t matter what it is, by the way, it could be anything.

“If we’re guessing if we’re going to see a blue car or a red car when we turn the corner, he wants to be in that,” Pope continued. “He’s going to have a huge impact on the team this year.”

Across eight games back in March, Chandler averaged six points and 1.8 rebounds per outing while shooting 52.2 percent (12-23) from deep. But this offseason is much different than last. There is no lengthy ramp-up period after years away from the game. He suffered a minor injury in July, but returned weeks ago and continued to stand out in summer practice. Now it’s about piecing everything he’s learned together to create a breakout star for the Wildcats.

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