Hayes is part of a nine-man, one-team induction class that includes former United States Congressman Tom McMillen of Maryland; 1977 national consensus player of the year Marques Johnson of UCLA; two-time all-American Bob Hopkins of Grambling State; Wichita State star Xavier McDaniel, coaching legends Gene Keady and Rollie Massimino and contributors George Raveling of Nike and George Killian of FIBA. In addition, the barrier-breaking 1963 Loyola University (Chicago) team will become the first team inducted.
The Class of 2013 will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday, Nov. 24 at the Midland Theatre in Kansas City as part of a three-day celebration of college basketball.
Hayes, a native of Rayville, La., was one of the greatest players in Houston history from 1965 to 1968. He holds school single-game, single-season and career records in scoring and rebounding, averaging an amazing 31.0 points and 17.2 rebounds per contest in 93 games during his career.
He led the Cougars to an 81-12 overall record and back-to-back NCAA Final Four appearances in 1967 and 1968 and was recognized as the consensus National Player of the Year after leading the Cougars to 28 consecutive wins during the regular season.
Hayes greatness did not stop at the collegiate level. Taken with the No. 1 pick overall in the 1968 NBA Draft (the first of two in school history), Hayes went on to an outstanding NBA career, scoring more than 27,000 points and grabbing more than 16,000 rebounds during at 16-year stint.
He was named to the All-NBA First or Second Teams six times and played in 12 consecutive All-Star Games from 1969 to 1980. Traded to Washington in 1972, he helped lead the Bullets to the 1978 NBA championship and three appearances in the NBA Finals.
In 1996, he was named one of the NBA s All-Time Top 50 Greatest Players, joining Drexler and Olajuwon. Houston was one of only three schools to have three former players named to that list.
This is only the latest honor for the Cougars. In early September, legendary head coach Guy V. Lewis will join Hayes, center Hakeem Olajuwon and guard Clyde Drexler in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
