Every program searches for a shooter who doesn’t just make shots, but changes games. Through the opening stretch of the 2025-26 season, Kentucky has found exactly that in Collin Chandler, a 6-foot-5 guard from Farmington, Utah, whose rise from bench piece to record-setting starter has been as swift as it’s been decisive. Elevated to the starting point guard role after an injury to projected starter Jaland Lowe, Chandler has responded with a historic three-game burst from deep that no Wildcat—past or present—has matched to open a season.

Three games, at least four made threes each time. That standard eluded deadeye names like Koby Brea, Doron Lamb, Reed Sheppard, and Travis Ford. Chandler has done it to start this campaign, and he’s done it with ruthless economy. Kentucky needed a floor-spacer; it might have found its new offensive axis.

From mission field to marksman

Chandler’s path has been anything but linear. Born February 9, 2004, he originally committed to BYU before flipping to Kentucky to follow head coach Mark Pope. He spent two years on an LDS mission in Sierra Leone before enrolling in June 2024. Last season, his freshman year, he averaged 2.7 points per game in limited minutes—useful flashes, but nothing to hint at what was coming.

That perspective matters now, because the transformation has been striking. It’s not just the volume of threes; it’s how and when they’re arriving. After a year to acclimate, Chandler’s mechanics, confidence, and decision-making have coalesced at precisely the moment Kentucky needed someone to assume command from the perimeter.

“From Sierra Leone to Rupp—this is the breakout Kentucky’s been waiting on.”

The streak no Wildcat touched—until now

Let’s be clear about the history. No one in Kentucky’s storied program had opened a season with three straight games of four or more made threes until Chandler. That’s not a fluke; it’s a marker of readiness and rhythm. And it’s happening within a broader heater: since March 1 of last season, Chandler is 24-for-44 from beyond the arc—an elite 54.5%—and he’s started this year 12-for-21 (57.1%).

Numbers alone don’t tell the full story, but these do frame it: last season he shot just 34% from three. The leap is dramatic. Shot prep is quicker. Footwork is tighter. The release is clean and repeatable. That’s how you go from promising to punishing in one offseason.

Efficiency, not volume, is the headline

Chandler’s game isn’t about hunting bad looks. It’s about creating pressure without dribbling the air out of the ball. The best shooters bend defenses simply by being on the court; Chandler’s gravity is starting to show up in Kentucky’s shot quality. Even in the loss to Louisville—where the Wildcats collectively went just 8-for-28 from deep—Chandler’s 4-for-6 stood out. He didn’t chase; he converted.

That’s the profile of a piece you can build around. And Mark Pope has said as much, referring to Chandler as a “killer.” Coaches don’t use that lightly. It suggests trust, and it signals that Chandler’s shot diet is one Kentucky will keep feeding.

“He’s not just hot—he’s reliable. That’s the difference-maker in March.”

The Nicholls flip: perfect half, viral spark

The turning point in his narrative might have come against Nicholls. After a 1-for-4 first half, Chandler emerged from the break and went perfect across all categories in the second half, punctuating the surge with a violent, viral dunk that lit up Rupp Arena. The team mirrored his surge, jumping from 32% shooting in the first half to 61% from the field and 45% from three after halftime—with Chandler out front.

He finished with a career-high 15 points, four made threes, and four assists. That line looks tidy; the context makes it pivotal. When the shots mattered most, Chandler didn’t just make them—he stabilized the offense and raised the collective level.

Why it matters for Kentucky’s ceiling

Kentucky’s recent run against Louisville has been high-octane—they’ve posted 86 or more in four straight meetings for the first time in program history—but the latest edition ended in a loss. Even so, within that messy shooting night, Chandler’s efficiency was a beacon. That’s what elite shooters do: they give you a baseline of spacing and scoring you can count on even when team-wide variance hits.

Project that forward. If Chandler maintains an efficiency anywhere near 45% from three across volume attempts, Kentucky doesn’t simply have a specialist. It has one of the most efficient perimeter weapons in the country—and, potentially, its best overall player. That’s not hyperbole; it’s the practical effect of a guard who can tilt the floor and punish indecision every trip down.

“If he stays near 45%, book it—Kentucky’s offense runs through 1-5, not just the block.”

Role, fit, and what comes next

The starting job landed in Chandler’s lap because of circumstance—Lowe’s injury created a vacancy. But the way he’s kept it is all merit. His blend of size at 6-foot-5, quick-trigger range, and composure at the point has simplified Kentucky’s shot profile. Closeouts are later. The lane is wider. Secondary scorers are cleaner. That’s the cascading effect of a guard who can’t be helped off of.

It’s also a coronation Kentucky fans have been waiting on: the elite shooter archetype, the one you trust in every building, every matchup. Chandler fits it. He flipped his recruitment to follow Pope for exactly this opportunity, and after the patience of an LDS mission and a quiet freshman season, he’s delivering. The shot charts tell the story. The trend line makes the case.

The bottom line

Chandler has authored a start that redefines what Kentucky’s offense can be this season. The historic streak—four or more threes in each of the first three games—cements him in program lore already. The month-to-month arc—24-for-44 from three since March 1 last season—says this isn’t a mirage. And the clutch markers—the perfect second half versus Nicholls, the 4-for-6 in a rivalry cauldron—suggest his shooting scales in pressure.

If the efficiency holds anywhere near 45%, the conversation shifts from “great story” to “season-shaping star.” Pope has a “killer.” Kentucky has its marksman. And the rest of the SEC has a new problem to solve.