On March 16, 2018, UMBC defeated Virginia in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed in men's tournament history. And with the upset, PressBox's Sportsperson of the Year was set. This year, PressBox honors two Sportspersons of Year -- guard Jairus Lyles and head coach Ryan Odom.
Lyles scored 28 points in the 74-54 win against Virginia, shooting 9-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. He also sank the game-winner against Vermont to send the Retrievers to the Tournament.
Glenn Clark talked with Lyles in March shortly after UMBC's season ended and in November as Lyles pursued his NBA dream with the G League's Salt Lake City Stars.
