Tyler Ulis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tyler Ulis

Ulis with the Phoenix Suns in 2016
Arkansas Razorbacks
Basketball assistant
Personal information
Born	(1996-01-05) January 5, 1996 (age 29) Southfield, Michigan, U.S.
High school	Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights, Illinois)
Listed height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight	160 lb (73 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky (2014–2016)
NBA Draft	2016 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34th overall
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Pro career	2016–2020
Coaching career	2014–present
League	Southeastern Conference
Career history
As player:
2016–2018	Phoenix Suns
2016	→Northern Arizona Suns
2018	Chicago Bulls
2018	→Windy City Bulls
2019–2020	Stockton Kings
As coach:
2022–2024	Kentucky (student assistant)
2024–present	Arkansas (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Consensus first-team All-American (2016) Bob Cousy Award (2016) SEC Player of the Year (2016) SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2016) First-team All-SEC (2016) SEC All-Freshman Team (2015) SEC tournament MVP (2016) McDonald's All-American (2014)

Tyler Ulis (born January 5, 1996) is an American basketball coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas. Ulis played college basketball for the University of Kentucky.

In 2015, he led his team in assists. He also made the 2015 SEC All-Freshman Team. His Kentucky team won its first 38 games in the 2014–15 season. They lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four of the 2015 NCAA tournament. As a sophomore, Ulis was named a first-team All-American. He also won the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards.

He played for Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He was chosen to play in the 2014 McDonald's All-American Game and the 2014 Jordan Brand Classic.

Early Life and Basketball Dreams

Ulis was born in Southfield, Michigan. He lived in Lima, Ohio, with his mother and younger brother. As a child, he ran track and competed in races. He trained for basketball with his cousin, Travis Walton, who was a great defensive player. Another cousin, Shareese Ulis, was also a talented basketball player. During middle school, Tyler became friends with Devin Booker, who would later be his teammate on the Phoenix Suns.

High School Journey

For high school, Ulis moved to Matteson, Illinois, to live with his father. He was used to winning many games in Ohio. At Marian Catholic, he started his first game as a freshman. He was only about 5 feet 3 inches tall then. Because of his height, many top college scouts did not notice him at first.

By his junior year, Marian Catholic became a strong team thanks to Ulis. He started getting offers from colleges like Iowa and DePaul. His team set a school record with 29 wins and won its first sectional title. Ulis was named a first-team All-state player.

By August 2013, ESPN ranked him as the 38th-best player in his class. He considered offers from several top schools. On September 13, Ulis decided to commit to the University of Kentucky.

Senior Year Highlights

Ulis had a great senior year. On December 7, 2013, he scored 30 points, had 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in a game. On January 25, 2014, he played against another top point guard, Jalen Brunson. Ulis scored 23 points and had 9 assists in that game. He scored a career-high 42 points on February 22.

In the state tournament, Ulis led Marian Catholic past Bloom High School with 40 points. His team finished with a 28–3 record. They lost in overtime in the supersectional round, just missing the final four. In the Jordan Brand Classic, Ulis had 9 points and 9 assists.

High School Awards

Ulis at the 2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game

• He was chosen for the 2014 McDonald's All-American Game.
• He was also selected for the 2014 Jordan Brand Classic.
• Ulis was named to the Associated Press Class 4A 1st team all-state.
• He finished third in the voting for Illinois Mr. Basketball.
• USA Today named him to their third-team All-USA Boys Basketball Team.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Tyler Ulis PG	Chicago Heights, IL	Marian Catholic (IL)	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	150 lb (68 kg)	Sep 13, 2013
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 20, 3 (PG)   Rivals: 21  ESPN: 25, 4 (IL), 4 (PG)
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Career

Ulis at the Kentucky Blue-White Scrimmage in 2014

Freshman Season (2014–15)

Ulis was named to important preseason watchlists like the Bob Cousy Award. He quickly became known for making a big difference in games, even if his stats didn't always show it. On December 27, he scored a season-high 14 points against Louisville. He was named MVP of that game.

Ulis played in all 37 games as a freshman but did not start any. He averaged 23.8 minutes per game. After the season, he was named to the 8-man 2015 SEC All-Freshman Team. Kentucky had an amazing season, winning their first 38 games. They lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four of the 2015 NCAA tournament. Ulis led the team in assists per game.

Sophomore Season (2015–16)

Ulis in March 2016

Ulis was again on many preseason watchlists, including the Bob Cousy Award and Lute Olson Award. He was also a preseason first-team All-conference selection for the 2015–16 Southeastern Conference men's basketball season.

Ulis started the season in the starting lineup. On November 17, he scored a career-high 18 points and had 6 assists against the defending national champions, Duke. He scored another career-high of 21 points on November 21. On January 2, Ulis had his first college double-double with 20 points and 10 assists. This was the first time a Kentucky player had done that since John Wall in 2009. On January 5, he scored a career-high 23 points.

On February 13, Ulis had new career highs with 27 points and 12 assists in a big win over South Carolina. He was named one of 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. On March 5, Ulis finished the regular season with a career-high 14 assists and 14 points.

After the season, Ulis was named the SEC Player of the Year. He was also named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He was the second player ever to win both awards in the same season. Ulis was recognized as a first-team All-American by many groups, including USA Today and ESPN. He was the shortest All-American since 1953. Ulis also won the Bob Cousy Award.

In the 2016 SEC men's basketball tournament, Ulis scored 25 points in the semifinal win. In the finals, he scored a career-high 30 points. He played all 45 minutes of the overtime game and was named the tournament MVP. In the 2016 NCAA tournament, Ulis scored 27 points in a close loss to Indiana.

Professional Career

After his sophomore season, Ulis decided to enter the 2016 NBA draft. He was one of the shortest players in the NBA Draft Combine. He was also the lightest player ever recorded at the combine. About two weeks before the draft, it was found that Ulis had a hip issue. This caused his draft stock to drop.

Ulis was chosen by the Phoenix Suns in the second round with the 34th pick. He was reunited with his good friend and former college teammate Devin Booker. On July 7, he signed with the Suns. He played well in the 2016 NBA Summer League, earning All-NBA Summer League Second Team honors.

Phoenix Suns (2016–2018)

Ulis with the Phoenix Suns in 2017

Ulis played his first NBA game on October 26, 2016. On November 18, he scored a season-high 10 points and had 4 steals. He was sometimes sent to play for the Northern Arizona Suns in the NBA Development League.

After the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, Ulis started getting more playing time. He set new career highs in assists and points. On March 5, he scored 20 points, including a game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer. Ulis made his first NBA start on March 15. He recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 13 assists. He was the first Suns rookie since Steve Nash in 1996 to have at least 12 points and 12 assists in a game.

On April 2, Ulis had a great game with career highs of 34 points and nine rebounds, plus nine assists. His 34 points were the most by any NBA rookie in a single game that season. He was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for April. He led all rookies in points (20.7) and assists (6.8) in April.

On May 10, 2017, Ulis had surgery on his right ankle. He missed the 2017 NBA Summer League but was ready for training camp. He made his first start of the 2017–18 season on November 11. On December 4, he had his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 assists. On January 29, he had a career-high 5 steals.

On June 30, 2018, Ulis was waived by the Suns. He later signed with the Golden State Warriors but was waived before the season started.

Chicago Bulls (2018)

On October 15, 2018, the Chicago Bulls claimed Ulis. He joined the team on a two-way contract with the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League. Ulis had 25 points and 7 assists in Windy City's first game of the season. On December 27, 2018, Ulis was waived by the Bulls.

Stockton Kings (2019–2020)

On September 24, 2019, Ulis signed with the Sacramento Kings. He was later waived and joined Sacramento's G League team, the Stockton Kings. Ulis averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 assists per game with Stockton.

In October 2021, Ulis joined the Santa Cruz Warriors. However, he was waived before playing a game.

Return to Kentucky

In February 2022, Ulis was in a car accident. While recovering, he went back to the University of Kentucky as a full-time student. This made him eligible to be a student assistant coach for the basketball team. He joined the team in that role in late December 2022.

On September 20, 2024, Ulis became a basketball assistant for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Career Statistics

NBA

College

Personal Life

In February 2022, Ulis was involved in a car accident.

See also

In Spanish: Tyler Ulis para niños