The Kentucky Wildcats have officially signed guard Collin Chandler, the school announced Monday. Chandler becomes the first signee of the Mark Pope era.

“Collin Chandler is one of the most talented high school players in the country,” Pope said in a press release. “He has a silky-smooth jumper, a slippery ability to get to the rim, an explosive burst, and the most impressive of all, he has incredible processing speed as he reads space and time and makes plays on pure instinct.

“Collin is the definition of a servant leader. He, on his own desire and expense, chose to leave basketball and his life to go and serve people in Africa and Europe for two years. It won’t take long for every Kentucky fan to feel his heart and his love for others. I absolutely cannot wait to coach a man and player like him.”

A 6-foot-4 guard from Farmington (UT), Chandler was the 37th-ranked recruit and sixth-best combo guard in the class of 2022 via 247 Sports Composite. His highest ranking was 32nd overall by ESPN, who had him as the sixth-best shooting guard.

Chandler scored 1,587 career points and drained 135 3-pointers to go with 328 rebounds, 229 assists, and 105 steals in his high school career.

For his senior season, Chandler averaged 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while draining 47 triples. He had 15 games with 20+ points, including a season-high 37.

For his efforts, Chandler was named the Utah Gatorade Player of the Year.

Following high school, Chandler completed a two-year Mormon mission and has four years of eligibility remaining.

“Growing up, my biggest dream was to play against the best players in the world,” Chandler said when he committed to Kentucky. “I am beyond grateful to be given the opportunity to do just that. Through the past couple of days, the path I had before envisioned has been blurred. After talking with my family and many prayers, this vision has become clearer than ever. I am humbled to get the opportunity to continue this journey at the University of Kentucky.”

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