Vol hoops point guard Kennedy Chandler shined against Missouri on Tuesday night. He finished the blowout win with 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

It was the freshman's best game of the season so far and it continued a streak in which Chandler has scored in double digits in seven of Tennessee's last nine games, including three straight.

On the season, Chandler is averaging 13.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per contest. He's incredibly dynamic and seems to be rounding into his best form at the right time, with the NCAA Tournament right around the corner.

You may remember that just a few weeks ago, there were discussions about the possibility of Chandler returning to Knoxville for another season because he just wasn't playing at the level that was initially expected.

Well, that kind of talk was likely premature because Tennessee fans aren't the only folks who have taken notice of Chandler's output uptick. As we pointed out in a previous article, Chandler had been projected for draft picks in the second round but with analysts seeing this recent string of solid performances, he's quietly been rising up NBA mock draft boards.

Here's just a few of the latest projections:

ESPN: 28th pick to Golden State

Yahoo: 23rd pick to Indiana 

CBS: 22nd pick to Philadelphia

While there's always the possibility that a player like Chandler could decide to stay around longer at the college level, those projections are for the first round of the NBA Draft. No matter who you are, the potential of being chosen in the first round of the draft will make returning for another college season unlikely.

Obviously, we'd all love to see Kennedy in Knoxville for as long as possible, but if he ultimately chooses to go pro, I can't say that I'll blame him one bit.

Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports