Tyler Ulis holds off Whitney Creech for 2nd in Sports Figure voting
The top 10 finishers in the 2016 Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year voting:
1. Lamar Jackson
Why 2016 was strong: In addition to becoming the first player from a university in Kentucky to win the Heisman Trophy, the University of Louisville sophomore quarterback won the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award and was named National Player of the Year by The Associated Press. While directing U of L (9-4) to the Citrus Bowl, the Pompano Beach, Fla., product became the first player in FBS history with more than 1,500 yards rushing (1,571) and 3,300 yards (3,543) passing in a season.
Two other things to know:
1.) The recruiting tie that allowed then-Louisville assistant Lamar Thomas to get the inside track with Jackson was his relationship with the quarterback’s high school coach, Rick Swain. Thomas, who left U of L for Kentucky after the 2015 season, had played for Swain in high school in Gainesville.
2.) Jackson personally accounted for 393.4 yards a game in 2016 (120.9 rushing; 272.5 passing). That was more than 53 FBS teams averaged in total offense.
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: A Louisville Cardinals quarterback has finished in the top three in voting three times in the past five years — Teddy Bridgewater was third in both 2012 and 2013.
What the voters said:
1.) “Jackson is one of those players who is ‘must-see,’ arguably the most explosive player in college football. He won every major award this past season and, if he stays healthy, could easily repeat that feat.” — Steve Moss, WKYT-TV
2.) “Regardless of what school you root for, Jackson put together one of the best college seasons in history with countless highlight-reel plays to enjoy for years to come.” — Scott Brown, WKDZ-FM/WHVO-FM, Cadiz
2. Tyler Ulis
Why 2016 was strong: As a sophomore, the Kentucky point guard (17.3 ppg, 7 assists, 1.5 steals) won the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s best point guard and was a consensus First Team All-American. The Matteson, Ill., product was named both SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year, joining Anthony Davis as the only players to win both in the same season. Ulis set a Kentucky single-season record for assists with 246. Picked in the second round (34th overall) of the NBA Draft by Phoenix, Ulis signed a contract with two years guaranteed.
Two other things to know:
1.) Ulis (5-foot-9) was the sixth player since 1970 standing less than 6 feet tall on a men’s basketball scholarship at Kentucky — Ronnie Lyons (5-10, 1971-74); Leroy Byrd (5-5, 1983-86); Dicky Beal (5-9, 1980-84); Travis Ford (5-9, 1991-94); and Brandon Stockton (5-9, 2002-06).
2.) In 72 career games at Kentucky, Ulis had more turnovers than assists in a contest five times.
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: Ulis is the 20th UK men’s basketball player to finish in the top 10 all-time. That broke a tie with the UK football program which has had 19 players rank in the top 10.
What the voters said:
1.) “The pint-sized point guard cemented his place in Kentucky basketball history with the single-season assist record and the Bob Cousy Award and will forever be a fan favorite for his grit, determination and talent.” — Tyler Thompson, KentuckySportsRadio.com
2.) “To me, the most exciting player to watch in Division I college basketball in 2015-16. Enjoyed watching Ulis more than Ben Simmons, Buddy Hield, etc. ...” — Nick Curran, Louisville Bats and Louisville Cardinals women’s basketball radio play-by-play announcer
3. Whitney Creech
Why 2016 was strong: Jenkins High School girls’ hoops star became the first player in state history, female or male, to go over 5,000 career points (5,527). As a senior, the 5-foot-8 guard averaged 50.3 points, 14.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.3 steals. Was named Associated Press co-Player of the Year (with Elizabethtown’s Erin Boley) and Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame Girls High School Athlete of the Year. Led Jenkins to the finals of the 14th Region Tournament, the deepest postseason run in school history. Signed to play college basketball at Western Kentucky.
Two other things to know:
1.) Needing 63 points to eclipse the Kentucky all-time scoring mark (4,968) held since 1996 by former Highlands star Jamie Walz, Creech scored 71 points Feb. 2 in an overtime victory at Paintsville.
2.) Creech’s prolific scoring was sometimes compared to “King Kelly” Coleman, the legendary boys’ basketball sharpshooter who was also from the Eastern Kentucky mountains. Coleman finished his career at Wayland High School in 1956 with 4,263 career points.
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: Creech’s third is the highest finish by a high school girls’ basketball player in the history of the award. Previously, that distinction had been shared by Jamie Walz (1995), Crystal Kelly (2004) and Makayla Epps (2013), each of whom finished sixth.
What the voters said:
1.) “Easily one of the more captivating stories in 2016, we kept up with Creech even this far into the Jackson Purchase. Her scoring touch may never be matched again.” — Edward Marlowe, The Paducah Sun
2.) “The opinion of many is (Creech) played against weak competition. The facts are, she was able to play at a high level, stay healthy and smash scoring records while being guarded 4-on-1.” — Jamey Johnson, East Kentucky Broadcasting, Pikeville
4. Karl-Anthony Towns
Why 2016 was strong: In his first year with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the ex-Kentucky Wildcats standout won NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors each month (six) of the season. Was a unanimous choice as 2015-16 NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 18.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and shooting 54.2 percent.
Two other things to know:
1.) The rookie numbers Towns put up were better than another celebrated big man from Kentucky, Anthony Davis, produced in his first NBA season (2012-13). Towns averaged more points (18.3 to 13.5), rebounds (10.5 to 8.2) and shot a higher percentage (54.2 to 51.6) than Davis.
2.) Towns is a hip-hop music devotee. He told The Sporting News late last year that J.Cole’s “4 Your Eyez Only” was “the dopest album of the year.”
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: Towns’ fourth-place finish is the highest by an NBA player since Anthony Davis was fourth in 2014.
What the voters said:
1.) “The latest in John Calipari’s revolving door of elite big men was the best newcomer in the NBA. He’s also been an exceptional ambassador for UK.” — Justin Rowland, CatsIllustrated.com
2.) “It’s hard for me to vote for any NBA star who just spent one season in the Bluegrass State as ‘Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year,’ but the 2015-16 NBA Rookie of the Year has embraced his role as a Wildcat ambassador more than any one-and-done player at UK.” — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal
5. Kendra Harrison
Why 2016 was strong: Running a 12.21 in the 100-meter hurdles in July, the former Kentucky Wildcats track star shattered a world record (12.22 by Bulgaria’s Yordanka Donkova) that had stood since 1988. In 2016, Harrison ran eight of the year’s nine fastest times in the world in the 100-meter hurdles and two of the three fastest times ever. The Clayton, N.C., product won the IAAF Diamond Trophy after winning six straight 100-meter hurdles races. Her stellar season’s one blemish came when Harrison finished sixth in her specialty in the U.S. Olympic Trials and failed to advance to Rio.
Two other things to know:
1.) The day after Harrison failed to qualify for the Olympics, her coach, the University of Kentucky’s Edrick Floreal, ordered her to practice in the rain rather than stew over her failure. Harrison told espnW.com she was crying as she went over hurdles that day. Two weeks later, she set the world record.
2.) Harrison still trains in Lexington and is a volunteer assistant coach at UK. When Kentucky scored the recruiting coup of landing teen Olympian Sydney McLaughlin for 2017-18, the hurdler from New Jersey told NJ.com a big reason was the chance to train with Harrison. “It's pretty cool to be able to work out and hang out with her,” McLaughlin said
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: By finishing fifth, Harrison has equaled the highest finish ever by a hurdler, male or female. In 1988, Eastern Kentucky University hurdler Jackie Humphrey also finished fifth in the voting.
What the voters said:
1.) “After suffering an uncharacteristic and devastating loss in the Olympic Trials, Keni Harrison bounced back to become the fastest female hurdler of all time. She dominated the IAAF Diamond League circuit.” — Mark Maloney, Lexington Herald-Leader, retired
2.) “Kendra Harrison’s effort in the 100m hurdles stamped her the best in the WORLD. Nobody else on the nominees list could make that claim this year.” — Dick Gabriel, WLAP-AM, WKYT-TV
6. Kelsi Worrell
Why 2016 was strong: Louisville Cardinals senior became first swimmer in school history to earn an Olympics medal when she received a gold in Rio for swimming preliminary round for U.S. 4-by-100 medley relay team. Won U.S. Olympic Trials in 100-meter butterfly, but failed to reach finals in event in Rio. The Mount Holly, N.J., product set an American record (55.22) in the 100-meter butterfly. She won NCAA championships in both the 100 and 200 butterfly and was First Team Academic All-American.
Two other things to know:
1.) When Worrell made the U.S. Olympic team, she joined men’s basketball player Rodney McCray and women’s hoops star Angel McCoughtry as the only U of L athletes to ever make the American team.
2.) Louisville Athletics Director Tom Jurich told The Courier-Journal that Worrell should be “on the Mount Rushmore, no question” of all-time Louisville Cardinals athletes.
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: After finishing 10th last year, Worrell has compiled back-to-back top 10s. She is the first swimmer to do that since Mary T. Meagher finished second in 1981 and sixth in 1982.
What the voters said:
1.) “This one was a no-brainer for me. Kelsi Worrell was by far the best athlete to come out of Kentucky this past year. How often does this state (have) an Olympic gold medalist outside of basketball? Not often.” — Conor Revel, The Louisville Catholic Sports Network
2.) “Qualifying for the Olympic team may be the greatest pressure cooker in sports and (Worrell) delivered.” — Drew Deener, WHBE-AM, WLCL-FM, Louisville
7. Mark Stoops
Why 2016 was a very good year: Kentucky opened the college football season with a come-from-ahead loss to Southern Mississippi and a blowout defeat at Florida, and speculation about the job security of the fourth-year UK football coach was rampant. Amidst adversity, Stoops rallied his team to a 7-6 record that included an upset of then-No. 11 Louisville and UK’s first bowl berth since the 2010 season. Even with a 33-18 loss to Georgia Tech in the TaxSlayer Bowl, Stoops led Kentucky (7-6) to its first winning record since 2009.
Two other things to know:
1.) Stoops became the eighth man to coach Kentucky in a bowl game, joining Bear Bryant (four bowls), Fran Curci (one), Jerry Claiborne (two), Bill Curry (one), Hal Mumme (two), Rich Brooks (four) and Joker Phillips (one). With the TaxSlayer Bowl loss, UK’s all-time bowl record now stands at 8-8.
2.) Kentucky’s 4-4 record in SEC games in 2016 was the best by a Wildcats team since the 2006 Cats also went 4-4.
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: Stoops is the first UK football coach to crack the top 10 since Rich Brooks finished fifth in 2009.
What the voters said:
1.) “Don’t kid yourself, if UK only won two or three games, today (Stoops) might be a defensive backs coach. Getting his players to believe when no one else did wasn’t easy. Make that close to impossible. Getting young people to believe is what we need all over America.” — Alan Cutler, WLEX-TV
2.) “The hole was getting dark three games into the season and now (UK football’s future) looks brighter than it has in years.” — Gene Abell, Lexington Herald-Leader, retired
8. Jeff Brohm
Why 2016 was a very good year: Third-year Western Kentucky football coach led the Hilltoppers to a second straight Conference USA championship and their third straight bowl appearance. Resigned before WKU (11-3) beat Memphis in the Boca Raton Bowl to become head coach at Purdue.
Two other things to know:
1.) In Brohm’s final 34 games on the Western Kentucky sideline, the Hilltoppers went 28-6.
2.) In the 40 games Brohm ran the Western offense, WKU scored 40 or more points 26 times.
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: Fourth last year, Brohm now has three top 10s. He was seventh in 1993, when Brohm quarterbacked Louisville to a 9-3 record and a Liberty Bowl championship.
What the voters said:
1.) “Jeff has proven to be an elite college football coach to go along with being one of the good guys in the coaching profession.” — Freddie Maggard, Kentucky Wildcats football radio network, KentuckySportsRadio.com
2.) “The run (at WKU) in (Brohm’s) tenure is rather impressive. If (Willie) Taggart and (Bobby) Petrino put WKU on the FBS map, then Brohm cemented its place.” — Michael Compton, Bowling Green Daily News
9. Erin Boley
Why 2016 was strong: Elizabethtown High School girls’ basketball star (24.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 60 percent field-goal shooting) was Gatorade National Player of the Year, a McDonald’s All-American, 2016 Kentucky Miss Basketball and AP co-State Player of the Year (with Whitney Creech). Led the Lady Panthers (30-5) to at least the Sweet Sixteen quarterfinals for a third straight season. Notre Dame signee finished her high school career as Elizabethtown’s all-time leading scorer (3,325 career points).
Two other things to know:
1.) Boley is the third Kentucky girls’ basketball player to be named Gatorade National Player of the Year, following Southern’s Lisa Harrison (1988-89) and Highlands’ Jamie Walz (1995-96).
2.) Since 2011, Kentucky has sent four girls’ basketball players to the McDonald’s All-American Game — Rockcastle County’s Sara Hammond (2011), Owensboro Catholic’s Rebecca Greenwell (2013), Marion County’s Makayla Epps (2013) and Boley (2016).
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: Boley and Jenkins’ Whitney Creech (third) combined to put two high school girls’ basketball players in the top 10 for the first time ever.
What the voters said:
1.) “Gatorade National Player of the Year. McDonald’s All-American — and doing it all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA as class valedictorian.” — Darrell Bird, The Cats’ Pause
2.) “Beyond a doubt, the most complete player I’ve ever gotten to cover in nearly 14 years in the business.” — Josh Claywell, The News-Enterprise, Elizabethtown
10. Adam Duvall
Why 2016 was strong: The former Butler High School and University of Louisville standout had a breakthrough season for the Cincinnati Reds. Duvall, 28, won the Cincinnati Reds’ starting left fielder job and hit 33 home runs with 103 RBI. Duvall represented Cincinnati in the All-Star Game and reached the semifinals of the Home Run Derby.
Two other things to know:
1.) Drafted out of U of L in the 11th round of the MLB Draft by San Francisco in 2010, Duvall reached the majors with the Giants and hit his first major-league home run off Mike Leake of the Reds on June 26, 2014. At the trade deadline in 2015, Duvall was part of a package San Francisco traded to Cincinnati for Leake.
2.) Before 2016, Duvall had eight home runs and 14 RBI in his entire major-league career.
Sports Figure of the Year factoid: Duvall is the first Major League Baseball player to finish in the top 10 since Brandon Webb was eighth in 2008.
What the voters said:
1.) “(Duvall) had a great season with a bad team. ... I don’t think the Reds knew what they had when they got Duvall in a trade from San Francisco ...” — Ed Peak, freelance sportswriter, Louisville
2.) “Had arguably the biggest breakthrough season in MLB in 2016, particularly the first half of the season, crushing his way into the All-Star Game Home Run Derby.” — Chris Jung, Kentucky New Era, Hopkinsville
This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 9:16 PM with the headline "Tyler Ulis holds off Whitney Creech for 2nd in Sports Figure voting."