Chuck Hayes
From Hoopedia
Chuck Hayes (born June 11, 1983 in San Leandro, California) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He currently starts at power forward, making him one of only a handful of NBA starters to go undrafted. He was a standout player at the University of Kentucky.
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High School
As a junior attending Modesto Christian High School in 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 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.
College
Hayes arrived at Kentucky in 2001 after choosing UK over Kansas in a close recruiting battle. Hayes was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2002. During the next three years, he 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-America 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 the Kentucky record for most consecutive starts.
USA Basketball
Chuck 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.
NBDL
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 NBDL in rebounding with 12.2 a game in his tenure with the Thunderbirds.
Due to a rash of injuries on the Houston roster, Hayes was signed to a 10-day contract on January 18, 2006. In his second game in a Rockets uniform, Hayes posted a double-double, collecting 12 points and 13 rebounds in a 109-108 win over the Chicago Bulls on January 20. On January 28, the Rockets announced they were signing Hayes for the rest of the season. He was later joined by former Kentucky teammate Keith Bogans, who was traded by the Charlotte Bobcats for Lonny Baxter on February 9. The departure of Baxter created room in the depth chart for Hayes. Hayes was also temporarily joined by another Kentucky teammate, Gerald Fitch, who was traded to the Rockets on February 23 but was assigned to the NBDL on March 7.
NBA
Hayes was quietly productive for the Rockets in his first season. He appeared in all 40 games after joining on the team and averaged 13.4 minutes per game. Hayes was one of the most efficient defensive players in the league, ranking 3rd among rookies in rebounds per 48 minutes (16.1) and 14th in steals per 48 minutes (2.33). He also had a FG% of 52.6%, good for 11th highest in the league among players with at least 100 field goals attempted. On June 13, 2006 the Rockets decided to pick up the option on his contract, extending his stay with the Rockets through the 2006-2007 season. His first official NBA start occurred November 4, 2006 against the Dallas Mavericks. Playing 17 minutes, he scored 2 points, had 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 6 personal fouls.
As a starter in most of the Rockets' games for the 2006-2007 season, Hayes was a significant contributor. The scope of his role on the team was limited to rebounding, defense, and acting as a decoy or setting screens on offense. The ball was very rarely in his hands on offense. Nevertheless, he has received praise from his coaches and has appeared on the leaderboard for several statistics in the NBA. He finished his second season in the NBA 12th in rebounds per minute and 34th in rebounds per game.
Several factors have been hindering Hayes' performance this season. He hyperextended his left knee and was sidelined for two weeks. His stamina and durability over an 82 game season has been an issue as well; Hayes' style of play is more physically demanding than most. Finally, Hayes has become somewhat notorious for getting in foul trouble. He ended his second season with the 3rd most fouls per game and 7th most fouls per minute in the NBA.
Hayes is currently averaging 5 points and 8 rebounds for the Houston Rockets in the 2007 post-season. He is a key player in the series, both for his defense and rebounding. His energy has brought his team to life many times, and though he's only in his second year, he is an obvious leader for the Rockets.
