Collin Chandler

Dec 23, 2025
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Collin Chandler is a good college basketball player who can sometimes poster the hell out of someone. However, Collin Chandler is not a point guard, and he is not a Final Four–caliber shooting guard either. He has a very slow jump shot, but he is athletic—like a worse version of Otega Oweh (at least for now).

In big games against the best competition, you need someone like Kobe Brea, who can fly off screens with a trailing defender and quickly shoot a pure jumper with lots of confidence, or create his own shot. That is not Chandler’s game at all. If we want to compete for a title this season and next, we need to move on from the Chandler experiment at the 1–2 and get a proper point guard and a proper shooting guard. He can only ever be a backup, athletic wing, glue guy who can knock down wide open shots. That's his role.
 
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Dec 23, 2025
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It's hard to take someone's opinion seriously when they can't even figure out how to change their screen name.
Nobody cares about the name, Phil. My opinion is correct. Collin Chandler is not a PG and is not a SG, and Mark Pope may keep stringing him along, leading to a more stagnant offense this season and the next, preventing us from getting the players we need. I said it before this season: though Collin is a decent player, he is not either of the roles we are trying to force him to play, and he crowds our backcourt rotations, preventing us from landing elite guards.
 

Johnnie Africa

All-Conference
Feb 27, 2003
386
1,051
93
Nobody cares about the name, Phil. My opinion is correct. Collin Chandler is not a PG and is not a SG, and Mark Pope may keep stringing him along, leading to a more stagnant offense this season and the next, preventing us from getting the players we need. I said it before this season: though Collin is a decent player, he is not either of the roles we are trying to force him to play, and he crowds our backcourt rotations, preventing us from landing elite guards.

In all seriousness though, do you honestly have no idea how to make a screen name?
 

Ky_Bred_Cat

All-Conference
Dec 28, 2014
2,100
3,880
113
Chandler seems very frustrated. IMO he should be. My guess: he is frustrated with playing with 3 guys that are somewhat 'get mine' first - Oweh, Aberdeen and Mo D - and the team and his game are suffering because of it. I believe having three primary players that play like this is a major reason for the teams offensive issues. All a defense has to do is watch us dribble. And this is also why its night and day different when Lowe comes in.
 
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Dec 23, 2025
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My main point is that CC is probably comparable to a sophomore Otega Oweh—he has flashes but likely won’t fully find his game until his junior or senior year. He could break out as an athletic wing who can knock down wide-open catch-and-shoot shots. However, we’re currently trying to force him into a 1 or 2 role, similarly to how we’re forcing Aberdeen to play the 1. CC just isn’t either of those roles for a title team, in my opinion. My fear is that Pope will keep trying to force this year after year, and it will prevent us from having open minutes at the guard spot for elite talent—kind of like how Acaden Lewis and Lamar Wilkerson felt there weren't enough minutes.
 

I’m The Village Idiot

All-Conference
Jul 30, 2024
2,870
4,624
113
I don’t understand why people always focus on what Chandler can’t do, rather than we he can do. I get frustrated by his indecision on both sides of the ball and that leads to him making the following types of errors:

- Guesses wrong on a driving lane to give up layups.
- Guesses wrong on screens so ends up going under or over at points.
- Struggles to decide when it’s time to attempt a drive or spot up.
- Confidence fluctuates on his shot.
- Has poor discipline defensively, as he uses his arms and hands far too much. Fixable.

^ These are all 100% correctable issues.

Now, I’m going to talk about what makes Chandler a special talent.

- Elite athleticism that very, very few players can match.

- The ability to shoot from very deep. Doesn’t need to hug the three point line —- this forces defenses to stretch further than normal, thus opening up cutting lanes, back doors, etc.

- Elite quickness and willingness to play defense offensively. What I mean here is he enjoys challenging with his chest. At his best, he has perimeter lockdown potential.

- Point guard passing skills. Can make any pass, from any angle, with either hand. Makes ridiculous reads without hesitation.

The only issues with his game that aren’t short-term fixable is his inability to defend when someone gets feet into the paint. He’s simply not strong enough to make the shots more difficult. Also, his ball handling is far too rigid and he needs heavy work there. This kid is only a sophomore and has potential to be a star someday. Be patient with this kid, BBN.
 
Dec 23, 2025
26
14
3
I don’t understand why people always focus on what Chandler can’t do, rather than we he can do. I get frustrated by his indecision on both sides of the ball and that leads to him making the following types of errors:

- Guesses wrong on a driving lane to give up layups.
- Guesses wrong on screens so ends up going under or over at points.
- Struggles to decide when it’s time to attempt a drive or spot up.
- Confidence fluctuates on his shot.
- Has poor discipline defensively, as he uses his arms and hands far too much. Fixable.

^ These are all 100% correctable issues.

Now, I’m going to talk about what makes Chandler a special talent.

- Elite athleticism that very, very few players can match.

- The ability to shoot from very deep. Doesn’t need to hug the three point line —- this forces defenses to stretch further than normal, thus opening up cutting lanes, back doors, etc.

- Elite quickness and willingness to play defense offensively. What I mean here is he enjoys challenging with his chest. At his best, he has perimeter lockdown potential.

- Point guard passing skills. Can make any pass, from any angle, with either hand. Makes ridiculous reads without hesitation.

The only issues with his game that aren’t short-term fixable is his inability to defend when someone gets feet into the paint. He’s simply not strong enough to make the shots more difficult. Also, his ball handling is far too rigid and he needs heavy work there. This kid is only a sophomore and has potential to be a star someday. Be patient with this kid, BBN.
In your mind, can you honestly visualize CC in a Final Four game, against the best team in the country, as the starting SG—knocking down highly contested shots with little separation and all the pressure on him? ... Or is he more of an athletic role player who thrives with less of the scoring and playmaking load?

Which is why I said CC is better suited as a breakout junior/senior-year wing, similar to Oweh. I’m not saying kick him off the team—I’m saying slide him down, develop him properly, and go get a true backup PG and a true shot-making starting SG.

There is no reason Kentucky, a program that competes for titles, should be forcing players to play outside their natural roles or playstyles. We should develop the players we have at their natural positions and go out and get the best, already-proven players at the guard spots.
 

I’m The Village Idiot

All-Conference
Jul 30, 2024
2,870
4,624
113
In your mind, can you honestly visualize CC in a Final Four game, against the best team in the country, as the starting SG—knocking down highly contested shots with little separation and all the pressure on him? ... Or is he more of an athletic role player who thrives with less of the scoring and playmaking load?

Which is why I said CC is better suited as a breakout junior/senior-year wing, similar to Oweh. I’m not saying kick him off the team—I’m saying slide him down, develop him properly, and go get a true backup PG and a true shot-making starting SG.

There is no reason Kentucky, a program that competes for titles, should be forcing players to play outside their natural roles or playstyles. We should develop the players we have at their natural positions and go out and get the best, already-proven players at the guard spots.
Yes. I think people are overreacting to his slump. His defense hasn’t been good this year, but he has the ability. His shot will return again and he absolutely can be a big contributor on a Final Four team if the situation is right. I don’t have CC as a starter but that’s because I see a different vision for the team atm.

Lowe
Oweh
Williams
Dioubate
Quaintance

Chandler would be my 6th man.
 
Dec 23, 2025
26
14
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Yes. I think people are overreacting to his slump. His defense hasn’t been good this year, but he has the ability. His shot will return again and he absolutely can be a big contributor on a Final Four team if the situation is right. I don’t have CC as a starter but that’s because I see a different vision for the team atm.

Lowe
Oweh
Williams
Dioubate
Quaintance

Chandler would be my 6th man.
Okay, that's fine. We just disagree. I don't think that's his game. I think you pair CC with someone like that instead, which is part of the reason the offense is looking historically bad. We have 1 Oweh and 2 Oweh(lites) on the floor at the same time.
 

davtay

Senior
Dec 31, 2002
872
447
63
My main point is that CC is probably comparable to a sophomore Otega Oweh—he has flashes but likely won’t fully find his game until his junior or senior year. He could break out as an athletic wing who can knock down wide-open catch-and-shoot shots. However, we’re currently trying to force him into a 1 or 2 role, similarly to how we’re forcing Aberdeen to play the 1. CC just isn’t either of those roles for a title team, in my opinion. My fear is that Pope will keep trying to force this year after year, and it will prevent us from having open minutes at the guard spot for elite talent—kind of like how Acaden Lewis and Lamar Wilkerson felt there weren't enough minutes.
Not bad points. But Wilkerson didn't come here because Indiana hired his coach from Sam Houston State. Otherwise he would have been a Cat.
 

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
41,970
74,060
113
Nobody cares about the name, Phil. My opinion is correct. Collin Chandler is not a PG and is not a SG, and Mark Pope may keep stringing him along, leading to a more stagnant offense this season and the next, preventing us from getting the players we need. I said it before this season: though Collin is a decent player, he is not either of the roles we are trying to force him to play, and he crowds our backcourt rotations, preventing us from landing elite guards.
That’s not Collins fault. That is Pope’s fault for failing to recruit the proper guys who can handle the ball and run a team in case of emergency. He’s a very good SF. A good shooting one at that most of the time. The only reason he is playing guard at all is because both seasons all our ball handlers have been hurt. Last season Jaxson, Kerr, and Lamont. This year all we have is Lowe. Aberdeen tries and JJ isn’t close to a 1.
 
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Anony Moose

Junior
Dec 2, 2025
179
312
63
Nobody cares about the name, Phil. My opinion is correct. Collin Chandler is not a PG and is not a SG, and Mark Pope may keep stringing him along, leading to a more stagnant offense this season and the next, preventing us from getting the players we need. I said it before this season: though Collin is a decent player, he is not either of the roles we are trying to force him to play, and he crowds our backcourt rotations, preventing us from landing elite guards.
It's the fallacy strategy they resort to when they can't retort the actual argument. Take it as a win and badge of honor.
 

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
41,970
74,060
113
Yes. I think people are overreacting to his slump. His defense hasn’t been good this year, but he has the ability. His shot will return again and he absolutely can be a big contributor on a Final Four team if the situation is right. I don’t have CC as a starter but that’s because I see a different vision for the team atm.

Lowe
Oweh
Williams
Dioubate
Quaintance

Chandler would be my 6th man.
I agree with this. He provides athleticism and shooting. Also his passing is very good and he’s not selfish.
 
Dec 23, 2025
26
14
3
That’s not Collins fault. That is Pope’s fault for failing to recruit the proper guys who can handle the ball and run a team in case of emergency. He’s a very good SF. A good shooting one at that most of the time. The only reason he is playing guard at all is because both seasons all our ball handlers have been hurt. Last season Jaxson, Kerr, and Lamont. This year all we have is Lowe. Aberdeen tries and JJ isn’t close to a 1.
Yes, I said I’m afraid Mark Pope may keep trying to force it year after year. Pope needs to land elite guys for their roles instead of forcing 2nd- or 3rd-option players to adapt, when we miss on players. It’s not CC’s fault. I’m pro Chandler, but anti-Chandler at the 1 or 2 if we’re going to win a title—just like I’m pro Dioubate but anti-Dioubate as a 3-point shooter if we’re going to be a title team. I think we need elite scorers and shot-makers at the guard spot, paired with a Chandler on the wing.
 
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Drogon

Senior
Mar 14, 2017
530
740
93
Remember, Chandler is still playing a bit catch-up from his mission time. He was away from coaching and competitive basketball for like 18 months. It's a testament to his hard work that he's where he is now. He's gonna have peaks and valleys. Next season is where his freshmen and sophomore seasons should start to yield more consistent results. I'd say he's progressing just fine. A healthy full-time PG wouldn't hurt.
 

wildcatdon

Heisman
Oct 17, 2012
9,978
12,435
113
Collin Chandler is a good college basketball player who can sometimes poster the hell out of someone. However, Collin Chandler is not a point guard, and he is not a Final Four–caliber shooting guard either. He has a very slow, ugly jump shot, but he is athletic—like a worse version of Otega Oweh (at least for now).

In big games against the best competition, you need someone like Kobe Brea, who can fly off screens with a trailing defender and quickly shoot a pure jumper with lots of confidence, or create his own shot. That is not Chandler’s game at all. If we want to compete for a title this season and next, we need to move on from the Chandler experiment at the 1–2 and get a proper point guard and a proper shooting guard. He can only ever be a backup, athletic wing, glue guy who can knock down wide open shots. That's his role.
Put the bottle down and worry about something else. Geez.
 
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UKCowboys

All-Conference
Oct 14, 2019
841
1,356
93
I don’t understand why people always focus on what Chandler can’t do, rather than we he can do. I get frustrated by his indecision on both sides of the ball and that leads to him making the following types of errors:

- Guesses wrong on a driving lane to give up layups.
- Guesses wrong on screens so ends up going under or over at points.
- Struggles to decide when it’s time to attempt a drive or spot up.
- Confidence fluctuates on his shot.
- Has poor discipline defensively, as he uses his arms and hands far too much. Fixable.

^ These are all 100% correctable issues.

Now, I’m going to talk about what makes Chandler a special talent.

- Elite athleticism that very, very few players can match.

- The ability to shoot from very deep. Doesn’t need to hug the three point line —- this forces defenses to stretch further than normal, thus opening up cutting lanes, back doors, etc.

- Elite quickness and willingness to play defense offensively. What I mean here is he enjoys challenging with his chest. At his best, he has perimeter lockdown potential.

- Point guard passing skills. Can make any pass, from any angle, with either hand. Makes ridiculous reads without hesitation.

The only issues with his game that aren’t short-term fixable is his inability to defend when someone gets feet into the paint. He’s simply not strong enough to make the shots more difficult. Also, his ball handling is far too rigid and he needs heavy work there. This kid is only a sophomore and has potential to be a star someday. Be patient with this kid, BBN.
Man it isn't just Chandler, this board has threads filled with the same people dogging out coaches and kids who represent are Wildcats. Its truly disgusting and embarrassing to the fanbase. They keep tge ignorant hillbilly narrative alive nationally
 
Dec 23, 2025
26
14
3
Man it isn't just Chandler, this board has threads filled with the same people dogging out coaches and kids who represent are Wildcats. Its truly disgusting and embarrassing to the fanbase. They keep tge ignorant hillbilly narrative alive nationally
This is a basketball/lineup post, nothing more. The reason I posted this is because our offense has been struggling immensely, and coming off this last portal cycle and our recruiting woes, it’s fair to assume Pope won’t just go out and land the most talented guards in the country and instead will just say, “I'll just force Chandler to do it,” leading to yet another year where we struggle tremendously on offense and the fans hate to watch the games. Stop taking things so seriously and calm down.
 
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UKCowboys

All-Conference
Oct 14, 2019
841
1,356
93
This is a basketball/lineup post, nothing more. The reason I posted this is because our offense has been struggling immensely, and coming off this last portal cycle and our recruiting woes, it’s fair to assume Pope won’t just go out and land the most talented guards in the country and instead will just say, “I'll just force Chandler to do it,” leading to yet another year where we struggle tremendously on offense and the fans hate to watch the games. Stop taking things so seriously and calm down.
I have a right to an opinion just like you do Formerly lol
 

revcort

Heisman
Feb 20, 2003
32,515
30,878
113
I really like Collin Chandler but I agree he seems to struggle against our better opponents. He's had a few games where he was dominant but several others where he basically disappears. He struggles with physicality of defenders. He is not a natural point guard, I agree there, also.

So, my hope with Chandler is that most of his problem is mental and he just needs confidence and could learn to overcome his issues. He's definitely athletic enough and skilled enough as a shooter. But he does shy away when he's being pressured and is the focus of a defense. He's just a sophomore and he didn't get much time last season, so some of this could just be that he needs experience. Maybe that will do the trick.
 

wildcatdon

Heisman
Oct 17, 2012
9,978
12,435
113
I think you need to put the bottle down if you're unable to even form a coherent 9-word sentence.
It was suppose to read something else, not lose. The phone changed it . If you couldn’t figure that out you shouldn’t be posting anyway. It’s apparent you and a handful of others on here know nothing about basketball.
 
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Dec 23, 2025
26
14
3
It was suppose to read something else, not lose. The phone changed it . If you couldn’t figure that out you shouldn’t be posting anyway. It’s apparent you and a handful of others on here know nothing about basketball.
That's your problem you can't post a sentence without seeing there's a mistake, yet that's an indication that I shouldn't post????????????? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO POSTED IT REMEMBER? lol
 

UKbrassowTipIn93

All-American
Jul 3, 2025
932
5,012
93
Nobody cares about the name, Phil. My opinion is correct. Collin Chandler is not a PG and is not a SG, and Mark Pope may keep stringing him along, leading to a more stagnant offense this season and the next, preventing us from getting the players we need. I said it before this season: though Collin is a decent player, he is not either of the roles we are trying to force him to play, and he crowds our backcourt rotations, preventing us from landing elite guards.
Yeah, its why hes playing the 3. Im unsure your point. He got much much better by the end of last year and was doing really good things.

Also, the obsession with 3 point shooting is a remnant of pitino ruining this fan base bc of how he had to play his first couple years here.

If you get stops, rebound, and run sets with purpose you dont have to be bombs away
 
Dec 23, 2025
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Am I living in your head or something? What are you talking about? I like CC as a player, and he'll keep getting better. Do you?
I just find it funny when people act like using emojis is an argument, when it's not. I am correct. The offense is bad. Millions of people get to witness that live on TV. It's an objective fact. One of the issues causing it is forcing CC to play a role that is not his, and it will happen next year again if we try to do the same thing.
 
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