His first real breakthrough came early in SEC play — a road game against rival Tennessee on Jan. 28. Injuries to his backcourt teammates allowed for an opportunity. And while Chandler didn’t score in that win over the Volunteers, his 15 minutes of action did not go unnoticed, particularly on the defensive end.
“Collin Chandler had his best night of the season by far. This kid is incredibly special,” Pope said after the win. “He’s just been off of his feet for two years and you think about him in this environment, in this situation, against this team in particular, for him to fulfill the defensive assignments he had tonight was incredible. It was so beautiful. He was doing such a good job I could put him back in and put him back in and put him back in. I thought he had a brilliant effort.”
As Chandler continued to find a groove on the floor, Pope continued to feed him minutes. The potential began to shine at home against Vanderbilt: seven points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 15 minutes. He had five points, two steals, and one assist in the next game out against Alabama on the road. A couple of weeks later, it was an 11-point, four-rebound, four-assist performance against LSU.
It was finally beginning to come together for the 21-year-old “freshman”. More importantly, he was enjoying basketball again.
“I think I’ve grown a lot mentally,” Chandler said in February. “I thought I was mentally tough coming in, but it’s been a lot of learning, a lot of patience. Just coming in the summer and not being able to play right away, trying to get used to everything, it’s been an experience that has been full of frustration. It’s helped me a lot and I’m gonna continue to grow.
“Basketball is a game of frustration, so I’m going to continue to try to respond to that.”
Chandler was playing his way into a regular rotational role. He and sophomore center Brandon Garrison were the first ones off the bench down the stretch of the season. The difference between Chandler’s play early in the season compared to late was excitingly noticeable. He saw double-digit minutes in each of Kentucky’s final eight games. Chandler was a brand-new player — one making winning plays on both ends of the floor.
“He’s getting more and more comfortable on the floor,” Pope said ahead of Chandler ahead of the postseason. “He gives us some things that we don’t have a lot of on the roster.”
Chandler was playing his best basketball at the best time of the season for Kentucky. He had nine points in the NCAA Tournament opener against Troy. He went for six points and three steals in the Round of 32 against Illinois. On the biggest stage, Chandler proved he can show up and produce.
By coming back to the Wildcats for a second season, Chandler isn’t planning to start from square one like he did nearly a full year ago. He’s coming back with the goal of earning a starting spot, even with the portal additions and incoming high school recruits. There will be no two-year layoff this offseason. A big jump in his game is on the way.
