NC State point guard Camren Hayes started his NC State career with excitement, but the ending proved anti-climatic.
Hayes entered the portal Wednesday with three years of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder started the first 13 games, but after going a combined 2 of 18 from the field for five points in back-to-back losses vs. Wright State on Dec. 21 and at Miami (Fla.) on Dec. 29, he entered the 2022 year coming off the bench. NC State turned to redshirt sophomore Dereon Seabron at point guard.
Hayes averaged 7.0 points and 2.1 assists in 20.9 minutes per game, and he shot 33.5 percent from the field and 25.0 percent on three-pointers (25 of 100).
Hayes reached double figures in 13 games, with five in ACC action. He had 16 points apiece against both Richmond and Oklahoma State, but he needed 30 shots to achieve it. Hayes had an ACC-high in the home loss against North Carolina on Feb. 26.
Hayes drained four three-pointers against the Spiders Dec. 17 and vs. Notre Dame on Feb. 5.
Hayes played arguably his best game his freshman year against the Fighting Irish. He went 7 of 11 from the field and made three-pointers en route to 20 points on Feb. 24, 2021. He reached double figures in six games, and he had a season-high nine assists to go along with 11 points in a 74-73 win at Pittsburgh on Feb. 17, 2021.
Hayes averaged 7.8 points and 3.1 assists in 23.5 minutes his freshman year. He shot 38.6 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from the free-throw line.
The second-year freshman was a touted prep recruit coming out of Greensboro, N.C. He played his first two years at Greensboro Smith High, and then transferred to Greensboro Day, where he moved into the class of 2021.
Rivals.com ranked Hayes at No. 27 overall in the class of 2021, which helped cause the excitement. He helped Greensboro Day to the 2019 NCISAA 4A state title, where he played with Virginia wing Carson McCorkle.
Hayes reached the semifinals his senior year at Greensboro Day, and averaged 10.1 points per game and he shot 36 percent from three-point land.
After playing that summer with CP3 17s, where he shared the backcourt with former NC State guard Shakeel Moore, he elected to go back to his original 2020 class. The team struggled and went 1-12 in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. CP3 ended up playing in the Peach Invitational in Augusta, Ga.
Hayes averaged 13.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in 17 contests with the Chris Paul All-Stars in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. He shot 40.1 percent from the field, 71.0 percent on free throws and 31.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Hayes was famously offered along with good friends Breon Pass and Terquavion Smith at halftime of the Virginia at NC State football game Sept. 29, 2018. That set off a one-year journey that led to Hayes picking the Wolfpack on Sept. 13, 2019. Hayes, Pass and Smith all ended up picking NC State.
He picked NC State over Louisville, Florida State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Tennessee and others.
Hayes joins second-year freshman post player Jaylan Gibson in transferring from NC State. The Wolfpack have two scholarships available this spring.
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