Nigel Hayes showed off some nifty moves to hit the game-winning layup in the Wisconsin upset of Villanova, then compared them to Michael Jordan’s
Down the stretch of the Wisconsin Badgers’ Second Round matchup with the Villanova Wildcats in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, it was veteran wing Bronson Koenig that came up big from the perimeter. With the game tied in the final minute of play, though, the Badgers turned to veteran big man Nigel Hayes.
Hayes got the ball between the wing and the short corner and took his man down to the block off the dribble. The Badgers star then faked a spin move inside that brought another defender and caused the primary man to shift his weight a bit. Hayes then caught them slipping and turned back towards the baseline where he came around for a layup that ultimately proved to be the winner for Wisconsin.
It was a gorgeous move in a big moment for Hayes. Apparently he feels the same way about it, too.
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When interviewed by CBS’ Allie LaForce after the game, Hayes likened the move to the famous fake-spin move of Michael Jordan. It’s good to know that the young man isn’t short on confidence after maybe the biggest play of his life:
No offense to Hayes, but Jordan’s fake-spin might’ve been a little quicker, a little smoother, and a bit better. Even still, we won’t take away the Wisconsin star’s shine too much considering what a big moment he came up clutch in.
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Of course, this is all in good fun from a young man feeling good. Moreover, we’ve seen Hayes flex his comedic muscles before, showing up on the set of College GameDay during football season to take jabs at the NCAA and generally have a good time. Unfortunately for him, though, this fake-spin might be the closest he ever comes to being compared to Jordan. In that light, can you really blame him for pointing it out?