Hayward on U-Games trials, and looking ahead
Expecting to meet with the usual upbeat, soft-spoken Lazar Hayward the other day at the Al McGuire Center, I instead walked in to find the senior-to-be sitting in a chair, winded and with a pained look on his face.
"Todd was kicking my butt, man," said Hayward, referring to strength and conditioning coach Todd Smith.
It's not as if Hayward's suddenly fallen out of shape since the end of the season. Actually, he looks to be maybe a little bit leaner and carrying another pound or two on his chiseled 6-foot-6 frame.
But even the biggest, strongest and fittest athletes are going to have problems getting through some of Smith's torturous workouts, and Hayward, who's already back on the MU campus for summer sessions, is no exception.
The work he's doing will help him twofold. Not only is he preparing for next season, one where he'll be expected to be the Golden Eagles' undisputed leader, he's also trying to put the finishing touches on himself and his game before heading off to Colorado Springs, Colo. roughly three weeks from now in an attempt to make USA Basketball's World University Games team.
Hayward is one of 15 juniors- and seniors-to-be invited to the trials, which begin June 16. Ultimately, 12 players will make the team, which will then travel to Belgrade, Serbia for the World University Games, which take place July 2-12.
Needless to say, it's an honor and an opportunity that Hayward is not taking lightly.
"I would say it’s a great feeling," he said. "It would be a great experience for me, to be playing with the USA team. Any time you’re invited by USA Basketball it’s big, and it’s a great honor for them to even think about me trying out for this team.
"I don’t anything is bigger than playing for your country. This would be my first time, and hopefully I get to experience the whole thing."
Hayward is one of three Big East players invited to the trials, joining Villanova guard Corey Fisher and West Virginia wing man Da'Sean Butler.
The challenge for Hayward will be to try and distinguish himself from a roster that's light in the backcourt and heavy on wings and forwards with games seemingly similar to his.
Oklahoma State's James Anderson (6-6, 195, 18.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 84 three-pointers), West Virginia's Butler (6-7, 225, 17.1, 5.9, 62), Purdue's Robbie Hummel (6-8, 208, 12.5, 7.0, 59), Washington's Quincy Pondexter (6-6, 215, 12.1, 5.9, 3) and Ohio State's Evan Turner (6-7, 205, 17.3, 7.1, 11) will all be competing with the 6-6, 225-pound Hayward (16.3, 8.6, 53) for what could be four or fewer spots.
What might separate Hayward from that group is his ability to rebound at a high rate and bang on the interior despite standing just 6-6, while at the same time being able to step out and shoot it from about 22 feet.
"That’s what people tell me," said Hayward. "The type of person that I am, the type of player that I am, I always try to get better in all aspects. Whatever I can do to help the team. Whatever they need, I’ll try to fill that void. But when you break down the game over there, I can play inside-out, I can shoot the three. So it might favor me a little bit.
"But looking at this list of guys, there’s some great players."
On the downside, Hayward probably wouldn't be considered as overly athletic as most of the frontcourt/wing players at the trials.
Perhaps that's where his familiarity with Bo Ryan could help. Named the head coach of the University Games team, he's obviously very familiar with Hayward after having scouted him for the past three years in advance of Wisconsin's annual rivalry game with MU.
"I hope it does (help)," said Hayward. "He’s a great guy, obviously a great coach – they picked him to do this. He’s a person I’d love to play under."
Hayward will be shooting to become the first Golden Eagles player in recent memory to make a USA Basketball team. Steve Novak, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews have all fallen short in their bids to make various teams in recent years.
"I talked to Jerel a little bit about it, I talked to Wes a little bit about it," said Hayward. "(Matthews) said it’s nothing different, pretty much the same thing – you’ve got to go there and work hard and give it all you’ve got."
With McNeal, Matthews and Dominic James all having moved on now, Hayward said he's still trying to become accustomed to being one of the senior statesmen on the team -- not to mention the peace and quiet he's being afforded for the time being.
"It’s still kind of weird, actually," he said. "Wes walked into my room the other night – I didn’t know he was coming – while Cooby and I were watching the Laker game. We were just talking about Wes and Jerel and Dominic, like, ‘Man, we might be sitting here watching those guys play,’ and then in walks Wes. It was cool.
"But it’s really different. I walk into the gym now, and they’re not there. Usually when I’d walk in, Jerel and I would just start arguing. Talking about who’s late, who takes the longest. Wes will come in, and he’ll imitate me to do his warm-up, act like he’s me taking certain shots. We’d do that before every single practice. So I’ll have to get used to it. It’s pretty different."
As the most accomplished of MU's three returning seniors, Hayward is already embracing his newfound role as team leader.
"Oh yeah, definitely," he said. "With those three guys, they’re great leaders and I was able to learn a lot from them. Not saying that I wasn’t a leader, but with three guys like that, I just kind of picked up whatever they didn’t. I’ve learned a lot from them, I’m sure they’ve learned a lot from me, but I’m very excited to be the leader of this team. I’ve been through it all with those guys.
"We’ve been battle-tested, and in the trenches, so you can’t say that I’m not prepared to do it. And I have to be. But I’m very excited about these young guys coming in, and I’m really looking forward to leading them."
What kind of leader does Hayward think he'll be?
"I would personally say that I lead by example, and I think that showed last year, with those three guys – they were always the first to say something vocally, and even if I wanted to it’d be like, ‘Oh, they beat me to it.’ " he said. "So now that they’re gone, I’ll have to be more of a vocal leader. But I’ve been like that all my life. I just wasn’t able to show it as much last year. So I think to do that more, and I also have to lead by example – just like I’ve always done."
Hayward is also excited about the projected makeup of the Golden Eagles for next season.
After going to battle night after night with one of the smallest and thinnest rosters at the high-major level in recent seasons, MU will have both a full complement of scholarship players as well as one re-stocked with some major size with the likes of 7-2 Youssoupha Mbao, 6-10 Brett Roseboro and 6-7 Jeronne Maymon coming in along with 6-10 returnee Chris Otule.
"I think it’ll be really good with Yous and Brett and Chris and Jeronne – they’re all tough kids, big kids, and I think it’ll be great playing alongside them," said Hayward. "I think they’ll impact a lot, and they’ll help us a lot down low. With Yous, just his size being down there, his presence, we’ve never had that. Some guys might be thinking, ‘Uh oh, we might not want to go down in there.’ Now they’re going to think about it, and that’s always a plus. So it’s a really good feeling."
With so much size coming in, Hayward might finally be able as a senior to swing out to his natural position at the 3 from time to time -- a possibility that excites him.
"I think it’ll happen," he said. "I think Buzz is a really smart coach, and he’ll always put me in positions that are best for me and best for the team. We haven’t talked about it individually like, ‘OK, you’re going to do this, you’re going to do that.’ The only thing he’s pretty much told me is that he’ll be in me like no other, every single day.
"With the young guys, you don’t know how they’ll take certain things, so the things he may want to say to them, he’ll say it to me. I mean, I’m used to it, so it’s not like it’s anything different. But he’s going to be on me moreso than ever."
As far as areas of individual improvement, Hayward said he's been focusing almost solely on his legs and his footwork.
"Staying toned. I don’t think I have to get any bigger; I think I’m a great size. Todd and I talked about that," he said. "Just getting faster – with the ball, without the ball, defensively, on the wing. Whatever way you want it. I just have to get faster. That’s really all I’m working on, my explosiveness and my speed.
"I don’t think a lot of people think we’ll win, or what to expect of me, so I think it’s a real good feeling, people thinking that we’re probably going to lose, ‘Lazar’s been with the three seniors and they’re not here, nothing good may come out of it.’ But we have a great coach, great young guys coming in and me, so it’ll be good."
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