NC State transfer guard Cam Hayes commits to LSU
LSU landed a commitment from NC State transfer guard Cam Hayes after an in-home visit from Matt McMahon and his staff this week, he announced on Friday night.
LSU also is pursuing his teammate and Wolfpack forward Manny Bates, one of the top big men available in the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Spending the past two seasons with the basketball program, Hayes started 27 games during his time in Raleigh.
Cam Hayes was the fifth-leading scorer for North Carolina State this season. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.1 assists per game, while playing all 32 contests and making 13 starts.
During 2020-21, he averaged 7.8 points and 3.1 assists while making 36.4 percent of his threes (28 of 77). In his last eight, Hayes averaged 11.0 points and 3.4 assists while helping the Pack go 6-2 in that span.
According to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average, Hayes was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 2 prospect in the state of North Carolina and nationally ranked at No. 59.
Coming out of high school, Hayes received offers from programs such as Clemson, Florida State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.
Cam Hayes a part of LSU rebuilding through the portal
For McMahon, Hayes is a part of a plan that’ll continue to use the transfer portal. LSU added transfers in Murray State teammates Justice Hill and Trae Hannibal along with Northwestern State big Kendal Coleman.
“I think whether you like it or not, the transfer portal is here to stay, so you’d better embrace it and use it to the best of your ability, and that’s what we’ve done,” McMahon said at his introductory press conference. “This year at Murray State our top six players, three were foundational pieces who had been a part of our program for a long time. The other three were first-year transfers into the program.
“My favorite part of the job besides seeing players max out individually and become the best men they can be is
building a team. “Team” is once again a very overused word in sports; oftentimes it’s just a collection of individuals. A true team is a collection of people who are united together, connected as one and pursuing the same dreams and goals. I enjoy that part of it. I think it takes a lot of time and investment. I’ll have an unbelievable staff here to help me get that done, and we’re going to enjoy it.”
The Tigers also inked a high school prospect formerly signed with the Racers in center Corneilous Williams. Cam Hayes is just the latest addition to a busy offseason for McMahon & Co.
