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Tyler Ulis named to Lute Olson Award Watch list

Tyler Ulis is one of 30 players on the 2015 Lute Olson Award preseason watch list.

Tyler Ulis - photo by Walter Cornett

– photo by Walter Cornett

sophomore guard Tyler Ulis is one of 30 players on the 2015 Lute Olson Award preseason watch list. The award is presented annually at the end of each season to the nation's top Division I player who has played at least two collegiate seasons.

Freshmen and transfers are not eligible for the preseason watch list.

Ulis, a preseason All-Southeastern Conference selection, appeared in 37 games during the 2014-15 season. The Chicago native led the Wildcats in assists in 20 contests while posting five or more dimes in 12 games.  He did not commit a turnover in any of 's final four games of the season during the NCAA Tournament. He concluded his freshman campaign ranked third in the country and first among league competition with a 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Lute Olson Award is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who won 780 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at Arizona.

Kentucky opens its regular season Friday vs. Albany at 7 p.m. in Rupp Arena. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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