Tyler Ulis: Kentucky has 'shot to be really good and do special things'

Former Kentucky star Tyler Ulis knows what it takes to be special. He was a part of history in 2014-15, a key contributor on the first team in college basketball to start a season 38-0 — ever. And then individually, he followed that up by winning the Bob Cousy Award and earned consensus first-team All-America, first-team All-SEC and SEC Player of the Year honors as a sophomore in 2015-16.

The 5-foot-10 point guard saw the peak of team and individual success at the collegiate level. Now he’s on John Calipari’s staff as a student assistant helping coach the next generation of talent in Lexington.

“Pure hoopers, all of them.”

His early thoughts on this upcoming group? They’re exceeding expectations.

“They’re basketball players. Hoopers. Pure hoopers, all of them. And they love the game,” Ulis said in an exclusive interview with KSR. “How me and Devin (Booker) were in the gym, me and Zay (Briscoe), me and Jamal (Murray), that’s what these guys are doing. They all want to get better — scared to fail, scared not to make it. That’s what shows they want to be great.”

Ah, basketball players, Coach Cal’s go-to phrase this offseason. It’s centered around the idea that everyone on the floor is capable of dribbling, passing and shooting. Skilled and versatile at all five positions.

“You’ve got to have a bunch of guys that can play basketball,” Calipari said in Toronto at the GLOBL JAM.

Ulis, whom Calipari described as a coaching extension on the floor during his playing career, agrees.

“Anyone can make a play, anyone can get in the lane, anyone can knock a shot down. We have so many options and so much depth, it’s hard not to have fun with this team,” Ulis told KSR. “In Toronto, we barely even put anything in. We had a few plays, but defensively, we didn’t put anything in. They rotated, helped each other out, saved each other’s back, and it was fun to watch. It was fun to be a part of.

“I can’t say it enough: I’m extremely excited to see how this goes. We’re deep with a lot of players, and they’re skilled.”

Kentucky loaded with gym rats

And it’s not just natural ability, either. The players are in the gym working to perfect their respective crafts, ‘gym rats’ as the former All-American describes it. They’re all putting in the individual effort to be successful as a collective unit while also being coachable. Willing and active listeners and learners.

Some of the early signs of special groups.

“They’re all good players, all skilled players. They are different, always in the gym, gym rats. Rob (Dillingham) at one time took a couple thousand shots in a week,” Ulis said. “These guys are in the gym, getting things done. They want to work, they’re listening, asking questions. They just need to keep up the good work. I have no negatives for these guys at this point. … It’s just great to see.

“It’s a learning curve to play with each other, to share minutes, things like that they will have to get used to. But I feel like that’s easy when you’ve got great players who are willing.”

Keep an eye on Tre Mitchell

Are there any early surprises about this group he didn’t expect when the players first arrived on campus? Reed Sheppard is an obvious one — everyone knew he was good, but this good? And West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell firmly belongs in the conversation, too.

“Reed surprised me with how good he was early. Not really a surprise because he’s a McDonald’s All-American, but Reed has been really good all year,” Ulis said. “The biggest surprise to me was Tre because I’ve never seen him play. He transferred in and the hype was around all of the guys we had coming in, guys coming back. Tre, I think, just made things gel and mesh really well. With his ability to space the floor and his reads, he plays the game really smart and he’s a really good player.”

Special treat from #GLOBLJAM …@tulis3 mic’d up during our win over Team Africa 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/FHzUc5Wqqv

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) July 23, 2023

In fact, Ulis believes Mitchell brings something to the table Kentucky really hasn’t ever had at the five spot under John Calipari. Between his size, shooting and passing, the graduate transfer is the type of weapon most teams aren’t able to compete with. He’s a walking mismatch.

Throw him into a lineup of versatile guards and wings and you’ve got the freedom and flexibility to get creative on both ends.

“I think Tre is a big piece for us, being able to space the floor,” he added. “Making reads, he’s a guy you can play through. That really surprised me. That’s going to be great for us, having a five like that. I don’t think we’ve had that here ever, honestly. Karl (Towns) could’ve shot threes, but he didn’t.

“This year having a guy who is spacing the floor and bringing bigs out of the paint, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Special? Ulis believes so

Again, basketball players. If you try to shrink the court, there are shooters in position to fire away. Face guard and you’ve got playmakers capable of turning the corner and getting paint touches.

No logjam of players who kinda-sorta do the same thing, but rather complementary pieces who bring different abilities to the table. That starts in the backcourt and bleeds into the forwards and bigs.

“They’re all really good players. We have a bunch of basketball players. Guys who can break people down, can make plays as well as shoot the ball and pass the ball. I’m excited,” Ulis said. “These are good guards and I’m excited to add some things to their game, show them a few things I see. Sky is the limit for all of them.”

Ulis knows what it takes to be special. He’s inarguably one of the best point guards in program history.

Now it’s this group’s turn to leave its mark.

“They have the opportunity to be great. They’re skilled guys, we have depth. It’s going to be fun to watch and I’m excited to be a part of this, help these guys out,” Ulis told KSR. “The sky is the limit. This is college basketball, we’re going to have to be ready. It’s going to be physical, the SEC is tough.

“But we have a shot to be really good and do special things.”