Former SMU guard Tyson Jolly commits to Iona
The Mustangs' leading scorer from the 2019-20 season has transferred to play a final year with the reigning MAAC champions.
Former SMU guard Tyson Jolly has found a new home -- and also will play for one of the most well-known coaches in college basketball.
Jolly announced late Wednesday that he will play a final season at Iona out of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The Gaels, coached by Rick Pitino, won the MAAC Tournament and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 15 seed and fell to No. 2 seed Alabama in a first-round game.
Jolly, a 6-4 guard out of Muskogee, Oklahoma, is a senior who is expected to play for Iona as a graduate transfer. He is expected to receive a degree from SMU in May.
Jolly averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds this past season, and he shot 43% from the floor and 39% from the 3-point line. He was a preseason All-American Athletic Conference selection, as he entered the 2020-21 season as the Mustangs' top scorer from the previous season, averaging 14.5 and 6.2 rebounds.
Jolly admittedly dealt with personal issues entering this past season and took time away from the game to focus on himself. When he returned, he played nine games and started the Mustangs' final game against Boise State in the NIT.
Iona finished with a 12-6 record and, as a ninth seed in the MAAC Tournament, took down top-seeded Siena en route to winning the tournament for the 13th time and earning an NCAA Tournament berth.
Jolly joins another former SMU player from last year's team who has found a new home. Guard Charles Smith IV recently committed to Old Dominion.
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