After spending two seasons in Lexington, he entered the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday, giving Kentucky basketball some surprising news.
According to On3’s Joe Tipton and Pete Nakos as well as KSR’s Matt Jones, Chandler, a native of Utah, is now anticipated to return home and play for the BYU Cougars. The likelihood that Chandler will play for the Cougars is currently as high as it gets in the crazy world of collegiate athletics.
What makes Chandler want to attend BYU instead of Kentucky?
Money, of sure, but what will surprise you is the amount of money.
It was thought that Chandler, who averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists this season, would demand $3 million for his services in the upcoming campaign.
Matt Jones reported that Chandler was requesting a sum that would have been the second-highest (!) salary that any Wildcat had ever received, even though he did not explicitly confirm this figure.
To put things in perspective, Otega Oweh was reportedly paid more than $3 million during the previous season on a team that was valued at $22 million. Others, such as Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance, were thought to have earned more than $2 million.
To put it another way, it would be excessive for Chandler to earn as much as Oweh did and more, which would account for Kentucky’s refusal to match anything BYU offered him.
Although Chandler has the potential to grow into a player deserving of that kind of compensation, he isn’t there yet, and Kentucky can’t afford to pay players based only on potential and expectations. Not after how awful the previous season was.
Although it’s regrettable that things turned out this way, there’s always a chance that a school hiding in the shadows is prepared to pay astronomically excessive prices for players in the gunslinger world of NIL. As a result of what transpired here, Chandler is now making Mark Pope more dependent on 3-point shooting going into a crucial Year 3.
With remarkable clutch plays in victories over LSU, Tennessee (twice), and Ole Miss, Chandler created many wonderful memories in Lexington. But there were far too many times when he was totally shut down by opposition teams, such as in the NCAA Tournament, where he only scored 11 points overall and shot 3/14 from 3-point range in two games.
For Chandler, who is originally from Utah, there is also the home aspect. He will be able to play in front of friends and family at home for the duration of his collegiate basketball career.
Chandler made several amazing memories in Lexington with outstanding clutch plays in wins over LSU, Tennessee (twice), and Ole Miss. However, he was completely shut down by opposing teams far too frequently. In the NCAA Tournament, for example, he only scored 11 points overall and shot 3/14 from 3-point range in two games.
There’s also the home component for Chandler, who was born in Utah. Throughout his NCAA basketball career, he will have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family at home.
