The Utah Jazz signed Jairus Lyles, the star of UMBC’s historic defeat of Virginia in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the team announced Thursday.
Details of the deal have not been released.
After going undrafted, Lyles, 23, competed in two games in the Utah Summer League for the Jazz, totaling 14 points in about 31 minutes. He has appeared in one game so far in the Las Vegas Summer League, tallying 11 points, four assists and four rebounds in a 90-85 victory over the New York Knicks.
Lyles, a Silver Spring native and former DeMatha standout, devoted three years of his college career to UMBC. With 1,751 points, he was a catalyst to the Retrievers’ resurgence as a serious contender, resulting in an America East Conference title this past season.
Before last month’s NBA draft, Lyles attended workouts with the Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers. The Jazz reached out to Lyles’ agent the day of the draft June 21, letting him know they wanted him in Utah if he wasn’t picked.