East Hamilton Lady Hurricanes player, Madison Hayes, signed to play basketball with the Mississippi State Bulldogs women’s basketball program on the opening of the college signing period. Hayes’ family, friends, and supporters joined her as she signed in the East Hamilton Middle/High gym. Hayes selected Mississippi State over more than 20 other Division I offers she received.
“First, I want to thank God for helping me to make this decision, and I want to thank my family and coaches and everyone who has supported me,” Hayes said before she put pen to paper to join the MSU 2020 signing class. “I want to thank everyone who helped me to work hard and have the dedication to reach this point, and I am really excited to be a part of Mississippi State.”
Hayes, a 6-foot guard, is rated a five-star recruit for the Mississippi State women’s basketball program. In a release from Mississippi State, women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer praised Hayes and his other signees for the day. “These kids can score, Schaefer said, “Absolutely, we made our team better. We have enhanced our community with great kids.”
Hayes still has her senior season to play, but she is already one of the areas most decorated basketball players. She won the 2019 Class AAA Miss Basketball award for Tennessee as the most outstanding player in her classification. Game performance, academics, and character are the criteria for the state’s top honor for individual players. Hayes was also selected to the 5-AAA All-District and All-Tournament team for 2016, 2017, and 2018. She was the 2018 Most Valuable Player for 5-AAA, the 2018 USA Today Player of the Year for Tennessee, a 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year finalist, she earned 2018 Naismith High School All-American Team honorable mention, 2017-2018 Tennessee All-State, and All-Region, ESPN HoopGurlz ranked the number 24 overall player and number 6 guard in the nation, and she is a 2019-2020 McDonalds All-American nominee.
Hayes, now a senior at East Hamilton, was a huge part of the Lady Hurricanes successful 21 win season last year in her junior season. She averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4 steals, 3.6 assists, and 3.1 blocked shots per game and shot 49.3 percent from the floor.
“I am very proud of Madison, and what she has accomplished, and I know she will do great things at the next level,” said Hunter Gremore, head coach of the East Hamilton Lady Hurricanes. “I am very proud to be her coach.”
Hayes has already played with one of her future Mississippi State teammates as she played on the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia this past summer with current Bulldog Rickea Jackson. The two helped the team to win gold at the tournament.