The basketball recruitment of Collin Chandler is just one in a long line of BYU’s over the past few years. Since 2015, the Cougars have landed seven four-star recruits and two five-stars from ESPN alone. What makes this class so special?
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Collin Chandler, a breakthrough standout last summer, made his commitment to BYU on Wednesday, becoming the Cougars’ highest-ranked men’s basketball prospect in over a decade.
Chandler will serve a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before enrolling at BYU in 2024.
Chandler told ESPN, “I believed the expertise of head coach Mark Pope and the whole coaching staff would help me improve and progress a lot.” “They are really knowledgeable.”
Chandler’s recruiting stayed pretty stable despite a fantastic summer playing with the Utah Prospects grassroots program. Chandler had unofficial visits to both BYU and Utah in early June, indicating that both schools were interested in the in-state talent. Arizona, Stanford, and Utah State were all in the mix, but it was the two Utah teams who fought it out in the end.
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Chandler paid formal visits to both schools in October, and Utah seemed to be the frontrunner coming out of the travels — but a late push by the Cougars during the last week or two flipped the tide.
Chandler said, “The BYU alumni are powerful.” “It was unique because I was a local man and they were a hometown school. I want to help take the program to the next level and turn it into a national basketball brand since I grew up here.”
The Cougars will be in the Big 12 by the time Chandler arrives on school. Earlier this year, the school stated that it will leave the West Coast Conference and join the Big 12 in all sports beginning in 2023.
“Playing in the Big 12 allows me to play against the best,” he said. “In the long run, I want to play in the NBA.”
Chandler is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Farmington High School in Utah, and he is rated No. 28 in the ESPN 100 for the class of 2022. He’s the top-ranked player in Utah and the No. 7 player in the class at his position. Chandler rose from No. 77 in the ESPN 100 before the summer to No. 30, giving him the highest-ranked BYU prospect since Eric Mika in 2013.
Chandler has a strong all-around game and a good scoring rate. He can shoot from inside and beyond the arc, and his aggressive drive game draws fouls. He can finish with both vertical bounce and body control. Chandler’s passing talent is underappreciated. He can locate teammates for shots, plays a team game, and has a high level of intensity on the court. Chandler is a true three-level scorer who draws fouls and makes easy free throws. He’s quick to the rim, but he has to be careful about playing off two feet and using his jump-stop. As he progresses through the tiers, his defensive attitude is another area where he can improve, but he possesses the speed, talents, and quickness to be a strong defender. Chandler is BYU’s first pledge for the class of 2022.
