Junior-college forward Mike Hayes chose Connecticut over Xavier on Wednesday, ending a bizarre recruiting saga.

        The Hartford, Conn., native had signed a letter of intent last weekend to come to Xavier, but his mother, Danyell Hayes-Lewis, asked him to visit the hometown Huskies before she co-signed his papers with XU.

        “Coach (Jim) Calhoun told me stuff I needed to hear,” Hayes said. “He told me they could really use my rebounding skills and if I worked hard there was a chance to get some good playing time.”

        The final signing period for binding letters of intent ended Tuesday. Hayes signed an “institutional letter,” which does not bind him to UConn but binds the school to its scholarship offer to him.

        Hayes averaged 13.7 points and 11.4 rebounds this season at Cowley County (Kan.) Community College. He committed to XU on April 17 but re-opened his recruitment after coach Skip Prosser left.

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