It would be safe to call Mark Pope's first two seasons at Kentucky... tumultuous, wouldn't it? Filling the monstrous shoes of John Calipari and the legacy he left in Lexington is a nearly impossible ask, but by the program's standards, Mark Pope's reign has left plenty to be desired.
After a solid inaugural campaign that saw Big Blue Nation carry itself to the Sweet 16, the Wildcats struggled to keep pace in the 2025-26 season. Crawling to a 7-seed and still bearing a red spot in the shape of TJ Otzelberger's belt from their second-round blowout, it's unsurprising to see former 5-star recruit and Utah native Collin Chandler's name pop up across the transfer portal rumorverse.
If Collin Chandler does decide to leave Kentucky to be closer to home, whether that is BYU or Utah it would definitely be a tough loss for Mark Pope and the program.
— Chris Beasmore (@CBeasmoreSports) March 28, 2026
Chandler is a guy fans love, and I’d personally love to see him come back to Lexington. That said, Kentucky is… pic.twitter.com/F18rK6QDoW
Chandler was the biggest name to leave BYU during the departure of Mark Pope, following the coach who recruited him upon returning from his missionary service. At the time, Chandler was the highest-rated recruit in BYU's program history, and an indicator that under Pope, the Cougars could one day gun for the Big 12 Championship.
But Pope took off, and Chandler followed. Veterans Dallin Hall and Richie Saunders took visits to Lexington. All at once, it seemed BYU basketball's infrastructure completely imploded, and Chandler's flip was the headliner.
Obviously, BYU basketball figured it out, drew in bigger recruits like Egor Demin, AJ Dybantsa, and the recently-committed Bruce Branch III, and now two seasons removed from Mark Pope's exit, the rumor mill suggests the college basketball world could be rocked with a double-double-cross. A flip of a flip. The prodigal son's return to his true home.
BYU is making a significant effort to poach Collin Chandler from Kentucky (has been for a while). pic.twitter.com/jZ8Bwe26gA
— Buddy 🏀😼 (@BigBlueBud) March 28, 2026
But until Chandler puts his name into the portal, this is all wild speculation. Rumors of his wife wanting to return to Utah and Chandler's effortless fit into the program's culture and -- most importantly -- Kevin Young's lineup will spark interest, but hope is just hope.
Still, Chandler's veteran scoring punch, athleticism, and big-game experience would make BYU's core of Branch, Wright, Rueckert, and others could make this team a serious postseason threat.
Keep a finger on the transfer portal's pulse, because it's about to pick up.