2016 NBA Draft: Will 5'9" Tyler Ulis fit at next level?

Can Tyler Ulis translate to the professional level despite his stature? Where will he be selected in the 2016 NBA Draft?

Tyler Ulis ranked amongst the top point guards in the entire nation in his sophomore season at Kentucky, finishing with 17.3 points, three rebounds, and seven assists per game.

The Ohio native also earned First Team All-American honors by countless media outlets, SEC Player of the Year, and received the 2016 Bob Cousy Award for the best point guard in the country.

Ulis finished his career at Kentucky as one of the top point guards to ever play at UK, and will go down as one of the most memorable floor leaders in recent SEC history.

But how will all of his skills translate to the NBA?

We all know Ulis stands at just 5’9″ and is measured at about 140 pounds, which is ridiculously small for any player even considering playing in the NBA. Though it’s a major concern, Ulis’ size is one of the only flaws in his game, and it’s honestly the only reason why he’s projected as a late first round selection.

Throughout his first year at Kentucky, most analysts said Ulis would never dream of landing in the first round.

After dominating his sophomore year, his stock skyrocketed, and there were rumors he may go as high as the 14th pick to the Chicago Bulls. They just traded Derrick Rose away, so they’re certainly in the market for a point guard.

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His 34 percent three-point average isn’t jaw-dropping, but he has proven time and time again he’s more than capable as a shooter at the next level. Ulis won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors for his tremendous lockdown ability against some of the elite guards in the nation. He has a knack for grabbing steals and deflected passes, using lack of size to stay glued to his man.

As for pure point guard skills, his 3.5:1 assist to turnover ratio ranks among the best in the nation.

In short, this kid does it all, and it’s hard to find a reason not to fall in love with his game.

But everyone always looks back at his height, as this is the main reason teams are nervous to draft Ulis.

At the high school level, people doubted his game because of his height, and he proved them wrong.

At UK, many thought his height wouldn’t work against grown men, yet he proved them wrong again.

At the professional level, I see this as no different.

His skill set is second to none, and that alone will be enough to allow him to more than hold his own. It’s been done before with Isaiah Thomas, Nate Robinson, and Muggsy Bogues, just to name a few. When the kid has it, his size truly doesn’t matter.

Next: NBA Draft's top five centers

This mighty-mite is a living, breathing swiss army knife, and the team that takes him in tomorrow night’s draft will be coming away with a stud.

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2016 NBA Draft: Will 5’9″ Tyler Ulis fit at next level?

By Jack Pilgrim | Jun 22, 2016

Can Tyler Ulis translate to the professional level despite his stature? Where will he be selected in the 2016 NBA Draft?

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