SUMMARY
- Gordon Hayward was the 9th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
- He competed for Butler University for two seasons before declaring for the draft.
Gordon Hayward has been a key role player on a few teams since being drafted into the NBA. While he hasn’t been the most dominant on the floor, the veteran has always been a positive force. Hayward came into the league during the 2010 NBA Draft as he was selected as the 9th overall pick. The Utah Jazz had welcomed him with open arms. He played with them for seven seasons and showed great potential.
In 2017, the forward was selected as an All-Star while averaging 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. That was the last season he played with the Jazz before he was shipped to the Boston Celtics. He played alongside Kyrie Irving and managed to reach the second round of the playoffs in 2019. Irving left for the Brooklyn Nets, while Hayward remained on the team for one more season.
In 2020, the Celtics made the playoffs again and reached the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. Gordon Hayward did not participate as much but was present for the ECF. Gordon was acquired by the Charlotte Hornets, where he has consistently appeared as a strong role player. But Hayward was filled with potential during his college stint. So here is what we were able to uncover about his college life.
Gordon Hayward played two seasons at Butler University
Gordon Hayward grew up in Indiana and he studied at Brownsburg High School. He was never the tallest amongst the lot but out of nowhere, Hayward had a major growth spurt. Until then, his interests majorly revolved around Tennis. During his senior year, Hayward was in full form as he led his team to a Class 4A State Championship. He was an All-State player who was named the Indianapolis Star Player of the Year.
The Indianapolis native committed to Butler University in 2008. Gordon had already made up his mind to compete for the Butler Bulldogs before colleges such as Perdue and Michigan approached him. During his freshman year, Hayward averaged 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. He recorded 1.5 steals while shooting 47.9% from the field, 44.8% from deep, and 81.5% from the free throw line.
During his sophomore year, Hayward upped his statistics a bit. He averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Gordon also shot 46.4% from the field on more attempts while dipping from the three-point arc. He put up only 29.4% from deep while shooting 82.9% from the foul line. Hayward also recorded 1.1 steals per game.
Through two whole seasons, Gordon Hayward appeared for 69 games averaging a total of 14.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He was named Horizon Newcomer of the Year in 2009 and was selected to the Horizon All-Newcomer Team and All-Horizon League First Team. He received the same accolades the following year despite Butler losing to Duke in the NCAA Division I Tournament Finals.