Chandler enters transfer portal

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW)  The news surrounding the UK basketball program—what remains of it—continues to take a turn for the worse with each passing day. Late Wednesday night, sophomore guard Collin Chandler became the seventh Wildcat to enter the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-5 rising junior was widely expected to play a major role in head coach Mark Pope’s third season. Chandler is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign in which he averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He also shot an impressive 41% from three-point range and earned the nickname “Captain Clutch” for his late-game heroics.

Chandler now joins Jaland Lowe, Brandon Garrison, Jasper Johnson, Andrija Jelavic, Mo Dioubate, and Denzel Aberdeen in the portal, marking a significant exodus from the roster.

Meanwhile, Jayden Quaintance and Malachi Moreno are testing the NBA Draft waters, though Moreno has left the door open for a return to Kentucky if his draft stock doesn’t meet expectations.

Still, Chandler’s departure—especially as the first recruit brought in under Pope—comes as a major shock to Big Blue Nation.