When Jairus Lyles arrived on the UMBC campus during the spring of 2015, he hadn't played competitive basketball in more than a year. Despite his long layoff, Lyles has helped to quickly change the trajectory of the Retriever program.
Lyles, a 6-foot-2 junior guard, has guided UMBC to its best season in nine years. Just one year removed from a 7-25 finish, the Retrievers enter the final three weeks of the regular season with a 16-7 overall record. UMBC, which has risen to third place in the nine-team America East Conference, will carry a 7-3 league mark into its upcoming two-game home stand at the Retriever Activities Center. Head coach Ryan Odom's squad, which extended its winning streak to three games with an 83-71 triumph at Maine Feb. 4, will host the league's last-place team, Hartford (6-19, 1-9), Feb. 9 and then take on league-leading Vermont (21-5, 11-0) in a crucial matchup Feb. 12.
"We can't overlook Hartford," Lyles said. "But in order to beat Vermont, we have to play a complete game. They're undefeated for a reason."
