Jarvis Hayes
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“I remember being up like 32-17, and then SIU came back and won,” said Hayes, watching his alma mater in Pistons sweats from a courtside seat. “The emotion was amazing. There is nothing like playing in the NCAA tournament.”\
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Hayes’ ‘02 squad was the last UGA team to qualify for the NCAAs, but since Georgia was forced to forfeit all its records during the scandal-tainted Jim Harrick era, Hayes’ team — which defeated Murray State in the opening round before falling to Bruce Weber’s upstart Salukis — technically doesn’t exist.\
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Don’t tell that to Hayes, who scored 57 points over the two games.\
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“It’s been six years since we’ve been here, and it feels good,” said Hayes, who lists Sundiata Gaines as his favorite player on the Georgia roster. “There is a sense that we are back where we belong.”\
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— Harlan Goode
