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Wisconsin junior forward Nigel Hayes has received an invitation to the 2016 NBA Draft Combine, held May 11-15 in Chicago, his mother's Twitter account revealed on Saturday.
Hayes is among a number of prospects attempting to gain important feedback from scouts about their chances of being selected at the June 23 draft before deciding whether to return to school or not. A total of 162 collegiate and international players declared early for this year's draft.
Congratulations @NIGEL_HAYES on your invite to the NBA Draft Combine.
— TALAYA DAVIS (@TALAYADAVIS) April 30, 2016
Early entry candidates who have not hired an agent have until May 25 to officially withdraw their name from consideration and still retain college eligibility. Such players are allowed to perform at one team workout during the evaluation period.
Badger fans will not be surprised if the articulate Hayes excels in his interviews at the combine, but the Toledo, Ohio native will also get an opportunity to show NBA teams directly how his game can translate to the next level.
Hayes led the Badgers in scoring and assists this past season, averaging 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Despite shooting a career-low 36.8 percent from the floor, Hayes earned First Team All-Big Ten honors as he led Wisconsin to a third-straight Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament.