Jim Killingsworth’s diligence paid off.
If not for the relentless pursuit of Steve Hayes by Idaho State’s men’s basketball coach, the 7-footer from Aberdeen, Idaho, probably would have gone to Utah State.
Then, Hayes wouldn’t be ranked 49
th on the Big Sky Conference’s list of “50 Greatest Athletes,’’ and Idaho State likely wouldn’t have beaten UCLA in the 1977 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight.
“My whole senior year, he came to the games,’’ Hayes said from his home in Spring, Texas. “Jim Killingsworth was very persistent. At one time, I had made up my mind to go to Utah State. But, another factor was Idaho State was so close. It made it easy for my friends and family to go see my games.’’
Hayes entered Idaho State as a project, but left as one of the most polished centers in Big Sky history. Hayes was first-team All-Conference in 1975, 1976 and 1977. He led the Big Sky in scoring in 1974-75 and 1975-76, and led the league in rebounding both of those seasons as well.
Hayes pulled down 1,147 rebounds – still a Big Sky career record. He finished his career as the league’s all-time leading scorer with 1,944 points, a mark that ranks sixth all-time today. Hayes averaged 3.51 blocked shots per game, still a Big Sky record. His 3.89 blocks per game during the 1974-75 has also stood the test of time.
“It’s amazing to look back and see the accomplishments,’’ Hayes said. “Some of those numbers have stood up. It’s kind of surreal.’’
As a sophomore in high school, Hayes stood 6-2 and played on the JV team. He grew five inches and played varsity as a junior. As a senior at Aberdeen High School, Hayes was 6-10 and scoring 30 points per game.
When he arrived at Idaho State, however, he didn’t have the skill to bang down low. It came with hours practicing with Killingsworth.
“From the time I got to Idaho State, I had one-on-one sessions,’’ Hayes said. “I worked on shooting from the post every day. I had a whole routine in the summer. When the season started, I had extra practice with the coaches. We worked on post moves and quickness drills. That really was the key to my success in developing offensive moves and footwork.”
Hayes had a fast array of hook shots, from the skyhook, to a jump hook, to a two-footed jump hook. He liked to use the glass. He’d practice from every angle imaginable and work up and under moves. Oh, and he couldn’t dunk. The dunk wasn’t allowed in NCAA basketball until Hayes’ senior season in 1976-77.
“I felt like I had a lot of confidence and was able to hit my shots,’’ Hayes said. “I didn’t go into many games feeling like I couldn’t go one-on-one against another center. It was a matter if I could get open against double teams.’’
The highlight of Hayes’ career was the 1976-77 season when the Bengals won the Big Sky Championship and finished the season 25-5 with a trip to the Elite Eight. The Bengals beat Long Beach State in their first NCAA game, and then stunned UCLA 76-75 at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. No other Big Sky team has advanced that far in the NCAA Tournament since. UCLA was gunning for its 11
th straight Final Four appearance.
“I played in the NBA,’’ Hayes said. “I got a chance to play with Dr. J (Julius Erving) and Moses Malone. The NBA is the epitome of playing sports. But when it comes down to my most memorable game, the UCLA game was it. It’s hard to describe the emotion. Growing up as a basketball fan, all you ever knew was UCLA.’’
Hayes scored 27 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. His college career ended two nights later with a 107-90 loss to UNLV. Hayes was named to the All-Regional Team. Later that year, he was drafted in the Fourth Round of the NBA draft by the New York Knicks.
Hayes wound up playing in Europe and the CBA before making his NBA debut for San Antonio in 1981-82. Hayes played 202 career NBA games over the course of five seasons for San Antonio, Detroit, Cleveland, Seattle, Philadelphia and Utah.
Hayes was named the CBA MVP in 1984-85 when he averaged 20.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for the Tampa Bay Thrillers. He finished his professional career in 1990, and moved into coaching. He returned to Idaho State in 1994, and served as the interim women’s basketball coach during the 1995-1996 season.
Hayes and his wife Linda now reside in Texas. He works for Conoco-Phillips in a position that requires travel to places such as Australia and England.
“Many of the people I meet are sports fans, and it leads to a lot of fun conversations once they find out I played in the NBA,’’ he said.
Hayes remains close to Idaho State. His grandson Colton Shreve is a redshirt freshman tight end on the ISU football team. Hayes said he tries to watch a few basketball games each season on the Internet. When he does, the memories come racing back.
“I really feel like the Big Sky was a great conference to play in,’’ he said. “The crowds were great. You’d go to Montana and have potatoes thrown at you. There were brawls with Weber State. Fights broke out in the stands three or four times when we played Boise State. It was a great experience. To be considered one of the all-time greats out of the Big Sky is really humbling.’’
