- Gordon Hayward
-
Gordon Hayward No. 20 Utah Jazz Small Forward Personal information Date of birth March 23, 1990 Place of birth Brownsburg, Indiana Nationality American High school Brownsburg High School Listed height 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Listed weight 207 lb (94 kg) Career information College Butler NBA Draft 2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall Selected by the Utah Jazz Pro career 2010–present Career highlights and awards - 2009 1st Team All-Horizon League
- 2009 Horizon League Newcomer of the Year
- 2010 Horizon League Player of the Year
- 2010 3rd Team Academic All-American
- 2010 NCAA Tournament West Regional MVP
- 2010 NCAA Tournament All-Tournament team
Stats at NBA.com Medal record Men’s basketball Competitor for 
United StatesFIBA U19 World Championship Gold 2009 Auckland Team competition Gordon Daniel Hayward[1] (born March 23, 1990), is an American basketball player for the Utah Jazz. He played college basketball at Butler University in Indianapolis for two seasons before leaving for the NBA. Hayward emerged as a superstar in his sophomore (second) year, leading his team to a runner-up finish in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.[2] He was selected by the Utah Jazz with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Contents
Early years and high school
Hayward's unusual skill set—ESPN.com columnist Pat Forde called him "The guy who learned how to play like a guard but now has the size of a power forward"—was largely the result of his father's misconception about his future growth.[3]
His father, Gordon Scott Hayward, is 5'10" (1.78 m), as is his mother Jody. Believing that their son was destined to be average sized, his father, according to Forde, "continually pushed his son to develop a guard's skill set."[3] The younger Hayward's first appearance in the sports pages was not in basketball but in tennis; he and his twin sister Heather were featured in a regional edition of the Indianapolis Star when they played mixed doubles together at the Indiana State Open in 2005. Heather had already played #1 singles for their high school team, and Gordon Daniel would follow in his sister's footsteps the next year; at the time, they hoped to attend their parents' alma mater of Purdue University.[4] Although Gordon's first love was basketball, he would later recall, "I looked at the future and figured playing basketball in college wasn't realistic."[4] In fact, as a 5'11" (1.80 m) freshman, he seriously considered quitting basketball entirely to focus on tennis; his mother persuaded him to stay with the sport one more year.[1]
The twins' plans changed when the younger Gordon underwent an unexpected growth spurt. He shot up to 6'4 as a sophomore and two years after he almost abandoned basketball, he had grown to 6'7" (2.01 m); he reached 6'8" (2.03 m) as a senior,[3][4] and reportedly added another inch at Butler (though the NBA lists him at 6'8").[3] He would soon have profiles on recruiting websites in both tennis and basketball. Gordon ultimately received three scholarship offers—one from nearby IUPUI, another from Purdue, and one from Butler. He ultimately chose Butler because the Bulldogs' 6:30 am practices would not interfere with his planned major of computer engineering and because Heather would be able to play tennis there.[1] While he verbally committed to Butler as a junior, he skipped AAU basketball during the following summer because he wanted to put in enough tennis practice to contend for a state high school title in his senior year. He had a 26–3 record in singles that year, but lost in the state tournament.
Hayward attended Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Indiana. In his senior year (2007–08), Hayward was named first team All-State and led Brownsburg to the Indiana Class 4A state championship. In the 4A state title game, Hayward hit the game-winning layup at the buzzer to defeat Marion High School 40–39.[5] Hayward averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game as a senior.[6]
College career
Hayward unexpectedly made an instant impact in his freshman year (2008–09). Butler had lost four starters from a 30-win season and were picked fifth in the Horizon League.[7] However, the Bulldogs went 26–5 and won the Horizon League. Hayward averaged 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and was named Horizon Newcomer of the Year and first team All-Conference.
In the offseason, Hayward was selected to Team USA for the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand. Playing for Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon, Hayward was a surprise star for the Championship squad, averaging 10 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. At the conclusion of the tournament, Hayward was named to the "All-Star Five" of the event, with teammate Tyshawn Taylor.[8]
After raising his profile in the FIBA tournament, Hayward was named to numerous preseason All-America teams, and was a preseason candidate for the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award prior to the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. He was also named preseason All-Horizon League.
During the 2009–10 season, Hayward was the only player to finish in the Horizon League's top five in both scoring and rebounding; he was also in the league's top 10 in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, blocked shots, offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding (in which he led the league), and minutes per game.[9] At the end of the regular season, he was named the Horizon League Player of the Year.[10] Hayward was also named a third-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American.[11] In the NCAA Tournament, Hayward was named the MVP of the West Region as he led Butler to the National Championship game. In the championship game against Duke he missed the game-winning half-court shot, by a matter of inches, which would have given Butler their very first NCAA championship.[12]
Leaving for the NBA
When Hayward first emerged as a star at the World U-19s, and agents started leaving messages with his parents, they expressed both surprise and concern. His father felt unprepared for the process of counseling his son through the draft process, while his mother felt that their son was not yet spiritually ready to handle the temptations of the NBA and was not convinced that he was good enough to play in the league.[1] Eventually, his parents decided that his father would learn about the draft and his mother would "put it in the Lord's hands and pray about it."[13] While his father talked with agents and other players who had left early, Butler coach Brad Stevens talked with NBA scouts and general managers; both eventually came to the conclusion that Gordon Hayward was projected as a top-20 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft even before Butler's NCAA tournament run.[13] As his parents left Lucas Oil Stadium after the NCAA final, they had one final exchange regarding their son's basketball future. His mother said, "If God wanted him to go to the NBA, he would have hit the shot," but his father responded, "What else is he going to do, get Butler all the way back to the final and hit the shot?"[13]
On April 14, 2010, Hayward's father confirmed to the Indianapolis Star that his son would submit his name for consideration in the 2010 draft, but he would not immediately hire an agent.[14] While the younger Hayward was dividing his time between his final examinations and physical preparation, his father created a highly detailed two-page questionnaire that he gave to prospective agents. Mark Bartelstein, who survived his father's grilling and became Gordon Hayward's agent, would later say, "It was the most incredibly thorough process I've been through in 25 years. His parents didn't want to leave any stone unturned."[13]
Hayward had until May 8 to withdraw from the draft and retain his college eligibility. However, on the day before the withdrawal deadline, he announced that he would stay in the draft and give up his remaining college eligibility. At the time he announced for the draft, he was widely expected to be selected in the top 20 picks, and that assessment did not change before the deadline. When announcing that he was leaving for the NBA, Hayward said that he planned to eventually complete his degree. On June 24, 2010, Hayward was selected as the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft by the Utah Jazz.[2] His hometown team, the Indiana Pacers, selected just one pick later but Hayward seemed happy about going to Utah. In an interview with Craig Sager he remarked "I know the players there (in Utah) play hard. That's what's going to be expected of me." Regarding not being drafted by the Pacers: "I'm just excited to go where I've gone. It was a dream to play for the Pacers growing up, but I think it was a dream of all little boys in Indiana. Just because you grew up watching them. But it was also a dream to play in the NBA. To be able to put on that Utah Jazz jersey will be something very special". Despite having needs in the front court, the Jazz picked Hayward for his athleticism, ball handling skills, and versatility. Both Kevin O'Connor and Jerry Sloan commented that Hayward was a very "smart player that knew the game really well".
Gordon Hayward was the first Bulldog to be selected in the NBA Draft since 1950, when Ralph O'Brien was drafted in the 6th round by the Indianapolis Olympians.
NBA
Hayward played in 72 games during his rookie season with the Utah Jazz, averaging 5.4 points per game and shooting 47 percent from 3-point range. Early in the season, he played sparingly for the Jazz, but he earned more minutes later in the year and responded with strong play in the team's last few games. He outplayed Kobe Bryant in Utah's stunning upset of the Los Angeles Lakers on April 5, making several clutch plays in the final minutes of an 86-85 victory.[15] Hayward finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, and his defense forced Bryant into a terrible performance (7 turnovers and just 6-of-18 shooting from the floor). Hayward finished the season with a career-high 34 points in a 107-103 win against the rival Denver Nuggets.[16]
StarCraft II
After streaming himself playing StarCraft II, Hayward has gained some popularity within the professional StarCraft scene, even being interviewed by Team Liquid, the largest English Starcraft and Starcraft 2 site.[17] It was announced on September 7th, 2011 that Hayward would be participating in the IGN Proleague, which would be his first StarCraft tournament.[18] Hayward played in the Open Bracket of the IPL3 and managed to make it into the 3rd round before falling to Adrian "KawaiiRice" Kwong, a professional StarCraft II player. In the loser's bracket, he was defeated in the first match to end his first StarCraft II tournament run.[19]
References
- ^ a b c d Anderson, Kelli (May 31, 2010). "The Education of Gordon Hayward". Sports Illustrated. p. 1. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1169990/index.htm. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
- ^ a b Associated Press (May 7, 2010). "Butler readies for life without Hayward". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5171662. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Forde, Pat (February 20, 2010). "Hayward, Butler hitting on all cylinders". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4930939. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c Winn, Luke (2009-06-19). "Butler's Hayward creates buzz at 19-and-under national team trials". Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/luke_winn/06/18/hayward/index.html. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Horizon League announces 2008–09 MBB Preseason Poll
- ^ USA U19 Men Take Gold With 88–80 Win Over Greece
- ^ "Individual Basketball Statistics". 2009–10 Horizon League Men's Basketball Overall Statistics. Horizon League. http://www.horizonleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2009-2010/confldrs.html#conf.wki. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
- ^ "Horizon League announces men's basketball All-League teams and specialty award winners" (Press release). Horizon League. March 1, 2010. http://www.horizonleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030110aab.html. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
- ^ Junior center Cole Aldrich of Kansas, Thomas More senior guard Daniel McKeehan lead ESPN the Magazine's Academic All-America Men's Basketball Teams
- ^ Facer, Dirk. Butler's Gordon Hayward highlights regional, Deseret News, March 27, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Anderson, Kelli (May 31, 2010). "The Education of Gordon Hayward". Sports Illustrated. p. 2. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1169990/2/index.htm. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
- ^ http://www.indystar.com/article/20100414/SPORTS0605/100414031/Butler-s-Hayward-to-enter-NBA-draft
- ^ Utah Jazz stun Lakers 86-85 behind 22 from Gordon Hayward
- ^ Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz - Box Score - April 13, 2011
- ^ TL interviews NBA's Gordon Hayward
- ^ Gordon Hayward Makes His Decision: IGN Pro League
- ^ "IGN ProLeague Season 3 - Live Qualifiers" on Liquidpedia
External links
Utah Jazz current roster Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Year 1980: Garrett | 1981: Clemons & R. Jackson | 1982: Sappleton | 1983: Acres & Hughes | 1984: Hughes | 1985: Hughes | 1986: Larkin | 1987: Moore | 1988: Larkin | 1989: Haffner | 1990: Hill | 1991: Archbold | 1992: Casebier | 1993: Grant | 1994: Grant | 1995: Ford | 1996: Nordgaard | 1997: Neuhouser | 1998: Miller | 1999: J. Jackson | 2000: Phillips | 2001: Phillips | 2002: Hainje | 2003: W. Green | 2004: Page | 2005: McCants | 2006: Polk | 2007: Wood | 2008: M. Green | 2009: Howard | 2010: Hayward | 2011: Cole
2010 NBA Draft First round John Wall · Evan Turner · Derrick Favors · Wesley Johnson · DeMarcus Cousins · Ekpe Udoh · Greg Monroe · Al-Farouq Aminu · Gordon Hayward · Paul George · Cole Aldrich · Xavier Henry · Ed Davis · Patrick Patterson · Larry Sanders · Luke Babbitt · Kevin Seraphin · Eric Bledsoe · Avery Bradley · James Anderson · Craig Brackins · Elliot Williams · Trevor Booker · Damion James · Dominique Jones · Quincy Pondexter · Jordan Crawford · Greivis Vasquez · Daniel Orton · Lazar Hayward
Second round Tibor Pleiss · Dexter Pittman · Hassan Whiteside · Armon Johnson · Nemanja Bjelica · Terrico White · Darington Hobson · Andy Rautins · Landry Fields · Lance Stephenson · Jarvis Varnado · Da'Sean Butler · Devin Ebanks · Jerome Jordan · Paulão Prestes · Gani Lawal · Tiny Gallon · Latavious Williams · Ryan Richards · Solomon Alabi · Magnum Rolle · Luke Harangody · Pape Sy · Willie Warren · Jeremy Evans · Hamady N'Diaye · Ryan Reid · Derrick Caracter · Stanley Robinson · Dwayne Collins
Categories:- 1990 births
- Living people
- American basketball players
- Butler Bulldogs men's basketball players
- Small forwards
- Shooting guards
- Basketball players from Indiana
- People from Hendricks County, Indiana
- Twin people from the United States
- Utah Jazz draft picks
- Utah Jazz players
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
