East Hamilton basketball sensation Madison Hayes, the 2018-19 TSSAA Class 3A Miss Basketball, has made a verbal commitment to Mississippi State and plans to sign with the Lady Bulldogs this coming November. Hayes was recruited by more than 30 Division I Schools and chose MSU over Louisville, North Carolina State, North Carolina and Tennessee.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Madison Hayes shoved a mountain of superlatives into a junior high school basketball season at East Hamilton High School, parlayed an acclaimed travel ball campaign with a FIBA world 3 x 3 gold medal effort championship in Mongolia in June, further padding her recruitment recruiting package and turned it all into a highly visible college basketball commitment to coach Vic Schaefer’s squad at Mississippi State University on Friday.
Hayes, also a standout volleyball player who helped the Lady Hurricanes to their first state-state tournament last season, said she will sign her Southeastern Conference scholarship papers with MSU this coming November.
“Mississippi State is an elite women’s basketball program and I developed a great relationship with all the coaches,” Hayes said Friday. “My last official visit was to Mississippi State and past Sunday and my final choices were Louisville, North Carolina State, North Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi State. I felt the Lady Bulldogs had a great family atmosphere and decided to make my commitment during the visit. It was a little hard keeping things quiet during the week but I wanted to make a video and call the other coaches.”
There will be a friend awaiting Hayes’ arrival in Starkville, that being Jayla Hemingway from Houston High school in Memphis.
“I’m very relieved to have recruiting behind me and it’s the best decision I could have made,” Hayes said. “I wanted to know where I would be going before my senior year in high school and there will be at one familiar face – Jayla Hemingway – on campus that I will know. Hemingway, a former standout at Houston High School out of Memphis, has previously played AAU ball with Hayes.
That’s another reason Hayes will be able to totally focus on her senior season without the stress and distraction of college coaches calling and visiting while trying to get Hayes to sign with them.
A worry-free Hayes could mean a lot more trouble for East Hamilton opponents this season as well.
“Each year she’s been with me Madison has made district improvement and the team has become stronger, bigger and better,” Lady Canes coach Hunter Gremore said. “It’s going to be hard to improve on what she did last year but I believe she will because that’s just Madison. Getting the recruiting decision behind her takes a big load off her. She’s a hard worker and a great kid and she still has goals.
“We have talked a lot about what she’s accomplished, she has reached several individual goals but she still wants the ultimate team goal and that’s to take East Hamilton to their first state basketball tournament and win it. Last week she was chosen our Homecoming Queen, she’s proven to be a great teammate. Honestly, what ever she puts her mind to she’s able to accomplish. She would also like to become a McDonald’s All-American.”
Hayes, also one of the city’s top volleyball stars, helped the Lady Hurricanes’ basketball team to a 21-13 record this past season. The Lady Canes were eliminated by Stone Memorial in the Region 3-3A tournament semifinals. They lost in the District 5-3A title game to Bradley Central, the eventual 2018-19 state champion.
Hayes averaged 24 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.5 blocks and 3.2 steals per game. That collective performance enabled Hayes to edge Oak Ridge’s Jada Quinn and Hemingway for the Miss Basketball award. Quinn and Hemingway each competed in the state tournament.
Hayes’ younger sister, McKenna, a sophomore, is also a two-sport star and beginning to earn basketball recruiting attention as well. McKenna was the sophomore homecoming representative.
In the 2019 World Cup 3X3 Championship in Mongolia,
Hayes capped her junior season by helping the USA FIBA 18-under team win the 2019 3x3 world championship in Mongolia. She was joined on the team by Olivia Cochran from Columbus, Georgia, Rickea Jackson of Detroit, Michigan and Hailey Van Lith, of Wenatchee, Washington. The USA raced through the tournament bracket unbeaten to capture the Gold Medal for the third time.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)