Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has signed rookie guard/forward Othyus Jeffers (pronounced OH-thee-us) to a second 10-day contract. Jeffers (6-5, 210, Robert Morris University (IL)) signed his first 10-day contract with the Jazz on March 4 and has appeared in two Jazz games since, averaging 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 2.0 minutes per game.
When the Jazz signed him from the NBA Development League’s Iowa Energy, Jeffers became the 18th D-League Call-Up to the NBA this season, and second by the Jazz (Sundiata Gaines).
Jeffers also became the fifth D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Gaines, Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04) and Louis Amundson (2006-07).
At the time of his call-up, Jeffers was averaging 14.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting .510 from the field through 22 games (16 starts) with Iowa this season. Jeffers had led the Energy to a D-League best 30-9 record in his second season with the team, reaching double figures in scoring 18 times and registering a double-double in four games.
He began the 2009-10 campaign with NGC Cantu of the Italian League, the same team current Jazz teammate Sundiata Gaines played for during the 2008-09 season. The 24-year-old averaged 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals in nine games with Cantu.
A native of Chicago, he was originally selected by the Energy in the third round (47th overall) of the 2008 D-League Draft. In his first year with Iowa (2008-09), Jeffers led the Energy to the playoffs and was named the 2009 D-League Rookie of the Year in addition to being a D-League All-Star selection. Jeffers was also chosen to play for the D-League Select Team in the 2009 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.
Jeffers concluded his collegiate career at Robert Morris University in Chicago (24.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game) earning The Sporting News NAIA Player of the Year and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors. He preceded his one season at RMU with two seasons at Illinois-Chicago (13.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game) and one season at Los Angeles Southwest College (22.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game).
