Coming into the his first season leading the Kentucky basketball program, head coach Mark Pope brought a couple of players with him from his former program \u2014 BYU.<\/p>\n
One was Jaxson Robinson, who was recognized in 2023-2024 as the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, and the other was Collin Chandler.<\/p>\n
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He was a member of the 2022 recruiting class but spent two years on a mission trip before stepping on a college basketball court. In fact, the first time he saw any college basketball action was at Kentucky \u2014 not BYU.<\/p>\n
Nothing against BYU or the Cougars program, but the stage at Kentucky is a bit different than most places in college basketball.<\/p>\n
Chandler played in 30 games as a freshman and though it took him a while to find his groove, he became a fan favorite towards the end of the season.<\/p>\n
His energy at both ends of the court and ability to knock down three-pointers won over Big Blue Nation.<\/p>\n
This offseason, Pope mentioned in an interview with Matt Norlander<\/a> that he has been very pleased with the continued progress Chandler is making.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Chandler\u2019s athletic ability and work ethic are both through the roof, so it seems like more reps is the only ingredient he needs to continue to improve.<\/p>\n What are your expectations of Chandler this season? What type of impact do you think he\u2019ll have on the team?<\/p>\n Tweet of the Day<\/p>\n How awesome is this shirt?<\/p>\n Headlines<\/p>\n Otega Oweh Growing as Defender, Overall Player \u2013 Vaught\u2019s Views<\/a><\/p>\n That\u2019s why he came back to UK.<\/p>\n Hendrickson standing firm in Bengals contract dispute \u2013 ESPN<\/a><\/p>\n Which side are Bengals fans on?<\/p>\n Ava Sarafa Learned a Lot by Watching \u2013 Vaught\u2019s Views<\/a><\/p>\n Now she\u2019s ready to lead.<\/p>\n Latest fantasy football mock draft \u2013 ESPN<\/a><\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Have you drafted your league yet?<\/p>\n Skinner Likes the Strides His Team is Making \u2013 Vaught\u2019s Views<\/a><\/p>\n Will they compete for a national title this year?<\/p>\n Julian Sayin named Ohio State starting QB \u2013 CBS Sports<\/a><\/p>\n Will he lead them to a repeat?<\/p>\n