Tyler Ulis, Rico Gathers, Brandon Ingram are athletic freaks of the Big Dance
March Madness is filled with dynamic playmakers, unstoppable sharp shooters and freak athletes. These are the guys jumping out of the gym to swat shots, throw down alley-oops, or blaze across the court for a fastbreak dunk after swiping a steal. This year’s field even features a couple of players who are being scouted by both the NBA and the NFL.
We’ve spotlighted four of the most stunning athletes in the field of 68 so you don’t miss a single fast-break, block or monster dunk along the way.
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
There’s fast, and then there’s Tyler Ulis.
The pint-sized playmaker is an absolute blur. He’s recorded a time of 3.1 seconds in the three-quarter court sprint. That’s faster than John Wall, Steph Curry and right on par with the lightning-quick Russell Westbrook. You would think that a player moving at warp speed would be susceptible to turnovers, but not Ulis.
Ulis’ otherworldly 3.81 assist-to-turnover ratio is an historic accomplishment. His ratio is nearly twice that of Bobby Hurley’s, the NCAA’s all-time assist leader. In Ulis’ last ten games, the sophomore has three performances which include double-digit assists against just one turnover.
Luckily for us, Kentucky coach John Calipari shared video of Ulis’ ridiculously fast sprint:
Rico Gathers, Baylor
The two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana, Gathers led the Big XII this season with four offensive rebounds per game. The cousin of the late, great Hank Gathers, Rico is such an imposing physical force (6-foot-8, 270 pounds) that NFL teams have taken notice. He certainly has the strength of a football player.
A teammates said two years ago that Gathers put up 30 reps of 185 pounds on the bench press with ease. If Gathers had done that at the NFL Combine this year in Indianapolis, he would have ranked ninth among all players. That bench press reps total is more than what notable prospects Robert Nkemdiche (28) and Joey Bosa (24) posted.
Brandon Ingram, Duke
Last summer, Ingram recorded a 44-inch vertical leap. To give that accomplishment some perspective, if Ingram were to duplicate that jump at the NBA combine, it would be tied for the highest leap since 2003. As if his hops weren’t enough, the 6-foot-9 Ingram has an absurd wingspan of 7-foot-3 inches. His standing reach is just 10.5 inches below the rim. When you combine his reach with his vertical, Duke’s freshman phenom can nearly touch the top of the backboard.
Ingram’s blend of size, athleticism and ball handling made him a match-up nightmare all season long. The 18-year-old finished the season with eight double-doubles and has a legitimate shot at being the first player selected in June’s NBA Draft.
Mo Alie-Cox, Virginia Commonwealth
Rico Gathers isn’t the only player in the field attracting attention from the NFL. Spread offenses in football have nearly eliminated traditional tight ends, forcing league scouts to get creative. At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds and with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, the redshirt junior has the motor to run a 5:40 mile.
Shaka Smart, the Rams’ former head coach, has confirmed that numerous NFL teams have been contacting him to gauge if Alie-Cox would be open to making an Julius Thomas-like jump to the NFL. Time will tell if Alie-Cox makes the leap from a sport that owns an entire month to a sport that owns a day of the week.
