NBA
JH
#32

Jay Huff

Center · Indiana Pacers · 7'1", 240 lb · Born Aug 25, 1997 · Durham, North Carolina · Drafted Undrafted, 2021
2019 NCAA champG League DPOY (2023)Stretch fiveShot-blocker
NBAIndiana PacersCenters
Compare:vs Nesmithvs Nembhardvs Mathurinvs Walkervs Jr.vs Siakam
In short

Jay Huff is a 7-foot-1 stretch and shot-blocking center for the Indiana Pacers — a floor-spacing, rim-protecting big. A 2019 NCAA champion at Virginia and the 2023 G League Defensive Player of the Year, he went undrafted in 2021 and worked up as a journeyman before landing in Indiana, where he dropped a career-high 29 points in January 2026.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceTue, Nov 10
vsLA ClippersDrop coverage
Proj. points
9.4
range 6.7–12.1
Line 9.5
49%
to go over
Team win
63%
114–111
Poi 9.4 Lean underReb 4 Lean underAss 1.5 Lean underPRA 14.9 Lean under
Likely on himIvica Zubac· 87 Rim protectionStrong defender
5+ pts93%10+ pts42%

Model lines Huff at 9.4 pts (range 6.7–12.1) vs a 9.5 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (49%).

Biggest edge: venue — home floor — small boost.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Huff
The Huff Story — narrated
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A 7-foot-1 stretch and shot-blocking center — floor spacing and rim protection for the Pacers.

A 2019 NCAA champion at Virginia, Huff went undrafted in 2021 and became a journeyman.

🏫 Virginia · 🏆 2019Undrafted

He dominated the G League — 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.

G League DPOYRim protector

He landed with Indiana as a stretch-five, dropping a career-high 29 in January 2026.

29-pt highStretch five

A specialist big, he gives Indiana shooting and shot-blocking off the bench.

Bench bigFloor-stretcher
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
9.5
2025-26
RPG
4
per game
APG
1.5
per game
FG%
.476
.319 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

A 7-foot-1 stretch and shot-blocking center — floor spacing and rim protection for the Pacers.

Jay Huff was born in Durham, North Carolina to two college players and won the 2019 NCAA championship at Virginia, earning All-ACC and ACC All-Defensive honors. He went undrafted in 2021 and became a journeyman — the Lakers, Wizards, Nuggets, and Grizzlies — while dominating the G League as its 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.

He landed with Indiana in 2025 as a rare 7-footer who both protects the rim and stretches the floor, dropping a career-high 29 points against New Orleans in January 2026. A specialist stretch-five, he gives the Pacers valuable frontcourt shooting and shot-blocking off the bench.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Huff comes from a college-basketball family — his father played at Pacific Lutheran and directs a human-performance lab at Duke, his mother played at West Virginia — and he is a man of faith active in Christian fellowship who aspires to become a minister. That thoughtful background complements a patient, grind-it-out professional path from undrafted to established specialist.

His on-court identity is the modern stretch-five — a true 7-footer who blocks shots at a high rate (a G League Defensive Player of the Year) and spaces the floor with perimeter shooting. A career reserve rather than a starter, his value is rim protection and floor-stretching in bench minutes, exactly the specialist a deep contender uses.

PERSONALITY

The person

A stretch-five specialist — floor-spacing shooting and high-rate shot-blocking.

Shot-blockerA G League Defensive Player of the Year who protects the rim.
Floor-stretcherA true 7-footer who shoots from the perimeter.
Journeyman grinderUndrafted, he worked up to an established specialist.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Stretch/Rim-Protecting Center
Temperament
Steady
Leadership
58/100
Scoring57
Playmaking38
Rebounding76
Perimeter D62
Rim protection79
Spacing57
Athleticism70
Clutch62
a stretch and rim-protecting center
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

A modern stretch-five

Huff's value is the rare combination of floor-spacing and rim protection — a true 7-foot-1 center who shoots from the perimeter and blocks shots at a high rate, as his G League Defensive Player of the Year award attests. That two-way specialist profile gives a deep contender valuable frontcourt shooting and shot-blocking in bench minutes.

A defined role

As a career reserve rather than a starter, Huff's role is specific — bring spacing and rim protection off the bench, as his career-high 29-point game showed the offensive upside. His value is doing those two things well at a low cost; for an Indiana team that needs frontcourt depth, he's a useful, cost-effective specialist big.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-268221.09.54.01.5.476.319

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2019NCAA champion at Virginia
2023G League Defensive Player of the Year and blocks leader
2026Career-high 29 points and 9 rebounds vs. New Orleans

Hardware

1×
NCAA Champion (2019)
1×
G League DPOY (2023)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A stretch-five specialist — floor spacing and rim protection off Indiana's bench.

Huff gives Indiana a rare stretch-and-block specialist — a true 7-footer who spaces the floor and protects the rim in bench minutes, with the offensive pop shown by a career-high 29-point game. A defined-role reserve, he's cost-effective frontcourt depth for a contender.

Rim protectionStrong
Floor spacingStrong
EfficiencyGood
Role / minutesSpecialist

Contract

Role
Stretch-five specialist
Ring
2019 NCAA Virginia
Age
28 prime
Bottom line

A rare 7-foot-1 stretch-and-block specialist — floor spacing and rim protection off the bench, cost-effective frontcourt depth for a deep Indiana contender.

FAQ

Quick answers

What kind of player is Jay Huff?

A modern stretch-five — a 7-foot-1 center who spaces the floor with perimeter shooting and protects the rim, having been a G League Defensive Player of the Year.

Did Jay Huff win a championship?

Yes — the 2019 NCAA title at Virginia.

Was Jay Huff drafted?

No — he went undrafted in 2021 and worked up through the G League and multiple NBA stops before landing with Indiana.