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Wildcat Blue Nation’s All-Calipari Kentucky Basketball Starting Lineup

By Frank Spencer

Mar 13, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats players celebrate after winning the championship game of the SEC tournament against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bridgestone Arena. Kentucky won 82-77 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats players celebrate after winning the championship game of the SEC tournament against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bridgestone Arena. Kentucky won 82-77 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kentucky Basketball
Mar 19, 2015; Louisville, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Tyler Ulis (3) handles the ball during the first half against the Hampton Pirates in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports /

A Rare Commodity

Tyler Ulis is a rare breed when it comes to Kentucky point guards. After diving into the thick of things, many qualities of play led us to place Ulis as the best option here at point guard. Other notable players such as John Wall, Brandon Knight, and Eric Bledsoe still make their claim as being great Calipari floor generals, but Tyler Ulis set himself apart from the rest.

One reason that Ulis finds himself in this position is the fact that fans got to see what he could do for two seasons. The rest of the field couldn’t say that as all three possible replacements left for the NBA after one season. John Wall, most notably, went on to be the top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

The Decision Wasn’t Easy

While we sit and ponder over which point guard was best at Kentucky, numbers cannot say everything. Even though Tyler Ulis averages 11.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 5.3 APG, his statistics do not match his leadership intangibles. John Wall had the flash, Brandon Knight had the athleticism, and Eric Bledsoe was outshine by his teammate Wall.

John Wall set the record for assists in a single season in his only year at Kentucky. Tyler Ulis eclipsed that total by five assists in 2016. The 5-foot-9 point guard also finds himself in the top 10 on the all-time career assists list at Kentucky. Ulis anchored the historical Kentucky team looking for an undefeated season, that fell in the round of 32 to the Indiana Hoosiers.

A True Fan Favorite

Everyone loves and underdog. Tyler Ulis is the epitome of what it means to be looked over. At 5-feet, 9-inches tall, most people said he had no business playing basketball at the highest level. Ulis lead his team by example. As a Consensus First Team All-American, Tyler Ulis took the world by storm with his heroics. As the only bright spot other than Jamal Murray on his 2015/2016 team, Ulis took over his team.

The Point God averaged 17.3 points and seven assists per game in his final season as a Wildcat. Both totals eclipse that of John Wall’s season statistics in 2010. Tyler’s PPG average matched that of Brandon Knight. It might also be noted that Ulis managed to dish out a total of 246 assists in 2016. Brandon Knight, a shoot-first point guard managed to only accumulate 159 dimes in his single season.

Tyler Ulis may not be the most talented point guard during John Calipari’s time at Kentucky, but he contributed more to his team(s). With this group of former Wildcats, I think there are plenty of guys that would love to see Tyler Ulis running the point.

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