Kevarrius Hayes, Zalgiris’ basketball player, spoke with Basketball Sphere ahead of the game against Partizan.
After spending four years with the Florida Gators, Kevvarius Hayes was not selected in the NBA draft, prompting him to start career in Europe. His first professional club was Cantu, and after just one season, he moved to Asvel. With that team, he won the LNB Pro A and the French Cup before signing with Bursaspor.
At that time, Bursaspor’s head coach was the Serbian expert Dusan Alimpijevic. In the 2020/2021 season, they made a historic achievement by reaching the EuroCup final after shocking Partizan in Belgrade earlier in the Round of 16. Hayes shared with us that preparations for that game was different than usual.
Games against Partizan are not unknown for Hayes, as last season wearing Zalgiris jersey, he played two more matches against the Belgrade black and whites. The American center spoke to Basketball Sphere about the love of the Lithuanians for basketball, the fans, and his teammate who stays with him to work individually after practices.
About Zalgiris’ season so far and Partizan as the next opponent
Zalgiris was one of the eight participants in the EuroLeague quarterfinals last season. Head coach Kazys Maksvytis demonstrated that his system of maximizing available resources produces results. However, at the beginning of the new season, the club from Kaunas is not shining, as evidenced by their current record (5-8).
“Honestly, I am not satisfied at all. Last season, we were able to win in close finishes, and now we have slipped in several such games. We need to find a way to get back on that winning path. We can also say that in some moments, we were unlucky, but it is up to us to create things in a way that leads to wins,” said Kevarrius Hayes. He then commented on Partizan as the next opponent:
“A very quality and strong team that should never be underestimated. We played against them last season when Keenan Evans got injured. Partizan is now in a situation where, due to some injured players, they found a way to come together as a team and become even more dangerous. It is up to us to face them and give our maximum.”
Parallel about Belgrade clubs – Partizan and Crvena Zvezda
Zalgiris already played against one Belgrade club this season in the EuroLeague. They defeated Crvena Zvezda at home in the second round by 79:74. Kevarrius Hayes had an impact in that game, scoring eight points without a missed shot (4/4), along with five rebounds and four blocks.
“For Partizan, I can say that they are big on the court, just like in the previous seasons, and it’s challenging to defend them. The same goes for Crvena Zvezda, and we were prepared for that during the game against them. It was crucial that we controlled the rebounds on both ends of the court. I can say that defense is always key against teams like Partizan and Crvena Zvezda.”
When we talk about Belgrade clubs, it’s impossible not to mention their fans. The “Stark Arena” is consistently sold out, and the same can be said for the “Zalgirio Arena. ” The mentioned gym in Kaunas is always filled to capacity and represents one of the toughest away venues for all opponents in the EuroLeague.
“Our fans provide the best support in such a way that sometimes, after a hard week when we are tired, if motivation is lacking, their energy from the stands transfers some of it to us. When we feel how much they love the game, support us, and come to the games, even when we don’t play well, it’s great to know they are there. They support us, and it’s a great pleasure to play in a country with a basketball culture and tradition like Lithuania.”
“We wondered what was happening when we stepped onto the training court…”
While playing for Bursaspor, Kevarrius Hayes experienced a preparation for a game like never before in his career, and it’s very likely that such a thing will not happen again. At that time, Bursaspor’s head coach, Dusan Alimpijevic, during the practice for the EuroCup Round of 16 game against Partizan, played deafening noise of Black and White fans through the speakers to prepare the team for what awaited them in Belgrade.
“(Laughs) We wondered what was happening when we stepped onto the training court, and that loud music was coming from the speakers. We looked at each other and said, ‘Okay, it looks like we’ll be practicing in this environment.’
We knew what awaited us at the Stark Arena and what kind of atmosphere Partizan’s fans create. We wanted to be fully prepared for that ambiance. There was a huge noise during the practices, fan songs were playing from the speakers, and on the court, we communicated quite loudly. Even though it was a long time ago, I can say that it prepared us excellently, especially in communication on the court. It significantly improved our defense and communication.” – described with a smile by Zalgiris basketball player.
“We were simply on the same wavelength…”
Dusan Alimpijevic is one of the most talented Serbian coaches of the new generation, and we were curious about what it was like to collaborate with him. In the meantime, Kevarrius Hayes moved to Zalgiris, and coach Alimpijevic left Bursaspor and is currently working as the head coach of Besiktas, achieving notable results.
“I didn’t have much time to watch many Besiktas games. I followed only a few matches and saw that he continued to do well in his new team. I highly appreciate him as a coach. He communicated with the players daily, often between two training sessions. He knew exactly what he wanted from me, how to do certain things on the court because he believed I was capable of it.
He was always available, and we built a phenomenal relationship as a team with coach Alimpijevic. He held individual talks in his office with each of us. We were simply on the same wavelength. Every day he was maximally focused on basketball, quite direct in his relationship with players, and I can say that he is an extremely brilliant expert.” – Kevarrius Hayes didn’t spare words of praise.
EuroCup vs EuroLeague
Considering that the American center has played in two of the most prestigious European club basketball competitions, we dedicated part of the conversation to the primary differences between the EuroLeague and the EuroCup:
“There is a big difference between the EuroCup and the EuroLeague, even though both competitions have a lot of games during the season. However, the EuroLeague is the highest level possible in Europe, and you have to approach every opponent with 100%.
A crucial aspect is also the refereeing criteria. In the EuroLeague, much more physical contact is allowed, and it often happens that they allow intense competition, especially in the low post, with a high level of physicality.”
Rolands Smits in the mentor role
Even though he has had the opportunity to play with many players in his career so far, Kevarrius Hayes highlighted an individual from Zalgiris with whom he works daily, even after practice, to further improve elements of his game.
“It would be hard for me to single out just one name or person. When it comes to Zalgiris, I would say that veteran Rolands Smits has helped me a lot in reading situations on the court, determining the best position for me at a given moment, shifting the defense, and other elements of playing the center position. Rolands is a good low-post player, and we work a lot on that aspect of the game together, often playing one-on-one in practice. He taught me to be more patient in those situations.
Also, I talk a lot with Keenan Evans. I try to maximize his playing qualities because the connection between the point guard and the center is crucial. We work on where to position myself when I open up from a short roll, when he wants to lob me a pass, and even in simple two-on-two game situations. We understand each other well on the court, and I can say he has helped me a lot too. These are all elements that affect confidence and belief in one’s abilities to become a better player.
As for the elements in my game that I think I can upgrade, it’s definitely shooting because I score a lot of points with dunks after offensive rebounds. It’s effective, but I want to improve my mid-range shot because I think there’s a lot of room for improvement there. I can consider myself a good defender. I can defend all positions from one to five. I just want to be more consistent and efficient on the court in every sense.”
Switch defense as the biggest challenge
As established earlier in our conversation, Kevarrius Hayes belongs to the category of players that every coach loves to have on their team. He approaches both offensive and defensive assignments with maximum effort. Due to his ability to defend opposing guards during switches on defense, he identified two names as the biggest challenge in his EuroLeague career so far.
“I would highlight two names, and those are Mike James and Shane Larkin. They are very good players, capable of forcing switches to have a big man defend them one-on-one. Finding an adequate way to defend against James and Larkin is the most challenging. I’ve played against both several times. What I do in those moments is make a maximum effort to make their shots difficult.” – concluded Zalgiris center Kevarrius Hayes at the end of the interview with Basketball Sphere.
