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2016 NBA Draft: Players with Most to Gain in NCAA Tournament

By Maxwell Ogden

Mar 16, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) signs autographs during a practice day before the first round of the NCAA men
Mar 16, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) signs autographs during a practice day before the first round of the NCAA men /
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Mar 16, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Tyler Ulis (3) handles the ball during a practice day before the first round of the NCAA men
Mar 16, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Tyler Ulis (3) handles the ball during a practice day before the first round of the NCAA men /

Tyler Ulis, Kentucky Wildcats

Prospect Rank: No. 36

Position: Point Guard

Age: 20 (1/5/1996)

Height, Weight, Wingspan: 5’9″, 160 pounds, 6’1.25″

Slash Line: .432/.342/.856

Season Averages: 36.9 MPG, 17.2 PPG, 7.2 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.6 3PM

Tyler Ulis will get his shot in the NBA, and most expect him to succeed once he arrives. The Kentucky Wildcats star only fueled that belief by piecing together a masterful sophomore season that earned him SEC Player of the Year honors.

A deep Kentucky run through the NCAA Tournament could put Ulis on the fast track towards doing what All-Star point guard and fellow 5’9″ playmaker Isaiah Thomas couldn’t: being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Ulis has experienced a rather significant decline in 3-point field goal percentage since his freshman season, but what truly matters is his 2-point field goal percentage. That number has jumped from 38.6 percent in 2014-15 to 48.5 percent in 2015-16—a difference of nearly 10 percentage points.

In other words, Ulis has gone from being unable to score amongst the giants, to being a threat to pour in points against players of all sizes and calibers.

Ulis has also emerged as one of the very best facilitators in all of college basketball. He’s lightning quick with a rare fearlessness when attacking the rack, and confidence as a shooter, but Ulis is on the first-round bubble because he can do what most other 5’9″ point guards fail to: distribute.

Not only is Ulis No. 6 in the country in assists per game, but he has an absolutely obscene assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.81—yet another sign that he’s not just another trigger-happy undersized playmaker.

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