A member of one of the most famous St. Bonaventure basketball teams in school history, Hayes joins the Hall of Fame during the program's Centennial Season. The Niagara Falls native was a key part of Bona's "Ironman Five," a starting lineup that hardly ever checked out of the game during an unforgettable 1967-68 campaign that saw the Brown and White finish a perfect 22-0 during the regular season. The squad added a 23rd consecutive victory with an NCAA Tournament win over Boston College to rise to a No. 3 ranking in the national polls.
The third-leading scorer on that team, Hayes shot better than 53 percent from the floor and averaged 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds that year, behind only Bob Lanier and Bill Butler in both categories. That junior campaign came as a massive bounce back season for Hayes after suffering a devastating knee injury as his sophomore season began. Prior to his injury, Hayes was seen as one of the best prospects in program history – including the legendary Lanier. In his freshman year, Hayes led all freshmen nationwide in scoring with 34.7 points per contest, edging out Lew Alcindor for the national lead.
With his induction, Hayes becomes the final member of the Ironman Five to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, joining Butler, Lanier, Jim Satalin and Bill Kalbaugh.
Legendary Bonaventure head coach Larry Weise said of Hayes following his career, "As a freshman, nobody on the varsity team could stop him. If he hadn't gotten hurt, he would have been right up there with Tom Stith and Bob Lanier as Bonaventure's best players."
Hayes graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1969 with a degree in business management.
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John Hayes is seen with Hall of Fame teammates Bill Butler and Bob Lanier on the bench near the end of a Reilly Center victory during the team's undefeated 1967-68 regular season
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Hayes meets with fans in downtown Olean at a celebration parade following a 1968 NCAA Tournament victory
