Collin Chandler, one of last summer's breakout stars, announced Wednesday he has committed to BYU, becoming the Cougars' highest-ranked men's basketball recruit in almost a decade.
Chandler will go on a two-year Latter-day Saints mission and enroll at BYU in 2024.
"I felt the experience of head coach Mark Pope and the entire coaching staff would help me learn and grow a lot," Chandler told ESPN. "They have so much knowledge."
Despite a terrific summer playing for the Utah Prospects grassroots program, Chandler's recruitment remained fairly consistent. BYU and Utah had been involved early for the in-state prospect, with Chandler taking unofficial visits to both schools in early June. Arizona, Stanford and Utah State were also in the mix, but down the stretch it was the two Utah powers battling it out.
Chandler took official visits to both programs in October, and coming out of the trips, Utah looked like the leader -- but a late surge from the Cougars over the past week or so turned the tide.
"The BYU alumni are strong," Chandler said. "With me being a hometown guy and them being a hometown school, it was special. Growing up here, I want to help take the program to the next step and help make it more of a national brand in basketball."
By the time Chandler actually gets to campus, the Cougars will be in the Big 12. The school announced earlier this year that they were leaving the West Coast Conference and joining the Big 12 in all sports starting in 2023.
"By playing in the Big 12, it gives me a chance to play against the best," he said. "My long-term goal is to play in the NBA."
Chandler, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Farmington High School (Utah), is ranked No. 28 in the ESPN 100 for the 2022 class. He's the No. 7 player at his position in the class and the top-ranked player in the state of Utah. Chandler jumped from No. 77 in the ESPN 100 before the summer to inside the top 30, making him the highest-ranked BYU recruit since Eric Mika back in 2013.
Chandler demonstrates an all-around game and scores at a high rate. He can make shots from both inside and outside the arc, and his aggressive drive game creates fouls and he's capable of finishing with both vertical bounce and body control. Chandler's passing ability doesn't get enough credit. He can find teammates for shots, plays a team game and has terrific energy on the floor. Chandler is a legitimate three-level scorer who draws fouls and gets to the free throw line for easy points. He's aggressive going to the rim but needs to be mindful of playing off of two feet and utilizing his jump-stop. His defensive mindset is another area of growth as he moves up in levels, but he has the speed, skills and quickness to be a plus defender. Chandler is BYU's first commitment in the 2022 class.