Kentucky officially lost another key player from its 2025-26 men’s college basketball team when Collin Chandler announced on Saturday that he is transferring to BYU. It is a reunion of sorts for the 6-foot-5 Farmington High School product, who initially committed to the Cougars in November 2021, when current Wildcats head coach Mark Pope was their coach.
Chandler’s move comes a day after fifth-year senior Denzel Aberdeen announced he would return to Florida after spending one season at Kentucky. These developments leave Pope with six players to build around for the 2026-27 season. Given the team’s recent upheaval after a disappointing season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, it’s no surprise that college hoops insider Jeff Goodman is suggesting “a full reboot.”
College Basketball Insider Breaks Down Where Kentucky Goes From Here
Losing a player that was widely expected to be one of Kentucky’s “go-to-guys” next season is a major blow. Chandler’s departure showed that even if a player is well taken care of in terms of NIL money and a full scholarship, it does not guarantee he will stay, as he still wants a program that will help him reach his goals in college basketball, especially winning a national championship.
Chandler’s announcement has reduced the number of expected returnees and incoming freshmen to six. During the latest episode of “The Field of 68: After Dark Podcast,” Goodman and The Field of 68 co-founder Rob Dauster discussed the situation at Kentucky after another dependable player left for a new school.
Goodman called for “a full reboot” in Lexington, with Chandler and Aberdeen finding new destinations and other players such as Jaland Lowe, Jasper Johnson, Brandon Garrison, Mo Dioubate, and Andrija Jelavic also in the transfer portal. Many of these players are showing interest in rival programs and a return to Kentucky seems unlikely.
MORE: College Basketball 2026 Transfer Portal Tracker: Complete List of Players Who Are Available
Also, center Malachi Moreno has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft (while maintaining his eligibility at Kentucky), adding even more uncertainty for the Wildcats.
“It hurts Kentucky… You want to keep and retain as many of your top-eight [players] as you can and now you’re looking at Kentucky being kind of a full reboot for the most part, right? Like, what are they?” Goodman said.
“Malachi Moreno? We’ll see if they get him back. They better! They better get him back. Because, again, what you don’t want to do is start completely over; then you’re rolling the dice if you’re Mark Pope. However, with the way the season went last year, I understand, you don’t want to bring everybody back. It didn’t go well, so you’ve gotta do some housecleaning. But I feel like Collin Chandler was one of those guys that you wanted back.”
Goodman argued that Chandler is the kind of player Pope would’ve wanted back next season. Last season, Chandler averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 3-pointers while shooting 41.0% from 3-point range. Goodman pointed out that Kentucky played worse when Pope benched the 6’5″ guard, proving his value to the team.
Chandler will now join BYU to play with five-star freshman forward Bruce Branch III.
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Now, Pope is left with returnees Kam Williams, Reece Potter, Trent Noah, Braydon Hawthorne, and Moreno (if he withdraws from the NBA Draft). Moreover, point guard Mason Williams is entering his freshman season, leaving Kentucky with nine scholarships available.
Adding talent from the transfer portal will be critical for the Wildcats to build a team that can compete for a national championship.
