Where did Haywood Highsmith go to college? Stats and more of Miami Heat's undrafted NBA player explored

Miami Heat rising star Haywood Highsmith went to college at Wheeling Jesuit University. It's an NCAA Division II school. Highsmith didn't receive much interest from Division I colleges coming out of high school, so he spent his entire college career with Wheeling Jesuit.

Highsmith played all four years. He played 128 games, starting all but 22 games. Haywood started only nine teams his freshman year before entering the starting five. Highsmith thrived once he got the starting job permanently in his sophomore season.

He averaged 14.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting on 56/36/66 clip that year. Highsmith earned his first All-MEC First-Team selection that year. Highsmith remained consistent his junior year with a slight improvement in his production, averaging 15.3 points and 10.9 rebounds, shooting 55.65%.

Haywood Highsmith made a significant leap his senior year, tallying 22.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, shooting on 55/41/76 splits. Highsmith was named the 2018 NCAA Division II Player of the Year.

Highsmith entered the NBA draft but went undrafted. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers' G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. Highsmith made his NBA debut with the 76ers after impressing in the G-League in 2019. He played five games as a reserve, playing only eight minutes a game, not getting the opportunity to showcase his talent.

Highsmith continued to be deprived of an opportunity in the NBA and continued his stint in the G-League and even overseas in Germany. He got his break with the Miami Heat in 2021.

He signed multiple 10-day contracts in the 2021-22 season before signing a permanent contract with the team. This season, he played 54 games, started 11 times, averaging 4.4 points and 3.4 rebounds a game. Highsmith was one of the Heat's go-to options defensively.

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Haywood Highsmith thriving when called upon amid the Miami Heat's fairytale run in the 2023 playoffs

The Miami Heat's undrafted pool of players have headlined their run to the 2023 NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed. One of those that has flown under the radar has been Haywood Highsmith. He hasn't been in the rotation as much, with others being up the pecking order due to their superior experience.

However, when called upon, Highsmith has been quite impressive too. In his most significant games so far, the undrafted forward has dropped double-digit scoring games at a high clip while maintaining his defensive efficiency.

John Jablonka

@JohnJablonka_

Haywood Highsmith, the true ECF MVP

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Haywood Highsmith, the true ECF MVP https://t.co/yuuhkMNn26

He tallied 15 points in Game 5 of the conference finals against the Boston Celtics, shooting 6-of-9, including 3-of-4 from deep, playing 36 minutes. Highsmith made his NBA Finals debut against the Denver Nuggets in Thursday's Game 1 on the road.

Naveen Ganglani

@naveenganglani

Here's Jimmy on the development and contributions of Haywood Highsmith, who was the third leading scorer for the Heat today

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Here's Jimmy on the development and contributions of Haywood Highsmith, who was the third leading scorer for the Heat today https://t.co/pomHKMXjPC

He played 23 minutes off the bench, bagging 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-4 from deep. Haywood Highsmith also had some excellent defensive possessions against Jamal Murray during the game.

It will be interesting to see if coach Spoelstra unleashes another underrated prospect to bolster Miami's chances of scripting another upset win after succumbing to a 104-93 Game 1 loss.

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