Very good spot-up shooter with a solid mid-range game and ability to knock down the triple
Soft touch around the rim
Uses his strength to back down weaker defenders
Great free-throw shooter
Due to a lack of size for Marquette, played a lot of power forward and is more physical than his height and weight would suggest
Doesn't back down from bigger opponents
Solid rebounder with great instincts on the offensive glass
Very coachable and rarely plays outside of his strengths
Weaknesses:
Doesn't have a true position at the next level as he is too small to be a power forward and not quick enough to be a true wing player
A poor ball-handler who too often relies on his jump shot rather than trying to take a defender off the dribble
Tends to be out of control, putting his head down and committing a charge or turning the ball over when driving to the basket
Lacks great lateral quickness which makes him a defensive liability on the perimeter against quicker players
Summary: Hayward has been a solid complementary player at Marquette the past three seasons and his NBA future may depend on how he transitions to the focal point of the Golden Eagles' offense.
Player Comparison: Jared Dudley. Like Dudley, Hayward is a crafty scorer and solid rebounder but not athletically gifted like other NBA wing players.