Huff was a four-year varsity basketball player for Voyager Academy in Durham, North Carolina, where he was coached by his father, Mike.[1] On January 21, 2016, as a senior, he became his school's all-time leading scorer.[2] Huff led his team to the Class 1A state title, earning most valuable player honors after recording a triple-double of 14 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks in the final.[3] He finished the season averaging 16.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.[4] A four-star recruit, Huff committed to play college basketball for Virginia.[5]
College career
Huff redshirted his first year to improve his strength and weight. He gained about 30 pounds (14 kg) by the time his redshirt freshman season began.[4] Huff averaged 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game as a freshman.[6] On April 4, 2018, after his freshman season, it was announced that Huff would miss three to four months after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum.[7] As a sophomore, he averaged 4.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game on the national champion team.[8] On January 18, 2020, Huff scored 17 points and six blocks in a 63–58 win over Georgia Tech.[9] On February 29, Huff recorded 15 points, 10 blocks and nine rebounds in a 52–50 win over Duke. He joined Ralph Sampson as the only players in program history with at least 10 blocks in a game.[10] As a junior, Huff averaged 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and two blocks per game, all of which were career-highs.[8] Following the season, he declared for the 2020 NBA draft.[11] After evaluating his decision, he announced he would return to UVA for his senior season on August 1, 2020.[12]
Following the 2020–21 season, Huff declared for the 2021 NBA draft.
On October 18, 2021, Huff signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.[16] On January 12, 2022, he was waived.[17]
On January 16, 2022, Huff was re-acquired by the South Bay Lakers.[18]
Huff joined the Los Angeles Lakers' 2022 NBA Summer League roster.[19] In his Summer League debut for the Lakers, Huff scored nine points and seven rebounds in a 100–66 win against the Miami Heat.[20]
On July 27, 2022, Huff signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.[21] He was waived on October 15, 2022.[22] He subsequently re-joined South Bay.
Huff is a member of the Chi Alpha Christian fellowship at the University of Virginia and aspires to become a minister when he retires from basketball.[28]
References
^Warnock, W. E. (March 10, 2016). "Voyager Academy's father-son Huff team gets one last game together in championship". The News & Observer. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^Best, Bonitta (January 27, 2016). "Huff voyages into the record books". The News & Observer. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^Warnock, W. E. (March 12, 2016). "Jay Huff's triple-double leads Voyager Academy to 1A basketball title over Winston-Salem Prep". The News & Observer. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^ a b cRatcliffe, Jerry (November 10, 2017). "UVa's Jay Huff is hungry for more". The Daily Progress. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^Polacek, Scott (May 21, 2015). "Jay Huff to Virginia: Cavaliers Land 4-Star PF Prospect". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^Darney, Caroline (January 29, 2019). "Jay Huff is developing in front of our eyes, and it's magical". Streaking the Lawn. SB Nation. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^Blum, Sam (April 4, 2018). "Jay Huff out 3-4 months with torn labrum". The Daily Progress. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^ a b"Jay Huff". University of Virginia Athletics. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^"Virginia snaps 3-game skid with 63–58 win over Georgia Tech". ESPN. Associated Press. January 18, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^Gatto, Tom (February 29, 2020). "Virginia's Jay Huff enters Ralph Sampson territory by standing tall vs. Duke". Sporting News. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^Willett, Preston (April 29, 2020). "Jay Huff enters name in NBA Draft process". CBS19. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
^Conlin, Bennett (August 1, 2020). "Jay Huff withdraws from NBA Draft, plans to return for senior season at Virginia". The Daily Progress. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
^"Wizards announce 2021 Summer League roster". NBA.com. August 4, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
^Washington Wizards [@WashWizards] (September 21, 2021). "OFFICIAL: We've signed the following players to Exhibit 10 contracts: □ Jaime Echenique □ Jordan Goodwin □ Jay Huff □ Jordan Schakel" (Tweet). Retrieved September 24, 2021 – via Twitter.
^Adams, Luke (October 13, 2021). "Wizards Cut Jay Huff, Jordan Schakel". HoopsRumors.com. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
^"Lakers Sign Jay Huff to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
^"Lakers Sign Sekou Doumbouya to Two-Way Contract". NBA. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
^"South Bay Lakers on Twitter: "OFFICIAL: The #SBLakers have acquired Jay Huff as a returning rights player. In a related move, the team has waived Willie Jackson"". Twitter. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
^"Los Angeles Lakers 2022 NBA2K23 Summer League Roster | NBA.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
^"Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat Jul 2, 2022 Box Scores | NBA.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
^"Lakers Sign Jay Huff". NBA.com. July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
^@Lakers (October 15, 2022). "The Lakers have requested waivers on guards Shaquille Harrison and Nate Pierre-Louis and center Jay Huff" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"Wizards Sign Jay Huff to Two-Way Contract". NBA. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
^"Jay Huff Named 2022-23 KIA NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year". NBA.com. April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
^"Rockets Summer League roster 2023: Details of players, coaches, schedule and more".
^"NUGGETS SIGN GILLESPIE, HUFF AND KEY TO TWO-WAY CONTRACTS". NBA.com. July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
^"Grizzlies sign Jay Huff to two-way contract". NBA.com. July 24, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
^ a bNeedelman, Josh (February 7, 2019). "Higher calling: Jay Huff's faith has been tested — and validated — at Virginia". The Daily Progress. Retrieved April 21, 2020.