Alasia Hayes of Riverdale commits to Notre Dame basketball

It didn't take long for Riverdale basketball standout Alasia Hayes to realize Notre Dame was the place for her.

A visit to Notre Dame's campus over the weekend sold the Lady Warriors senior, who committed to the Fighting Irish on Monday evening.

"(The campus) was gorgeous," said Hayes, who also considered Michigan, North Carolina State, Rutgers and MTSU in her final five. "Everything was amazing. Mainly, the education and the school (were factors). The resources and everything was great. There were no negatives, really.

Hayes also said the idea of playing for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw was a big reason for her decision. McGraw has more than 900 career victories, including 835 at Notre Dame (1987-present), where she led the Irish to the 2018 national championship.

"Playing for Coach McGraw would be a huge experience for me," Hayes said. "She's obviously a great coach. I feel like she would push me to be my best."

Hayes, a first-team all-area selection last season, averaged 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in leading Riverdale to the Class AAA state semifinals. 

The 5-foot-7 versatile guard is listed as the No. 44 player in the nation (14th at her position) in the 2020 class by ESPN. She was named all-state by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association and second-team All-Tennessee by USA Today after her junior season.

McGraw and assistants Beth Cunningham and Michaela Mabrey visited Hayes and her family in Murfreesboro more than two weeks ago.

Hayes had previously visited Michigan and had visits scheduled to N.C. State and MTSU in October. She also had offers from SEC schools Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Florida, along with Indiana, Old Dominion and Minnesota.

Hayes' older sisters, Anastasia and Aislynn, play at MTSU.

"Me and my sisters are like best friends, but I just kinda wanted to start a new chapter for myself," Alasia Hayes said. "I've been familiar with the area and played with them my whole life. I just wanted something new. They did encourage that for me. They're both so happy for me."

All that's left for Hayes now is her upcoming season at Riverdale, where she will play alongside younger sister Acacia, who is expected to miss a majority of the season with a knee injury.

Alasia Hayes was part of back-to-back Class AAA state championships at Riverdale in 2017-18.

"I'm so excited," she said. "I'm ready to win another state championship."

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

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