When Kentucky needs a big play, they no longer have to look beyond Collin Chandler.
The sophomore guard from Utah has been red-hot down the stretch, scoring in double figures in seven of his last eight games. While he struggled through a "pressing" performance in the heartbreaking loss to Auburn, Saturday at Rupp Arena proved that Chandler has officially earned his nickname: Captain Clutch.
It wasn't just a one-game fluke. Chandler has been the engine behind Kentucky's most critical SEC moments.
It started when he begged to inbound the ball against LSU, finding Malachi Moreno for the game-winner. It continued with his late-game steal against Tennessee and his ice-cold turnaround jumper to seal the road win at Arkansas.
But against No. 25 Vanderbilt, Chandler took his game to an entirely different level he had yet to achieve in college.
Collin Chandler had a career-high afternoon at Rupp
Chandler started the afternoon unconscious from deep, drilling three triples in the first six minutes to help Kentucky build a massive early cushion. By halftime, he had already racked up 15 points on five three-pointers.
Whenever Vanderbilt threatened to make a charge, Chandler was there to extinguish the fire. When the Commodores cut the lead to 12 in the second half, he stepped up and buried his sixth triple of the afternoon to push the game out of reach.
He finished the day with a career-high 23 points on a hyper-efficient 7-of-10 shooting (6-of-8 from deep), while adding two assists and a steal.
Collin spoke with Jack Givens after the game
When asked if the rim looked huge, Chandler said, "Sometimes it feels that way. BBN helps. Being at home, there is no other advantage like playing in Rupp." Kentucky improved to 14-3 at home this season.
Goose would also ask what this kind of game could mean going forward. Chandler was measured in his response, answering, "For our team to see a complete game like that, it's a big thing… You have to see it to replicate it." And he is right. Now Kentucky knows what a full 40 minutes looks like, and what they can do against a top 25 team if they do it.
The question, of course, becomes, can they?
How Kentucky basketball can win the 'test of will'
Earlier this week, Mark Pope described the upcoming pressure of March Madness as a "test of will." He challenged his players to see the "mountain" of the postseason and decide if they have the stamina to keep turning the pedals.
If Saturday was any indication, Collin Chandler is already halfway up the peak.
"I think the test of wills is a great thing," Pope said of the postseason pressure. "I think living in a space where you're being tested all the time is a really happy place for our guys."
If Chandler can continue to shoot with this level of confidence and poise in Nashville and beyond, that test of will won't just be met, it will be won. Kentucky has found its postseason closer, and his name is Collin Chandler.