Madison Hayes: First Team All-Wolfpack

They say that those who care deeply about something can often show it better than they can say it. Madison Hayes must truly love her team, NC State, and the game of basketball itself. 

Hayes might not be what league voters think she should be but she is exactly what NC State needs. 

NC State followers – a group prone to easily detecting slights – probably were pleasantly surprised at the number of players who received All-ACC honors when they were announced Tuesday.  Saniya Rivers, Aziaha James, and Zoe Brooks each received their deserved accolades.

Head coach Wes Moore – only a few hours after a respected publication gave its national Coach of the Year Award to a conference rival that his team beat – was also named ACC Coach of the Year. It was the 15th time in his remarkable career that he has earned a coach of the year honor. 

But Hayes was left out, again. This is the second straight season in which she receives no conference honor despite being one of the more influential players in the league and the country. 

It should sting and annoy, but the simple truth is that what Hayes does for her team and its fans is bigger and better than All-ACC. 

The award mitigates itself to an extent when it does not reward those who contribute to a champion like Hayes has. It is not like every single team has a player like her. The major premise of team sport is to win. Hayes does the things to help NC State do just that.

What should be encouraged is instead ignored. 

The folks who get the benefit of voting for All-ACC are given some leverage with determining who is winning awards, but the ultimate advantage towards anyone affiliated with NC State comes from those who run daily with the Pack. 

The ACC cannot give Hayes the glory of seeing children smile and cheer when they see her play. Voters cannot force kids (and parents, too) to buy a certain player’s shirt or jersey. Pundits cannot generate the excitement folks feel when they meet Hayes to get a picture or an autograph. Prognosticators cannot control who wins games and titles. 

Hayes has a say in all of that for NC State. Her actions scream greatness. 

In a perfect world, players like Hayes would receive accolades that are befitting the importance of her performance and also properly explain the complexity of what she does. This is not a perfect world. 

When let down by others, people tend to look for solace. In the case of Hayes, the comfort she will find among her team, her school, and its fans supersedes any individual honor she could ever be handed. 

Wolfpack Nation rightfully adores Hayes. 

Madison Hayes is a regular season league champion, a conference tournament champion, and a Final Four participant.

Madison Hayes is a part of a class (along with James and Rivers) that did not just bring NC State back from the slipping towards average in 2022-23 but also lifted the program to new heights in Moore’s tenure only one season later. 

Madison Hayes has three more chances to hang banners (ACC Tournament, Final Four appearance, National Champion) before she leaves NC State, and the Wolfpack has a realistic chance in each of them. 

Madison Hayes has NC State poised to potentially take the final step of a national title, either this season with her on the court or in the coming years with others who use the platform she helped build. 

Madison Hayes has done everything that was ever asked of her at NC State with skill and pride. No voting was necessary.