Former UK point guard is now La Familia’s head coach.
KY — LEXINGTON (LEX 18) — Ahead of the July 19–23 Rupp Arena regional of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), the Kentucky alumni team La Familia has selected former Wildcats point guard Tyler Ulis as the franchise’s inaugural head coach.
Among the players committed to La Familia’s original roster are Nate Sestina, James Young, Andrew Harrison, Daniel Orton, Kellan Grady, Marquis Teague, Willie Cauley-Stein, Eric Bledsoe, Doron Lamb, and Reid Travis, according to TBT.
The first head coach of La Familia, Tyler Ulis, a former point guard for Kentucky, expressed his excitement. We’ve put together an incredible team of legendary Kentucky basketball players, and I can’t wait to collaborate with each and every one of them. It is a great honor for our group to play these games at home in front of our supporters, and we’ll make sure the lads are focused this summer to go earn that $1 million ultimate prize!
Ulis, according to TBT, was a member of the Kentucky Wildcats from 2014 to 2016, winning three SEC titles in his final season: MVP, SEC Player of the Year, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Ulis also won the 2016 Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the nation’s best collegiate point guard.
Additionally, according to TBT, Ulis was chosen with the 34th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and played for the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. Ulis then became a student assistant for the Kentucky men’s basketball team in 2022 and stayed in that position for the 2023–2024 campaign.
La Familia will compete for TBT’s $1 million grand prize at the Lexington Regional among seven other teams, according to an announcement from TBT. On June 26, the competition brackets and matchups will be made public. Tickets for TBT regional are available here for those who are interested.