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Cardinal-Killer Tyler Ulis named MVP of Kentucky Wildcats' win over Louisville

Tyler Ulis is THE reason why UK has won their past two matchups with UL.

By Jason Marcum
Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

For the second-straight season, the Bluegrass Sports Commission named Tyler Ulis the winner of its MVP award, which is given annually to the top performer of the Kentucky vs Louisville rivalry game.

The Wildcat point guard also took home the award last year and becomes the first two-time recipient of the award since its inception in 2010. A native of Chicago, Ulis finished with a career-high 21 points and added a game-high eight assists in the Cats' 75=73 win.

But Ulis biggest play came in the final minutes as he launched a three-pointer that felt like it was from midcourt that went in with the shot-clock running down and UK desperately needing a bucket:

The 5-9 sophomore added one rebound, one steal and one memorable block that proved heart can and will outweigh size:

"I don’t know, I’m not really thinking I’m the smallest guy at that moment, I’m just trying to lead," Ulis said after the win.

Last season, Ulis took home the award after he led UK to a 58-50 win in the YUM Center. He finished that game with a team-high 14 points off the bench while chipping in two assists, which was actually one more than any Cardinal had.

"He’s not afraid to miss," UK head coach John Calipari said after the latest win over UL. "I’ve said to all these guys, the guys that make game-winners or make big plays that are just the knife in the back, they’re not afraid to miss that shot ... and that’s Tyler."

Here's a picture of Ulis receiving the award, courtesy of the BSC:

"He keeps us composed, he’s the guy that we go to if we need anything," junior guard Dominique Hawkins said. "He’ll yell at you if you’re not doing your role right. He’s one of the best leaders since I’ve been here at Kentucky."

Ulis' back-to-back honor (2014) adds him to the list of previous award winners including Josh Harrellson
(UK-2010), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (UK-2011), Russ Smith (UofL-2012) and James Young (UK-2013).

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