Elijah Hughes Has Monster Performance in First NBA Start

The former Syracuse basketball star had a big game for the Utah Jazz.

Mike McAllister | Jan 7, 2022

Elijah Hughes Has Monster Performance in First NBA Start /

In this story:

Utah Jazz

Former Syracuse star Elijah Hughes got his first NBA start on Friday and did not disappoint. Hughes scored 26 points for Utah in the Jazz's 122-108 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Hughes was 9-15 (60%) from the floor and 7-12 (58%) from three point range. In addition to the 26 points, Hughes grabbed eight rebounds, dished out four assists and snagged two steals in 41 minutes of action.

Hughes got the start as Utah was without several contributors including four starters due to injuries as well as health and safety protocols. The former Orange forward took full advantage with a performance to remember. It could earn him more of a look once the Jazz gets its normal starters back.

Hughes was performing well in the G-League prior to Friday's opportunity. In nine games, Hughes was averaging 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 37.2% from three point range with the Salt Lake City Stars.

Out of high school, Hughes signed with East Carolina. After a strong freshman campaign, he transferred to Syracuse. He spent three years with the Orange, playing two full seasons after sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. During those two season, Hughes averaged 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. That includes the 2019-20 season when Hughes led the ACC in scoring with 19.0 points per game.

That year was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Hughes last game for Syracuse, Hughes scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out two assists and had two steals in an 81-53 win over North Carolina in the ACC Tournament.

Published Jan 7, 2022

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.