College Basketball: Busting Brackets Midseason Awards

Sixth Man of the Year

Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Ulis, Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats have been one of the most dominant college basketball programs in the country since John Calipari arrived from Memphis. Surprisingly, this marriage has only yielded one national championship. Some critics of Calipari and his penchant for one and done prospects (I may or may not be one of them) blame this lack of championship success on his yearly gamble to play without an experienced point guard.

John Wall (and Eric Bledsoe!) couldn’t get it done in 2010. Ditto for Brandon Knight in 2011. Ryan Harrow bombed in 2013, and Kentucky really didn’t even have a point guard last year. Strangely, only 2012 brought home a title, a year that included one of Coach Cal’s weaker point guards (Marquis Teague). However, Teague was a part of Cal’s most talented team…well, until this one.

Why is Kentucky so special this year? One reason is Tyler Ulis. The diminutive game-breaker is the best big game point guard Calipari has had since Derrick Rose. Wall and Teague were one and done prospects, which Ulis won’t be, but they weren’t big game players (seriously, look it up). Ulis has proven that he thrives in the defining moment.

He may not start, but he’s one of the first five reasons why this team will get it done during the NCAA Tournament. Point guards who make big shots and smart decisions win championships, and this year Kentucky has that player in Tyler Ulis.

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