Stay-or-go season in Lexington is officially in full swing. No, the portal isn't "open" yet, but players are declaring their interest. As the coaching staff reshuffles, the roster dominoes are already starting to fall.
As expected, Jaland Lowe is officially entering the NCAA transfer portal. After a frustrating season that never really got off the ground, Lowe's entry allows Pope to get a clear picture of the most important position on the team, point guard. Lowe's lingering shoulder injury and eventual surgery ended any chance of impressing in Lexington, and he will now be looking for a fresh start.
But while Lowe's exit was largely anticipated, a much more terrifying rumor is starting to pick up serious steam around the Bluegrass.
Could Collin Chandler actually be on his way out, too?
The classic postgame deflection
Right after Kentucky's heartbreaking loss to Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament, Chandler was immediately asked about his future and whether he was going to be coming back to Lexington.
"That’s not what I’m thinking about right now," Chandler stated. "I’m grateful for this season, for this team, and I hope we can celebrate together the memories that we made, relationships we made, and that’s really where my mind’s at."
We have all watched enough college basketball to know exactly what that quote means. It is the classic deflection. He didn't say yes, but he certainly didn't say no. And with a relationship like he and Mark Pope have built, anything short of a yes would be newsworthy.
When you look at the landscape surrounding Chandler's recruitment, Big Blue Nation has every right to be sweating this one out.
The undeniable pull of Provo
A huge part of the reason Chandler ended up in Lexington was his incredibly tight relationship with Mark Pope. When Pope left BYU for Kentucky, Chandler decommitted and followed his coach across the country. It was a delayed commitment with Chandler going on his mission before college.
You can tell he enjoys being coached by Mark Pope.
But the ties pulling Chandler back to Utah are strong and undeniable.
Collin has an incredibly strong relationship with his Mormon faith. He served a two-year mission in Sierra Leone right after high school. He is from Utah. Utah is the heart of his faith, and BYU represents a massive cultural draw that Kentucky simply cannot replicate. No other place can.
But this potential move isn't just about culture. It is also about cold, hard cash.
A massive NIL war chest opens up
BYU is about to undergo a massive roster shift of its own. The Cougars are losing veteran Richie Saunders, who at one time was thought to be following Mark Pope to Kentucky, and generational freshman talent AJ Dybantsa.
That is a big chunk of change with AJ getting upwards of $5 million this year.
When players of that magnitude leave a program, they leave behind a massive vacuum of NIL money. The BYU boosters are going to want to get elite talent. Coach Kevin Young has NBA ties, and BYU will be ready to reload this offseason. And who makes a better premium target than the hometown kid who originally committed to the program in the first place?
Kentucky is currently in the middle of a program reset. Jason Hart and Alvin Brooks III are out. Pope has to secure multiple point guards to replace Lowe; he got 4-star Mason Williams as his first 2026 recruit. Now he has to rebuild the coaching staff and figure out who to go after in the portal that officially opens April 7th.
If BYU decides to throw a massive bag at Collin Chandler to bring him home, Mark Pope may decide money has to go somewhere else.
That is just how it is in the modern era of college basketball.