Women's Hoops Signs Top-100 Players in Hayes and Gaston for 2020 Class

STARKVILLE – Once again, Vic Schaefer and the Mississippi State women's basketball team found success on the recruiting trail, signing one of the nation's top classes for 2020.

The reigning espnW National Coach of the Year and his staff – Johnnie Harris, the 2018 WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year, Dionnah Jackson-Durrett and Elena Lovato, opened the early signing period by inking a pair of top-100 players.

Mississippi State landed just the fourth top-30 player in program history in Tennessee's Madison Hayes, who could potentially be State's second-ever McDonald's All-American signee. The Bulldog staff rounded out the class with DeYona Gaston out of Texas. After being one of the highest rated recruits in the class early on before injuries set her back, she had a strong junior year and is looking to prove that she is one of the best players in the country this season.

"I am so excited about the two young ladies we have added to our program and their families," said Schaefer. "I am excited about adding Madison and DeYona. I am excited about their quality and character as well as their skill set. We are so blessed. You talk about two kids that are competitive. Both of those young ladies just jump at me and jump at you when you watch them play. We are just so, so fortunate to be getting and adding those two to our Mississippi State Bulldog Family.

"I certainly think we addressed a couple of needs. Both of these kids are basketball players with two big wings. DeYona is probably going to play the four her first couple of years here. Defensively, you can cause so many problems with people. These kids can score. We have absolutely made our team better, and we have enhanced our community with two great kids."

Madison Hayes – Guard, 6-0, Chattanooga, Tenn. (East Hamilton High School)

Rated as the No. 29 player in the country by espnW, Madison Hayes is the third top-30 prospect to sign with Mississippi State during the last two classes. The 2019 USA Today Tennessee Player of the Year is rated as a five star and is the No. 7 guard in the Class of 2020.

Hayes joined current Bulldog Rickea Jackson in Mongolia this past summer, representing Team USA in the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup. The squad brought home the gold medal and posted a perfect 7-0 record. Hayes finished with 21 points for the event, which ranked 22nd among all competitors in the 20-team field.

"Madison has a lot of everything," said Schaefer. "She is tough and competitive. She is an offensive player. She was with Rickea this summer on the world championship team. She will stick her nose in there and take a charge and battle for rebounds on the floor and loose balls. She is incredibly talented and competitive."

Hayes, who was named the 2019 Tennessee Class 3A Miss Basketball, earned a spot on the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List and the USA Today All-USA Preseason Team for the 2019-20 season. As a junior, she averaged 25.2 ppg, 12.2 rpg and 4.0 spg in helping her team to a district championship and received All-Tennessee first team honors by USA Today.

"I chose Mississippi State because it felt like home to me when I went there," said Hayes. "Their basketball team is great for me. It felt like a family that I could bond with throughout my four years there, and I can get the best coaching from the staff in order to get where I want to go. My style of play is getting up and down the floor, pushing the ball. I am aggressive on the boards and defense. I feel like my defense is what got me this opportunity, and I feel like my offense is getting better and better every year. I feel like I have all the tools but know I can get better, so I'm excited to get to college so the staff can teach me what I need to know."

Going into her final season, the 2019 Class AAA Miss Tennessee Basketball winner has amassed 2,229 points, 1,220 rebounds, 353 assists, 367 steals and 178 blocks during her three-year prep career.

DeYona Gaston – Forward, 6-2, Pearland, Texas (Pearland High School)

DeYona Gaston, a four-star power forward, enters her senior season rated 95th nationally and 21st at her position by espnW.

"I think DeYona had 28 last night in her game," said Schaefer. "She was at one time rated number one in her class in high school as a freshman. She's had a few little nicks and injuries the last couple of years, but I think she is back. She is going to be everything that we thought she was going to be as a freshman. I can remember watching and following her for a long, long time."

Gaston was one of the most highly-touted players in the 2020 class early on. As a freshman at Pearland High School in Texas, she averaged a double-double with 17.5 ppg and 11.3 rpg to go along with 3.0 bpg and 2.0 spg. However, she missed all of her sophomore season due to injuries, dropping her in the rankings.

Ranked as the No. 36 on Prospect Nation, Gaston proved she was still one of the best players in the country, posting 18.1 ppg on 52 percent shooting as a junior in 2018-19. She also averaged 9.5 rpg and 1.9 bpg. In two seasons, she's totaled 926 points, 542 rebounds, 128 blocks, 92 steals and 58 assists.

With the hopes of putting together an impressive senior year, Gaston is coming off a campaign where she claimed TGCA 6A District Player of the Year as well as the Defensive Player of the Year honors en route to earning a spot on the All-State team.

Mississippi State University Athletics