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Kentucky basketball: Top 5 point guards of the John Calipari era

By Drew Koch

DES MOINES, IA - MARCH 19: Tyler Ulis #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats falls to the court in the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 19, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IA - MARCH 19: Tyler Ulis #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats falls to the court in the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 19, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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LEXINGTON, KY – MARCH 05: Tyler Ulis #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats dribbles the ball in the game against the LSU Tigers at Rupp Arena on March 5, 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY – MARCH 05: Tyler Ulis #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats dribbles the ball in the game against the LSU Tigers at Rupp Arena on March 5, 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

1. Tyler Ulis (2014-16)

Feel free to disagree if you’d like, but you’ll never convince me that Tyler Ulis is not the best point guard that’s played for Kentucky since Calipari’s arrival. In fact, I believe Ulis to be one of the best pure point guard the Cats have ever had.

Tyler Ulis would have been the No.1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft if he were 6’3″. But he’s not. He’s barely 5’9″, and that’s what makes his ability to elite-level college basketball as the starting point guard for the University of Kentucky even more impressive.

Check this out. Ulis played on a team with another 5-star point guard who was more experienced and 9 inches taller. Yet, Ulis outplayed all season long. In fact, both Ulis and Andrew Harrison averaged 3.6 assists per game in 2014-15.

I firmly believe Kentucky’s loss to Wisconsin in the 2015 Final Four came down to point guard play.  Harrison played 31 minutes in that game. Had Calipari played Ulis more than the 17 he did, I think Cal would have 2 National Championships to his credit right now instead of one.

Ulis, unlike the others on this list, returned for a second season at UK. That season he was a consensus All-American, scoring 17.3 points and dishing out 7 assists per game.

While Ulis’ size will inhibit his ability to be incredibly successful at the next level, I don’t see him giving up anytime soon. Ulis is a confident young player, who during his time at the University of Kentucky proved that size doesn’t matter.

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