MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Grizzlies today announced that the team signed forward Yves Pons. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Pons (6-5 ½, 206) was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team in 2021 after starting all 26 games and averaging 8.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.81 blocks in 28.5 minutes as a senior at the University of Tennessee. Pons was named to the 2021 SEC All-Tournament Team and 2021 Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America Team during his senior season with the Volunteers. As a junior, Pons was named 2019-20 SEC Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 2.35 blocks per game.
Undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, the 22-year-old appeared in 116 games (70 starts) over his four-year career with the Vols and averaged 5.7 points, 3.23 rebounds, 1.81 blocks and 0.6 assists in 20.1 minutes. The Fuveau, France, native left Tennessee ranked eighth in school history in total blocks (137).
