Tennessee's Kennedy Chandler entering NBA draft

Tennessee freshman Kennedy Chandler will enter the 2022 NBA draft, hiring an agent and forgoing his remaining college eligibility, he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews on NBA Today on Tuesday (link via Jonathan Givony of ESPN).

Chandler is a projected first-round pick, according to Givony, who ranks him at No. 17 on ESPN’s big board. The six-foot point guard averaged 13.9 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.2 RPG, and 2.2 SPG on .464/.383/.606 shooting in 34 games (30.8 MPG) for the Volunteers, earning a spot on the All-SEC Second Team and All-Freshman team. He also led Tennessee to an SEC tournament championship and was named MVP of the tournament.

As Givony outlines, Chandler improved as the season went on, becoming a more vocal leader, improving his shooting, and playing strong defense.

“Adjusting to the speed of the college game was the big thing early on,” Chandler told ESPN. “Coach [Rick] Barnes had me watching a lot of Chris Paul and Tony Parker film. Learning how to make different reads, and understanding that every team is going to have a different game plan.

“… I want to show NBA teams how much stronger I will get through the pre-draft process. Being ready to play with physicality in the NBA, a six-foot guard like me can play with anybody in the league. Just being coachable, cerebral, that’s how I can separate myself in this process.”