One bold prediction for the back half of SEC play for the Kentucky Wildcats

Without question, it has been an up-and-down season for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats, but his team is starting to figure some things out over the last few weeks. At the midway point of SEC play, the Wildcats are 6-3, and they are coming off the biggest win of the season, taking down the Arkansas Razorbacks.

One of the big issues for this Kentucky team this season has been injuries. Kam Williams, Jaland Lowe, and Jayden Quaintance have all been off the floor for a while now, and there isn’t much hope that they will be back anytime soon. Lowe has been ruled out for the year, but there is a world where Quaintance and Williams suit up again for Kentucky this year.

With the second half of SEC play coming up, kicking off with Kentucky taking on Oklahoma, it is time to make a bold take. Let’s take a look at my bold take for the back half of conference play.

Collin Chandler will be the second highest scorer for Kentucky over the back half of SEC play

With all of the injuries this team has had to deal with, players have had to step up, and one of those players who has stepped up over the last few weeks is Collin Chandler. Over the last seven games, where the Wildcats have a 6-1 record, Chandler is averaging 10.7 points per game. The sophomore guard is starting to play a lot better in the back half of the season like he did last season as a freshman.

When watching Chandler play over the last seven games, he has come up in the clutch a lot, whether it be some late fireworks against Arkansas, the steal against Tennessee to help give Kentucky its first lead or the big three against Ole Miss that put the game on ice.

He has proven that he is a clutch player, which has some members of Big Blue Nation wanting him to shoot the ball more. He is one of the best three-point shooters on this team, shooting 39.6% from deep. Despite his metrics from deep and clutch shots, he is only shooting the ball 6.8 times per game for Pope’s team this season.

Dec 23, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) passes the ball during the second half against the Bellarmine Knights at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

After doing more digging, it feels like it's time for Chandler to start getting more shots for the Wildcats down the stretch of the season. If he does get more shots, my bold prediction is that he will be the second leading scorer on this team behind Otega Oweh down the stretch of the season.

Kentucky has needed a player to step up, and Chandler has been that player. If he keeps improving over the final nine games of SEC play, it will raise the NCAA Tournament ceiling of this team.