Former Badgers star Nigel Hayes finds home in Turkish Super League

He was named Turkish Super League Finals MVP last season.

Mar 24, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Nigel Hayes (10) drives to the basket against Florida Gators forward Justin Leon (23) during the second half in the semifinals of the East Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Former Wisconsin basketball star Nigel Hayes has completed his sixth season of professional basketball and it was arguably his best. He led Fenerbahçe Beko to the Turkish Super League championship and won the league's finals MVP.

Congrats to Nigel Hayes on a great season with Fenerbahçe Beko, as the team recently won the Turkish league championship and Nigel was named MVP

Earlier this year, Nigel also set a European league scoring record with the first 50-point game in Euroleague history 👏 pic.twitter.com/sbSejBcSk2

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) June 17, 2024

In his second season with Fenerbahçe, he averaged 13.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 31.5 minutes per game, all professional career highs for the 29-year-old who starred at Wisconsin from 2013 to 2017, helping the Badgers to back-to-back Final Four appearances and a spot in the 2015 national title game.

On March 29 against Alba Berlin in Euroleague competition, Hayes scored a record-breaking 50 points. He shot 18 of 27 from the field and 9 of 16 from beyond the 3-point arc. It was the most points scored in a single game in league history.

He was named All-EuroLeague First Team for the season.

50 sayı ile EuroLeague’de bir maçta en fazla skor üreten oyuncu ünvanının sahibi olan Nigel Hayes-Davis’in bu akşamki tüm sayıları! 👇✨@NIGEL_HAYES #YellowLegacy #EuroLeague pic.twitter.com/PcHDXJRZQO

— Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) March 29, 2024

Hayes was an all-conference player for the Badgers in the mid-2010s, but he struggled to catch on in the NBA, playing nine combined games for the Lakers, Raptors and Kings.

He has officially found a home playing in Europe. Fenerbahçe is the third professional team he has played for overseas after stints with Lithuanian club Žalgiris and Spanish club Barcelona.