North Carolina State University Athletics
Hayes Listed on Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watch List
10/30/2024 11:26:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. – Fifth year, veteran guard Madison Hayes has been chosen on the Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and in partnership with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Hayes is one of 20 on the list that awards the best small forward in the country.
Hayes is coming off her third season with Pack having averaged 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game along with nailing down 56 3-pointers. Her rebounding total is the most of all returners and among the top of all players listed as guards in the ACC. Hayes finished the 2023-24 season with 20 double-digit scoring games, eight double-digit rebounding games, 11 9+ rebound games and five double-doubles, which was tied for second on the team.
The Chattanooga, Tennessee native was one of four players nationally, and the only Power Five player to average 10+ points, 7+ rebounds and 40+ percent 3-point shooting (with minimum 1.5 3-pointers made per game), and was the only player in the ACC to put up those averages. She was named a USBWA National Player of the Week on Feb. 20 after averaging 15.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 50 percent shooting in wins against No. 16 Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. Hayes' 30 3-pointers in conference play alone were the most hit by a Pack player in ACC play since Jakia Brown-Turner's 31 in 2020-21.
Cheryl Miller established her legacy throughout high school and college basketball as a forward at USC. She led the 1984 Olympic team to gold with averaging over 16 points per game and tallied over 3,000 career points and was a four-time All-American.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday, Nov. 1. The watch list will be narrowed down to 10 in late January and then down to five in late February. In March, the five finalists will be presented to the Miller and Hall of Fame's selection committees, where the winner will be chosen. The committee includes college basketball personnel, members of the media, head coaches, sport information directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2025 Miller Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date along with the four other members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five.
Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Watch List
Sarah Ashlee Barker - Alabama
Madison Booker - Texas
Aicha Coulibaly - Texas A&M
Andrea Daley - Boston College
Maryam Dauda - South Carolina
Angela Dugalic - UCLA
Lior Garzon - Colorado
Yarden Garzon - Indiana
Madison Hayes - NC State
Gianna Kneepkens - Utah
Cotie McMahon - Ohio State
Saylor Poffenbarger - Maryland
Temira Poindexter - Kansas State
Madison Scott - Ole Miss
Sarah Strong - UConn
Sacha Washington - Vanderbilt
Mikaylah Williams - LSU
Sahara Williams - Oklahoma
Alyssa Ustby - North Carolina
Grace VanSlooten - Michigan State
