Collin Chandler Needs to Be Productive Scorer for Kentucky to Win

Sophomore guard has struggled with his shot in recent games, but Kentucky needs him to step up in SEC Tournament

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Collin Chandler, a sophomore guard for the Kentucky Wildcats, has struggled with his shooting in the team's last two games, going just 1-for-8 from 3-point range. Kentucky coach Mark Pope says Chandler has earned more attention from opposing defenses, and the team needs him to find ways to still be productive and score when teams focus on stopping him.

Why it matters

Chandler had been one of the SEC's most productive and accurate 3-point shooters earlier in the season, but his recent struggles have coincided with Kentucky losses to Texas A&M and Florida. The Wildcats need Chandler to find ways to score, whether it's driving for mid-range jumpers, finishing at the rim, or getting comfortable taking tougher shots, in order to beat LSU in the SEC Tournament.

The details

In his last two games, Chandler has played 69 minutes but has gone only 1-for-8 from 3-point range. Kentucky is 7-3 in SEC games when Chandler scores in double figures and 3-5 if he does not score at least 10 points. Coach Mark Pope says Chandler has "earned the right to have his gravity increase massively," meaning opposing defenses are now focusing more on stopping him, and he needs to adjust by incorporating different skills and reads, finding new ways to attack, and potentially even taking tougher shots.

  • In his last two games, Chandler has played 69 minutes.

The players

Collin Chandler

A sophomore guard for the Kentucky Wildcats who had been one of the SEC's most productive and accurate 3-point shooters earlier in the season.

Mark Pope

The head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, who says Chandler has "earned the right to have his gravity increase massively" and needs to find new ways to score when opposing defenses focus on stopping him.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It's a process that everybody goes through. Everybody goes through the process if you're fortunate, if you play well, you go through the process of moving up the priorities on a scouting report, and it changes everything about your experience.”

— Mark Pope, Head Coach, Kentucky Wildcats (yoursportsedge.com)

“He's earned the right to have his gravity increase massively. Then it changes the way you find opportunities, how you find opportunities, so you can approach it a lot of different ways.”

— Mark Pope, Head Coach, Kentucky Wildcats (yoursportsedge.com)

What’s next

Kentucky will face LSU in the SEC Tournament this afternoon, and the team will need Collin Chandler to be a productive scorer if they want to win the game.

The takeaway

Collin Chandler has proven himself as one of the SEC's top 3-point shooters, but now that he has earned more attention from opposing defenses, he needs to find new ways to score and be productive for Kentucky to have success in the SEC Tournament.