Las Positas Star Michael Hayes Poised For Success At Next Level

By Arion Armeniakos

Special to Las Positas Athletics

Las Positas College sophomore sensation Michael Hayes is poised for the next step after being selected as one of three Players of the Year by the California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association (CCCMBCA) last month.

Hayes, a 6-foot-4 West High graduate, can look back on a stellar career as the Hawks’ all-time leading scorer (1,282 points) and rebounder (602).

Basketball fans can most assuredly look forward to seeing the dynamic Hayes at the four-year level.

“We’ve had conversations with Arkansas, Kansas, Albany, Bakersfield. A lot of different levels are inquiring about him,” Las Positas coach James Giacomazzi shared of Hayes.

During a complicated time for recruits due to the COVID-19 pandemic (the NCAA has suspended recruiting until April 15), Hayes has not been able to take any campus visits. But Giacomazzi is confident things will start moving again sooner rather than later.

“Coaches now have all the film, the transcripts, so they will want to start making decisions regarding players soon, even if they can’t meet them,” Giacomazzi said. “The process just got pushed back about a month compared to what it would have been under normal circumstances.”

Hayes hung up the red shirt for a final time after the Hawks’ playoff loss at Yuba College on Feb. 29. He walks away as arguably the best player to ever grace the program. He led the team to the playoffs twice and back-to-back runner-up finishes in the powerful Coast-North.

“I really enjoyed coaching him,” Giacomazzi said. “He worked really hard. And for anybody to put up the numbers he did for two straight seasons, it’s incredible. Kudos to him for that.”

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Hayes was his consistency. He joined the Hawks as a highly rated, explosive freshman guard and instantly took it upon himself to become a leader on the floor.

“Straight away, he took on that mindset of ‘I really have to score for us to win,’” Giacomazzi explained.

Hayes averaged 23.7 points per game as a freshman to rank No. 3 in the state, while shooting at a 59.5 percent clip. He added 9.7 rebounds per game, asserting his dominance on both sides of the floor. Hayes was rewarded with a Northern California All-State First Team selection. Moreover, his highlight-reel plays made the rounds nationwide on multiple occasions. He’s a guy people talked about.

But Giacomazzi knew things were just getting started for Hayes. Donning a new No. 3 jersey for the 2019-2020 season, Hayes continued to push himself to a higher level, improving around the basket, in penetration and on the perimeter. The impressive package made him even more valuable to the team, and to major college recruiters.

Hayes averaged a double-double in his final year as a Hawk with 21.3 points, on 58.7 percent shooting, and 11.4 rebounds.

“He really matured and expanded his game,” Giacomazzi said. “He also became really efficient. He trusted his teammates to knock down shots and he didn’t feel like he had to do it all by himself. Some of that pressure that was lifted off his shoulders made him an even better player.”

And Hayes’ development didn’t go unnoticed. The state Player of the Year award bears that out.

“He’s improved in almost every area over the last year,” Giacomazzi said. “It may not always show up, but we can certainly see it as coaches. He’s sacrificed in areas where he may have wanted to do certain things more for the good of the team, putting us in the best position to be successful. But it ended up working out for him too. According to Synergy statistics, he was second in the country in offensive efficiency around the basket. He continued to work and add to his game.”

Hayes’ committing to a Division I school in the coming weeks feels inevitable. Giacomazzi is excited to see where his former star can take his career.

“He’s certainly one of the most talented players that I’ve coached, but his story is still incomplete,” Giacomazzi said. “Now it’s all about where he goes and what he continues to do in college and beyond. Hopefully, he can continue to play at a high level, get his degree, and then play professionally and make some money. He is capable of that.”