New Kentucky commit Collin Chandler played against Reed Sheppard on the AAU circuit

Collin Chandler, who flipped his commitment from BYU to Kentucky on Tuesday morning, took two years off from basketball after leaving high school, but while he was still playing AAU ball, he ran into a familiar face along the way.

Suiting up for the Utah Prospects on the adidas 3SSB circuit all the way back in 2021, Chandler went head-to-head against Reed Sheppard and Midwest Basketball Club. KSR’s Brandon Ramsey unearthed a clip from nearly three years ago showing Chandler secure a loose ball off a Sheppard turnover before throwing down a fastbreak dunk on the other end.

Chandler appeared to have a quick staredown of Sheppard after he was done hanging on the rim, too.

At the time, Chandler was a senior as a member of the 2022 recruiting class while Sheppard (playing up a year in competition) was a junior in the 2023 class. Of course, Sheppard would ultimately land at Kentucky for the 2023-24 season, winning National Freshman of the Year. Will Chandler take a similar path in Lexington?

(Ramsey also found a clip of Chandler scoring against former Wildcat Chris Livingston, who was also in the 2022 class).

Collin Chandler playing against Reed Sheppard here.

He is REALLY athletic. Was considered a good defender in the 2022 class. Good instincts, can get in the passing lanes, and it'll result in some breakaways like this.

Coach Pope has a LOT of spots to fill. This is a good start. pic.twitter.com/KB0Fi4eEh8

— Brandon Ramsey (@BRamseyKSR) April 16, 2024

Before initially signing with BYU out of Farmington (Utah) High, Chandler chose the Cougars over the likes of Utah, Oregon, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Stanford. However, he spent the next two years on a mission to Sierra Leone where organized basketball was unavailable. With Mark Pope leaving his post at BYU for the head coaching job at Kentucky, it was natural for the Utah native to follow the man he committed to back in 2021.

Chandler and Sheppard actually share some similarities (aside from the obvious). Chandler is a 6-foot-4 combo guard who was ranked No. 36 overall in 2022 by the On3 Industry Ranking while Sheppard is a 6-foot-3 combo guard who was ranked No. 38 overall in 2023. Both are impressive athletes, underrated passers out of high school, known as high-level shooters, and have flashed moments of brilliance on defense.

Obviously, we can’t expect Chandler to turn into the caliber of player that Sheppard was from the jump, but he will start his college career at 20 years old. With Pope now in charge, Kentucky fans have expressed a desire to get older players while still bringing in some top-tier freshmen. Chandler checks both boxes.