Collin Chandler’s Breakout Performance Provides a Boost for Kentucky

Collin Chandler made his presence felt in Kentucky’s dominant 82-61 win over Vanderbilt, delivering a breakout performance that showcased his growing confidence and potential. The freshman guard posted a career-high seven points on 2-of-5 shooting, including 1-of-4 from three-point range. He was also perfect from the free-throw line, hitting both of his attempts, while adding six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. It was a significant moment for Chandler, who has been working tirelessly behind the scenes, waiting for his opportunity to make an impact.

After the game, Chandler reflected on his journey and the patience required to reach this point.

“I think I’ve grown a lot mentally,” Chandler said after the game. “I thought I was mentally tough coming in, but it’s been a lot of learning, a lot of patience. Just coming in the summer and not being able to play right away, trying to get used to everything, it’s been an experience that has been full of frustration. It’s helped me a lot, and I’m gonna continue to grow.

“Basketball is a game of frustration, so I’m gonna continue to try to respond to that. That’s what I’ve learned.”

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has seen Chandler’s progress firsthand and was thrilled with the way he contributed against Vanderbilt. Pope has remained confident in Chandler’s potential and believes this performance is just the beginning.

“The plays he made today, he’s been making in practice,” Pope said. “He is going to help us in a huge way as we move down the stretch. I was really proud of him tonight…The conversation we kept having was we know exactly where he’s going to end up. He’s an incredibly special talent. Like, he’s a really special talent. We know where he’s going to end up. It’s just a matter of — we don’t know how the zig-zag path is going to get you there, right? He’s been working so hard.”

Pope went on to compare Chandler’s growth to bamboo, referencing how bamboo trees develop deep roots before suddenly shooting up and growing at a rapid pace.

“I thought Collin gave us a massive boost tonight, energy-wise,” Pope said postgame. “We talk about these bamboo trees. You guys know the deal about these bamboo trees. So if you think about a bamboo forest, you know, a bamboo tree can grow up to, I think the Guinness Book of World Records is 36 inches in a day — I think 35 inches in a day.

“What happens is they grow over time. They grow these massive networks of roots, growing, growing, growing, growing, growing, you don’t see it, right? And then all of a sudden, they shoot up out of the ground, and they’re growing a yard a day almost, which is almost incomprehensible. That’s a little bit of Collin Chandler, like he’s been growing big-time roots, and the plays he made today, he’s been making in practice. And he is going to help us in a huge way as we move down the stretch. I was really proud of him tonight.”

Chandler fully embraced the bamboo analogy, understanding how it relates to his own development.

“I think the reference to bamboo was they grow roots and then all of a sudden they grow really fast where you can’t really see the growth that’s going on until it starts shooting up really fast,” Chandler said. “We’ve talked about that before. I hope I can continue to grow like bamboo, go fast. I’m putting in the work every day, I know what I can do and my teammates do as well. It’s just continuing to stack nights like this. On to the next one.”

With his breakout performance against Vanderbilt, Chandler proved he can be a valuable piece for Kentucky moving forward. As he continues to gain confidence and refine his game, his role is only expected to grow. If he keeps progressing at this pace, the Wildcats could have another dynamic contributor just in time for the crucial stretch of the season.