Early Life
Othyus Jeffers was born in Chicago, Illinois to Geraldine Allen. He grew up in the Chicago's West Side. His three older brothers, Henry Allen, Gerome Allen and Edmund Allen, all played basketball in high school and Jeffers often attended his brothers' games and practice. In 1993, when Jeffers was in the third grade, Gerome was shot to death near the family's apartment. Nine years later, during his senior year at Hubbard High School, he lost another brother. Edmund was shot to death in another shooting incident nearby. However, the incident did not stop him from playing basketball, as he and his half-brother and high school teammate, Standell King, attended practice just a day after the incident.
Prior to attending Hubbard, Jeffers attended and played basketball with Westinghouse High School. He transferred to Hubbard as a sophomore and continued to play basketball there. He averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds per game as a junior. In his senior season, he led Hubbard to IHSA Regional and Sectional titles while averaging 28 points and 16 rebounds per game. He graduated as the school's all-time leading rebounder with 1,987 rebounds.
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