This Collin Chandler stat will shock Kentucky basketball fans

This stat shows just how important Collin Chandler is to this team.

Jan 21, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) reacts during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Collin Chandler is a player whom Big Blue Nation was very excited to get on the floor this season. He finished his true freshman season with a bang as a great role player off the bench for Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team that made the Sweet 16. Fans believed that the way the season ended for Chandler would roll over into this year, and at the start of the season, that was the case.

Early this season, Chandler was a weapon for this Kentucky team as he was red hot from three and was one of the top scorers on the team. During the middle of the season, as Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen got going, Chandler faded away a bit. Now, over the last handful of games, Chandler has been incredible for Pope’s Wildcats.

Last night in the blowout win over the Oklahoma Sooners, Collin Chandler scored 18 points, going 6-13 from the field and 4-8 from deep. Kentucky Wildcats On SI did some digging on Chandler’s stats, and one very interesting number popped up.

Jan 24, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) celebrates after making a three point basket during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

In Kentucky’s seven SEC wins Chandler is averaging 12.7 points per game, but in the three SEC losses, he is averaging 2.3 points per game. This goes to show how important Chandler playing well is for this Kentucky team.

The reason this stat makes so much sense is because it feels almost certain now that Oweh is going to score 20 per game. The question for this Kentucky team is whether or not they will receive secondary scoring aside from Oweh. Before the game, we were hoping to see Chandler shoot the ball more against the Sooners, and Big Blue Nation got their wish.

Jan 17, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) shoots a three pointer against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

We at Kentucky Wildcats On SI put out an article before the Oklahoma game where I predicted Chandler to be the second leading scorer behind Oweh down the stretch of the season, and this game was a good start. Aberdeen did a great job distributing the ball in the win over the Sooners, and this is going to open things up for Chandler to shoot the ball.

The Wildcats have a big game coming up on Saturday with the Tennessee Volunteers coming to Lexington, and this would be another perfect game for Chandler to score 15+ points. If Kentucky can take down the Vols on Saturday, they will be right back in the hunt to potentially win the SEC Regular Season Title, which would be miraculous after the 0-2 start.