Jeffree David Withey (born March 7, 1990) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player for the
Taipei Fubon Braves of the Taiwanese
P. League+. He played college basketball for the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
where he became known for his shot-blocking ability and his defensive presence.
He was drafted 39th overall in the
2013 NBA draft
The 2013 NBA draft was held on June 27, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including internation ...
by the
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
.
High school career
Withey led Horizon High School to the state Division IV title in his sophomore season (2006) and he graduated in the class of 2008. In the game preceding the state championship game, Withey and his teammates had to face a
San Joaquin Memorial High School team in the Southern California Regional Championship game that featured three seniors who were future NBA players,
Robin &
Brook Lopez and
Quincy Pondexter. In a dramatic double-overtime game, Withey and his teammates overcame the San Joaquin squad and went on to win the title in the following game.
In his senior season he averaged 20.8 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 7.3 blocked shots per game.
Considered a four-star recruit by
Rivals.com, Withey was listed as the No. 8 center and the No. 36 player in the nation in 2008.
College career
Arizona (2008)
Withey had originally committed to play for Louisville, but switched his commitment to Arizona. Following the resignation of
Lute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson (September 22, 1934 – August 27, 2020) was an American basketball coach, who was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the head co ...
in October of Withey's freshman season, he decided to transfer from Arizona. He did not see any playing time for the Wildcats during his semester of the 2008–09 season.
Kansas (2009–2013)

Withey transferred to Kansas in January 2009, but was ineligible to play until the end of the 2009 fall semester due to the NCAA transfer rules requiring him to sit out a year. He initially saw limited playing time during the second half of the 2009–10 season and the 2010–11 season, playing behind
Cole Aldrich and the Morris twins.
In his
junior year, after twin brothers
Marcus and
Markieff Morris left for the
NBA draft
The NBA draft is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) annual event, dating back to 1947 BAA draft, 1947, in which the teams in the league can Draft (sports), draft players who declare for the draft and that are Eligibility for the NBA dr ...
, he became a starter, playing for the 2011–12 squad which lost to Kentucky in the NCAA championship game. Withey blocked 31 shots in the 2012 tournament, breaking
Joakim Noah's tournament record of 29. During the 2011–12 season, he was named
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Okla ...
defensive player of the year and set a Big 12 record with 140 blocks for the season.
2012–13 season
On October 4, 2012, Withey was named to the Preseason
all-Big 12 unanimously.
[Jeff Withey named to preseason all-Big 12; Elijah Johnson honorable mention](_blank)
Lawrence Journal-World, October 4, 2012.
On December 3, 2012, Withey was named Big 12 Player of the Week. To earn the honor, he scored a
triple-double against
San Jose State Spartans on November 26. In that game, Withey scored 16 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and blocked 12 shots, for the second triple-double in KU history. On February 18, 2013, Withey was named Big 12 Co-Player of the Week. He had
double-doubles against both
Kansas State Wildcats and
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and ...
. He also made his 265th blocked shot to set a new Big 12 record for career blocked shots.
Withey finished his senior year of college by averaging 13.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocks.
On March 10, 2013, he was named defensive player of the year in the Big 12 for 2012–13 and he was named first team All Big 12. On March 11, 2013, Withey was named 2nd Team
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
by The Sporting News. On March 31, 2013, Withey was accorded third-team All-American mention by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
.
On April 5, 2013, the
National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of men's college basketball coaches. It was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the men's basketball head coach for the Univ ...
named Withey the
co-National Defensive Player of the Year.
College statistics
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2009–10
, style="text-align:left;",
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, 15, , , , 3.0, , .538, , , , .556, , 1.4, , 0, , .1, , .4, , 1.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2010–11
, style="text-align:left;",
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, 26, , , , 6.2, , .647, , , , .515, , 1.8, , .2, , .2, , .7, , 2.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2011–12
, style="text-align:left;",
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, 39, , 39, , 24.8, , .536, , , , .795, , 6.3, , 0.7, , 0.6, , 3.6, , 9.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2012–13
, style="text-align:left;",
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, 37, , 37, , 30.9, , .582, , 1.000, , .714, , 8.5, , 0.9, , 0.8, , 3.9, , 13.7
Professional career
New Orleans Pelicans (2013–2015)
Withey was selected with the 39th overall pick in the
2013 NBA draft
The 2013 NBA draft was held on June 27, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including internation ...
by the
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
.
He was traded to the
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
in a three-team trade involving the Trail Blazers and the
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
on July 10, 2013. In two seasons for the Pelicans, he averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 95 games.
Utah Jazz (2015–2017)
On August 24, 2015, Withey signed with the
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. On December 28, 2015, he recorded a season-high 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds as a starter in a 95–91 win over the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
.
Dallas Mavericks (2017)
On August 21, 2017, Withey signed a one-year deal with the
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
. He was waived on December 19, 2017.
Tofaş (2018)
On July 24, 2018, Withey signed with the Turkish team
Tofaş for the 2018–19 season. On December 28, 2018, Withey parted ways with Tofaş after appearing in 19 games.
Lavrio (2019)
On February 28, 2019, Withey signed with Greek team
Lavrio for the rest of the season. On March 30, 2019, Withey recorded a season-high 18 points, shooting 8-of-10 from the field, along with six rebounds and two blocks in an 88–99 loss to
PAOK
PAOK (, Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών, ''Panthessalonikeios Athlitikós Ómilos Constantinopoliton'', ''Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans''), commonly ...
. In 10 games played for Lavrio, he averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
On July 4, 2019, Withey joined the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
for the
2019 NBA Summer League.
Ironi Nes Ziona (2019–2020)
On August 18, 2019, Withey signed a one-year deal with
Ironi Nes Ziona of the
Israeli Premier League
The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...
. On October 23, 2019, Withey recorded a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds, leading Nes Ziona to an 82–75 win over the
Kapfenberg Bulls. He was subsequently named Europe Cup round 1 Top Performer. On December 5, 2019, Withey was named
Israeli League Player of the Month after averaging a double-double of 16.3 points and 13.3 rebounds, while shooting 66 percent from the field in eight games played in November. On December 23, 2019, Withey recorded a new career-high 24 points, while shooting 10-of-12 from the field, along with seven rebounds and three steals in a 95–80 win over
Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Goyang Orion Orions (2020–2021)
On July 8, 2020, Withey signed with the
Goyang Orion Orions of the
Korean Basketball League
The Korean Basketball League () or simply KBL is a professional men's basketball league in South Korea which was established in 1997. The league consists of ten teams and each team plays a total of 54 games (27 home and 27 away) in the regular s ...
. On February 3, 2021, he was replaced by
Devin Williams. He averaged 8.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the Korean Basketball League.
Bilbao Basket (2021–2023)
On July 21, 2021, Withey signed with
Bilbao Basket
Club Basket Bilbao Berri Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D., commonly known as Bilbao Basket (), also known as Surne Bilbao Basket for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Bilbao, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. T ...
of the
Liga ACB
The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...
.
On August 22, 2023, he signed with
Hapoel Tel Aviv of the
Israeli Premier League
The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...
. However, he never played for the team.
Wonju DB Promy (2023–2024)
On October 29, 2023, Withey signed with the
Wonju DB Promy of the
Korean Basketball League
The Korean Basketball League () or simply KBL is a professional men's basketball league in South Korea which was established in 1997. The league consists of ten teams and each team plays a total of 54 games (27 home and 27 away) in the regular s ...
to replace
Garrison Brooks.
Taipei Fubon Braves (2024–present)
On August 26, 2024, Withey signed with the
Taipei Fubon Braves of the
P. League+.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 58 , , 4 , , 11.8 , , .535 , , .000 , , .712 , , 2.6 , , .4 , , .3 , , .9 , , 3.3
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 37 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .500 , , .000 , , .680 , , 1.7 , , .3 , , .1 , , .5 , , 2.6
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 51 , , 10 , , 12.9 , , .537 , , .000 , , .729 , , 3.4 , , .4 , , .4 , , 1.0 , , 4.3
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 51 , , 1 , , 8.5 , , .534 , , .000 , , .750 , , 2.4 , , .1 , , .3 , , .6 , , 2.9
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 9 , , 0 , , 4.3 , , .375 , , .200 , , .500 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , , 1.7
, -
, align="left" , Career
, align="left" ,
, 206 , , 15 , , 10.1 , , .525 , , .143 , , .716 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , .3 , , .8 , , 3.2
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 3 , , 0 , , 6.9 , , .500 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 1.7
, - class="sortbottom"
, align="center" colspan="2", Career
, 3 , , 0 , , 6.9 , , .500 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 1.7
References
External links
DraftExpress.com profileRealGM profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Withey, Jeff
1990 births
Living people
All-American college men's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Greece
American expatriate basketball people in Israel
American expatriate basketball people in Spain
American expatriate basketball people in Turkey
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from San Diego
Bilbao Basket players
Centers (basketball)
Dallas Mavericks players
Ironi Ness Ziona B.C. players
Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball players
Lavrio B.C. players
Liga ACB players
New Orleans Pelicans players
Portland Trail Blazers draft picks
Tofaş S.K. players
Utah Jazz players
Wonju DB Promy players
American expatriate basketball people in South Korea
Goyang Sono Skygunners players
21st-century American sportsmen
Taipei Fubon Braves players
P. League+ imports
American expatriate basketball people in Taiwan