FAYETTEVILLE: As an assistant basketball coach for the Razorback men’s basketball team, Tyler Ulis, the 2016 SEC Player of the Year and unanimous first team All-American at Kentucky under current Arkansas head coach John Calipari, has joined the team.
Ulis, whose injury sustained in a vehicle accident ended his professional career, has spent the last two seasons working as a student assistant coach in Kentucky. His responsibilities encompassed all on-court activities such as individual workouts, film sessions, and practices, in addition to helping the coaches with game-plan preparation and practice. Additionally, Ulis led the Kentucky-based “La Familia” team to the TBT semifinal while serving as head coach for the team in the summer of 2024.
Ulis, in his second season with the Wildcats, was one of the most decorated athletes in the nation during his time as a player at Kentucky in 2015–16. In addition to winning the SEC Player of the Year award, he was named to nine All-American teams and received consensus first team All-American accolades.
Ulis was also named first team All-SEC, earned the SEC Tournament MVP, and received the Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the best point guard in the country each year. He became the sole player to win both the SEC Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season, together with Anthony Davis. In addition, Ulis was one of 10 finalists and one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy.
On the court, he set a UK single-season record with 246 assists while leading the SEC and ranking sixth in the NCAA in assists (with a UK season record of 7.03 assists per game). In addition, he led the conference in minutes (36:48 average) and finished sixth in the SEC in scoring (17.3 ppg), free throw % (.856), free throws made (167), double-doubles (8), and field goal percentage (.434).
In his rookie season, Ulis led the Wildcats and finished ninth in the SEC in assists (3.6 average with 135 total), earning him a spot on the 2015 SEC All-Freshman Team. Kentucky finished 38-1, losing only to Wisconsin in the 2015 Final.
Ulis has only played in two seasons, but his 381 career assists place him 10th on the team’s all-time assist record.
Ulis declared for the 2016 NBA Draft following his sophomore year, and the Phoenix Suns selected him with the 34th overall pick (second round) of the draft. He was named to the second team of the NBA Summer League, demonstrating his instant effect on the squad.
Ulis averaged 7.3 points and 3.7 assists in his debut NBA season (2016–17), placing him 14th in the voting for the 10-man NBA All-Rookie team. In his second season (2017–18), he appeared in 71 games for the Suns, averaging 7.8 points and 4.4 assists. The Chicago Bulls signed Ulis in 2018. 2019–20 was his final NBA season, playing with the Stockton Kings.
Ulis was a McDonald’s All-American in 2014, played in the Jordan Brand Classic, named third team USA Today All-American and was a consensus five-star while at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Ill. He was a two-time All-State selection and finished among the top four in the Illinois Mr. Basketball voting twice.
Ulis, a native of Lima, Ohio, is continuing to complete his degree from Kentucky and is expected to graduate this coming December.
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