Nigel Hayes returning to Wisconsin for senior season
By Zach Rastall | May. 25, 2016Nigel Hayes’ time as a Badger isn’t done quite yet. Hayes will withdraw his name from the 2016 NBA draft and return to Wisconsin for his senior season, the Wisconsin State Journal’s Jim Polzin reported Tuesday night. “Getting the opportunity to gather information about the NBA and visit with professionals at that level was a really valuable experience for me,” Hayes said in a statement. “Playing in the NBA still remains an important goal for me, but that can wait another year. I’m excited to get back to work to pursue that dream, as well as the dream of getting my degree and helping my teammates, my brothers, bring a championship to Wisconsin.” With the 6-foot-7 forward making his return to Madison for the 2016-’17 season, the Badgers will be returning every major contributor from last year’s team that made an improbable mid-season turnaround culminating in their fifth trip to the Sweet Sixteen in the last six years. Hayes led the team in a number of categories, including points per game (15.7), assists per game (3.0) and minutes per game (36.2). However, he did see a significant dip in his shooting percentages.
