Surprise, surprise. Collin Chandler hit ANOTHER clutch shot

“This is what he does,” Mark Pope said. “He loves it.”

The Kentucky head coach was talking about sophomore guard Collin Chandler, who can’t seem to stop knocking down clutch shots for the Wildcats this season.

Chandler did it once again on Tuesday night in Columbia. In a game that was anything but pretty to watch, he dazzled us all with a timely three-pointer that saved Kentucky from disaster. With the ‘Cats clinging to a tight lead and under two minutes to go, Chandler drilled a deep triple from his favorite spot: the left wing.

That clutch jumper gave Kentucky a 64-57 lead with 1:51 to go. His dunk with 10 seconds left capped off the Wildcats’ 72-63 victory, ending the team’s three-game losing streak along the way. Chandler finished his night with 10 points (4-6 FG), three assists, and two rebounds in 35 minutes.

“You guys are watching this season. You guys all expect it to go in, too, just like he does,” Pope added. “And so he continues to deliver in those moments and he just likes it. He’s got confidence, he knows his teammates believe in him, he knows the staff believes in him, and he keeps delivering.”

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It's a clutch 🪣, of course @collinchand13r hits it.

📺 – SEC Network pic.twitter.com/xwq97XWBhs
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) February 25, 2026

Chandler has been spectacular in late-game situations for Kentucky since the start of SEC play. It started with the miracle pass to Malachi Moreno for the game-winner against LSU, then continued with his huge steal on the road against Tennessee that helped secure another win. He went on to drop 14 second-half points in a tight victory over Texas, buried a three-pointer that put away Ole Miss for good, and drilled a turnaround jumper to create enough separation against Arkansas. And who could forget his go-ahead three in the rematch against Tennessee?

His shot against South Carolina came after a couple of blown opportunities in the games prior, too. Chandler missed a three-pointer in the final 90 seconds against Georgia that would have tied the game. His controversial offensive foul in the closing seconds against Auburn allowed the Tigers to win right before the buzzer.

But Chandler returned to clutch form against the Gamecocks, and his team walked away with another win.