Sisters to State: Anastasia, Aislynn and Alasia Hayes all commit to MSU
With several holes to fill on her roster, Mississippi State head coach Nikki McCray-Penson has reached out and plugged the majority of them from the same family in one fell swoop.
MSU received commitments from Anastasia, Aislynn and Alasia Hayes on Thursday. The three sisters will all transfer to play for the Bulldogs with Anastasia and Aislynn both coming from Middle Tennessee State, while Alasia played last season at Notre Dame.
Anastasia is a former Top-10 recruit nationally that originally signed with Tennessee where she became the Sixth Woman of the Year in the Southeastern Conference as a true freshman. She scored 9.3 points per game and averaged 3.5 assists per contest in her rookie season as a Lady Vol. However she then transferred to Middle Tennessee State where she has exploded and put up some of the best numbers in the country.
As a sophomore in 2019-20, Anastasia averaged 18.7 points, six rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. She was selected as the Conference USA Newcomer of the Year and was also chosen to the All-Conference First Team. Then, this past season, Anastasia had a monster year, scoring at least 17 points in every game on the way to averaging 26.5 points a contest. She also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Anastasia will try and continue her career's upward trajectory with MSU, where she'll be a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining.
Playing alongside Anastasia at Middle Tennessee this past year was Aislynn. Aislynn was Conference USA's Freshman of the year this past season. She was also selected to the All-Conference Second Team as she averaged 14.1 points a game as well as 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Aislynn has three years of eligibility remaining.
Sisters and Anastasia, left, and Aislynn Hayes, right, have committed to Mississippi State. (Photo by Helen Comer/DNJ, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
While Anastasia and Aislynn were teaming up at Middle Tennessee, Alasia was trying to make a name for herself at Notre Dame. She eventually opted out due to COVID-19 circumstances, but prior to that, made 7-of-18 shots and 12-of-18 free throws over 13 games. Alasia will have four years of eligibility remaining once she arrives at MSU.
Notre Dame s Alasia Hayes (5) drives to the basket during the Wake Forest at Notre Dame game this past January. (Photo by Michael Caterina-USA TODAY NETWORK)
The Hayes sisters join JerKaila Jordan as players to commit to MSU in the last few weeks. Jordan comes from Tulane, where she was the American Athletic Conference's Freshman of the Year.
All the open spots on MSU's roster were made available as now-former Bulldogs Xaria Wiggins, Aliyah Matharu, JaMya Mingo-Young, Yemiyah Morris, Sidney Cooks and Madison Hayes all left the State program.
Thank you for coming to Cowbell Corner for coverage of Mississippi State sports. Be sure to follow Cowbell Corner on Twitter (@SIBulldogs) by clicking here, and like it on Facebook by clicking here.
