44 Chuck Hayes

Chuck Hayes was born Charles Edward Hayes Jr. on June 11, 1983 in San Leandro, California to Charles and Tracy Hayes. His father’s cousin is NBA Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes.

Hayes’ high school career was marked by remarkable statistics, showcasing his all-around abilities. He once scored 40 points and gobbled up 30 rebounds in an AAU tournament as an eighth grader and was named the tourney’s MVP. He averaged an impressive double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds per game, demonstrating his knack for scoring and cleaning the glass. Additionally, his defensive prowess was evident through his averages of 4 steals and 3 blocks per game. As a junior attending Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, California, Hayes was named all-league and all-state. That year he grabbed 31 rebounds in the 2000 Northern California championship game – a California High School record for all divisions. As a senior, Hayes averaged 25 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. He was named “Mr. Basketball” in California and a Parade All-American while leading his team to the state championship game. Hayes was also named an all-state football player as a sophomore.

On October 21, 2000, Kentucky men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith was attending Kentucky’s football game against Georgia, when one of his assistant coaches alerted him about an important phone call. On the other end of the line was Modesto Christian High basketball star Chuck Hayes, one of the Wildcats’ top recruits. “Coach, I want to come to Kentucky,” Hayes said. And just like that, Chuck Hayes’ dream had come true. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound Hayes made it official with a verbal commitment to Kentucky. Hayes arrived at the University of Kentucky in 2001 after choosing the Wildcats over Kansas in a close recruiting battle. He chose to wear #44 because Gerald Fitch had already taken #4.

As a freshman, Hayes played in all 31 games with 9 starts, including the final eight games. As a starter, he averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Overall, he averaged 5.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and led the team in free-throw shooting, hitting 73.8%. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Hayes won three team awards presented by the coaching staff: Best Free Throw Shooter, Co-Most Improved, and Mr. Hustle. He recorded his first career double-double against South Carolina in the SEC Tournament. Hayes had 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in 34 minutes, also a career-high. In SEC play, averaged 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds and shot 50% from the field. He set new career highs on 7-for-11 free-throw shooting against Vanderbilt on February 27, finishing with nine points and seven rebounds, while fouling out for the first time as a Cat. Hayes hit 2-of-3 three-pointers against Florida on March 2, both career highs, and matched his career high with three steals.

As a sophomore, Hayes started all 36 games for the Wildcats at forward and led the team in rebounding, averaging 6.8 rebounds per game. He also led the team in free-throw shooting, connecting on 78.8% of his charity attempts. Hayes tallied double-figure rebounds eight times on the season, including a career-high 16 boards against Notre Dame in January. He also had 17 points against the Irish, one of five double-doubles on the year. Hayes had a huge game at Georgia with 15 points and 12 rebounds. He suffered a painful hip bruise prior to the LSU game, but played a then career-high 35 minutes, finishing with six points, 10 rebounds and a career-best six blocks. He was named to cnnsi.com’s All-Glue team by writer Seth Davis for being the glue that holds his team together. He was named honorable mention All-SEC by The Associated Press.

In between his sophomore and junior seasons, Hayes was a member of the 2003 USA men’s Pan American Games team. He started all five games and led the team with 7.6 rebounds per game. The team finished in fourth place with a 2–3 record playing against internationally experienced teams from North and South America.

As a junior, Hayes started all 32 games and was named third-team All-SEC by the Associated Press. He was also named to the SEC All-Tournament team. Hayes set career highs for points (23) and assists (8) while grabbing eight rebounds in the SEC tournament final against Florida. He was third in the SEC in rebounding (8.1) and third in blocks (1.4) and was second on the team in assists (3.0 apg). Hayes had seven double-doubles on the year, including back-to-back double-doubles against Michigan State and Indiana. He scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half at Notre Dame. Hayes tied his career high with 16 rebounds to go along with 18 points in an overtime win at Tennessee. He had career-high 22 points (16 in the second half) to go along with 10 rebounds against Indiana. He had 17 points and 12 boards versus Michigan State.

As a senior, Kentucky captured its 43rd Southeastern Conference championship en route to a 28-6 finish and a 14-2 league mark in 2004-05. The Wildcats relied on a starting lineup featuring three newcomers to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight and an Associated Press No. 7 national ranking. Senior all-American candidate Chuck Hayes led the way for the Wildcats, averaging 10.9 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. He was named the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year and was instrumental in a number of key wins for the Cats, including a 79-78 overtime victory over LSU in the SEC Tournament.

Hayes contributed to a resurgence in Kentucky basketball along with Keith Bogans, Gerald Fitch, Erik Daniels, and Kelenna Azubuike. Over Hayes’ sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, Kentucky accumulated a record of 87–15 (.853) and earned final AP rankings of 1st, 2nd, and 7th respectively. During Hayes’ senior season, the Kentucky athletics department promoted him as an All-American candidate, using the slogan “All He Does Is Win”. Although Hayes was named the 2004 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, he did not earn All-American honors.

Hayes finished his career at Kentucky ranking 7th all-time in rebounds, 8th in steals, 9th in blocked shots, and 35th in points. He also tied Alex Groza for the Kentucky record for most consecutive starts with 110.

During his time at Kentucky, Hayes solidified his reputation as a tenacious and hardworking player who did the gritty work that often goes unnoticed.

Hayes’ statistics at Kentucky don’t tell the whole story of his impact on the court. While he averaged a respectable 8.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game during his college career, his true value extended far beyond the box score. He was known for his unselfish play, excellent court vision, and the ability to make crucial plays in clutch moments.

Perhaps one of the most memorable aspects of Hayes’ time at Kentucky was his leadership and defensive prowess. He was a two-time SEC All-Defensive Team selection, underscoring his ability to lock down opponents and disrupt their offensive flow. His relentless work ethic and commitment to the team’s success made him a beloved figure among Wildcats fans.

Despite earning MVP honors at the Portsmouth pre-draft camp, Hayes was not selected in the 2005 NBA draft but was signed by the Houston Rockets prior to the 2005–06 season. Hayes played in several preseason games before being cut. Hayes was then selected sixth in the 2005 NBA Development League Draft by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. Hayes led the NBA D-League in rebounding with 12.2 a game in his tenure with the Thunderbirds.

Hayes played 11 seasons in the NBA with stints with the Rockets, the Sacramento Kings, and the Toronto Raptors. On September 9, 2016, it was announced that Hayes would no longer play in the NBA.

Hayes married Rochelle Jackson on August 8, 2014.

Hayes was inducted into the UK Hall of Fame in 2016. At his induction, he had this to say about his time at Kentucky, “The four years I had here were special. It was really, really special. I was telling this to my wife yesterday, just driving on campus, driving around town, I can see this 18-year-old kid from Modesto (California) just walking around not knowing what’s going to happen in the future, just happy for the day. I was just happy to be there, I was just happy to go to school, I was happy to have friends, and was just taking in the moment and I can’t believe it all came to this. We’re 11 years from my graduation year and I’m in the hall of fame and it’s like, what did I do? What did I do to deserve it? All I did was do what my coaches told me to do. All I did was what my parents told me to do. But to see that I’m being able to be honored with this, I guess I did it right. And if I did it right, I’m OK with that.”

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