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Props to Chandler

Hope a lot of the people that were calling him “popes curly headed pet” and hating in general see why he was getting minutes and Pope was trying to get him more involved.

It’s clear he’s one of our more athletic players. He’s also one of the few that can take his guy off the dribble while Butler/Jax are out

That athleticism lets him rebound better than most on our team for his position…on a team that struggles to rebound.

He was just super rusty and I think he really battled (still does) nerves. A lot of his falling down and losing footing is likely nerves that will fade w more confidence. Bambi legs happen when ppl have too much adrenaline and jittery nerves sometimes.

Nobody thinks he should be starting or in our normal 6 man rotation with a healthy roster this season…but he has a ton of upside long term if he improves his J at all. And in our short handed roster, him getting involved will pay dividends until we get Butler/Jax back
 
He just needs time to develop consistency. He has the physical tools.
Yep. He has good size and quickness. His comfort and confidence with the ball has held him back this year. That is something that is easy to improve with experience.
 
Not many people will look good after 2 years away from the game AND jumping up a level from HS to college.
6'5, 35+" vertical, has good feel and movement ability. High school recruiting pedigree. Could shoot and dribble in high school, just needs reps and hours in the gym to get it back and improve it. Add to that a full year of nutrition and strength training and he could be due for a big 2nd year leap. Happy to see him showing flashes late in the season.
 
Hopefully tonight is something he can build on. He can absolutely be a contributor for us this season.

He's a pretty typical freshman (as are Noah and Perry). I think some folks have been fooled by the Cal era into thinking that freshmen need to be high level players immediately. I, for one, am happy to see players develop over multiple seasons.
 
If anyone had watched his HS tape, they would see this kid WAS a PLAYER!!!

He just needs time because he took 2 FREAKIN YEARS OFF!!!

He is athletic, can handle the ball, has good hands, can score at all 3 levels and hustles the WHOLE TIME he's in the game.

Hopefully tonight has given him the confidence needed to help us going forward because we REALLY need him!!!

Big game tonight!!!
 
Great confidence game for him offensively. Passing is still scary and he gets lost on defense but glad to see him have this game.
 
What he brought tonight, he's faster, has more twitch and hops, could stay in front of his man better than Perry. And he's 6'4 and athletic. With Butler/robinson out, I'd definitely like to see Chandler get minutes. The athleticism doesn't drop when he runs point. Case in point, Chandler can actually get past his man and drive to the bucket, and he dished out for two good assists. And he can rebound.
 
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Great game by the kid haven’t got to watch it yet but will later. Saunders and Chandler could be a lethal combination next season.
 
This kid with an off season could be reaaaaally good next year. Has some next level vision. Just needs to shake the rust off more.
He’s one of the few guys we have who has legit SEC athleticism. He may have more upside than Perry or Noah simply due to his size/athleticism. Certainly has a chance to be a contributor or even a key guy next year and beyond.
 
The athletic ability is obvious. It took a little longer than some of us would have liked for that to happen, but seemed like the game was starting to slow down for him tonight. He still had a couple of freshman mistakes, but he seemed a lot more decisive in what he was doing tonight, and that goes a long way. Hopefully this is something he can build on.
 
We have a nice little core of returning players for next year: Chandler, Perry, Noah, Oweh, and Garrison.

All of them have been forced to get a lot of clock recently due to injuries, and I have a feeling it will pay off next year.
 
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Not many people will look good after 2 years away from the game AND jumping up a level from HS to college.
6'5, 35+" vertical, has good feel and movement ability. High school recruiting pedigree. Could shoot and dribble in high school, just needs reps and hours in the gym to get it back and improve it. Add to that a full year of nutrition and strength training and he could be due for a big 2nd year leap. Happy to see him showing flashes late in the season.
Let’s not forget that he’s now married to a Utah girl. That will have an impact on if he comes back next year or not. I could see him transferring to BYU but hope he stays at UK.
 
Also, if Chandler can keep this up, he brings just a little bit more talent to a roster that desperately needs it. He was a big factor tonight despite some mistakes. Now, all the sudden these last 5 games get a smidge more likely to win IMO.

This team was desperate for someone else to step up and we might have gotten that tonight.
 
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Don't get why some people were so harsh on him. He was away from basketball for 2 years. He was never gonna come in day 1 and average 20 points a game or something.

Heck of a game from him tonight.
 
Listening to him on the Post-Game Show with Jack Givens, he sounded like such a FINE young man!!! He was gracious and complimentary to ALL of his team mates and coaches. He is working hard to get his skill level back up and wants to WIN!!!

REALLY like this kid and hope the very best for him!!! He has all of the skills, just needs to knock the rust off!!! He will be a big time player in the next few seasons, IMHO!!!
 
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