Jay Huff

As a rising basketball sensation, James Matthew Huff was born on August 25, 1997, in the United States of America. A professional basketball player, Huff is currently contracted dual-way with the Denver Nuggets of the prestigious National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League. Yet, his remarkable journey to this position comprises an exceptional path of dedication, passion, and hard work.

Raised in a sports-oriented family, Huff’s parents, Mike and Kathy, were both college basketball players, with Mike playing for Pacific Lutheran University and Kathy for West Virginia. They passed their love for the game on to Huff, who displayed an outstanding talent for basketball at a young age. He was a four-year varsity basketball player for Voyager Academy in Durham, North Carolina. His biggest mentor was his father, Mike, who coached him during these foundational years of his career, cultivating his raw talent and helping him to hone his skills.

Huff’s stellar performances and impressive statistics made him a fixture on the Voyager Academy team. This was evidenced when, as a senior on January 21, 2016, Huff smashed his school record to become the all-time leading scorer. Under his command, Voyager Academy seized the Class 1A state title. Huff’s remarkable performance in the finale, where he scored a triple-double with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 blocks led to him earning the title of the most valuable player. His season stats were equally impressive, averaging 16.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. A four-star recruit, Huff was recruited to further enrich his talents by playing college basketball for Virginia.

During his first year at Virginia, Huff opted to redshirt, a conscious decision to work on his strength and weight. This time paid off as he gained almost 30 pounds before his redshirt freshman season began. Huff’s college career was notable, to say the least. As a freshman, Huff averaged 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. However, an unfortunate injury intervened when he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in April 2018 after his freshman year, sidelining him for 3-4 months.

Despite this setback, Huff returned stronger as a sophomore, averaging 4.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in a little over 9 minutes per game, contributing highly to his team’s national MVP victory. In his junior year, on January 18, 2020, Huff displayed his true talents by scoring 17 points and six blocks in a nail-biting 63–58 win over Georgia Tech. Then, on February 29, he recorded 15 points, 10 blocks and nine rebounds in another crucial win over Duke. This made him one of the only two players in the program’s history, alongside Ralph Sampson, to record at least 10 blocks in a game. Overall, as a junior, Huff averaged 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and two blocks per game, marking the highest in his career to date. Following an evaluation of his decision, Huff declared for the NBA Draft in 2020 only to return to UVA for his senior season later in August.

In the 2020-2021 season, Huff decided to declare for the NBA Draft, which was a major leap in his career. After not being drafted, Huff was given the opportunity to display his talents in the NBA Summer League with the Washington Wizards. Although he was eventually released from the team in October 2021, this move did not hinder Huff’s spirit. Staying persistent in his pursuit of a professional career, he signed a two-way contract with the South Bay Lakers, which was not to last long as he was released again in January 2022.

Undeterred and committed to his basketball expedition, Huff rejoined the South Bay Lakers shortly thereafter. He made his NBA Summer League debut with the Los Angeles Lakers. In his first game, he contributed highly towards the team’s comfortable victory over the Miami Heat, scoring nine points, and seven rebounds. He was then signed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Lakers in July 2022 but was waived in October 2022.

Undoubtedly, Huff’s wanderlust was not contained easily. He moved on to sign a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards on March 2, 2023, and was soon recognized for his defensive prowess by being named the NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year on April 4. Further yet, Huff ventured on, joining the Houston Rockets Summer League team on July 3, 2023. In the next significant turn in his journey, on July 18, 2023, Huff was contracted dual-way with the Denver Nuggets.

Outside the hardwood, Huff is known to be a man of faith. He happens to be a member of the Chi Alpha Christian fellowship at the University of Virginia. As a resourceful and resilient young talent, James Huff continues to make his mark in the world of professional basketball, carving a niche for himself and inspiring many along his journey.