Kentucky basketball’s HC Mark Pope loses sharpshooter to transfer portal

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope’s first recruit since taking over from BYU two offseasons ago, Collin Chandler, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, entering his third year, On3’s Pete Nakos reported Wednesday.

Originally committed to the Cougars, Chandler followed Pope to the Wildcats after completing a two-year mission. Now entering the portal with a “do-not-contact” tag, he is expected to have a preferred destination.

Chandler, a 6-foot-5 guard from Farmington, Utah, is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign in which he appeared in all 36 games, starting 31. He averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He led the team with 73 made three-pointers, converting at a 41.0% clip from beyond the arc, and stepped up his game in SEC competition with 10.5 points per game on 45.7% shooting from deep.

Chandler’s development embodied a major jump from his freshman season, when he averaged just 2.7 points across 30 games without a start. However, he closed that year strongly, scoring 60 of his 82 total points over the final 11 games and hitting a three-pointer in each of the last seven contests. That late-season momentum carried into his sophomore year, where he became a full-time starter and crucial offensive option.

A former four-star recruit ranked No. 36–37 nationally and the No. 6 combo guard in the 2022 class, Chandler was also Utah’s top prospect and a high school standout, averaging 21.7 points per game en route to Gatorade Player of the Year honors.

Chandler joining the transfer portal is the latest in a series of departures from Kentucky, leaving Pope with significant roster decisions following a 22-14 season that ended with a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa State.

The post Kentucky basketball’s HC Mark Pope loses sharpshooter to transfer portal appeared first on ClutchPoints.