East Hampton - He started as a bench player, then became a solid starter in the paint, and eventually transformed into one of the best players in Suffolk County. East Hampton hoops star Hayden Ward took his next step in the process when he officially committed to join the SUNY-Oswego men's basketball team next winter.

The 6-foot-5 pivot averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Bonackers, who won their second consecutive Suffolk and Long Island championships before bowing to Peekskill in the state semifinals. Last month, Ward was named to the Small Schools All-County team along with teammate Jerome Russell, also earning All-Conference and All-League distinctions.

Hayden Ward led the Bonackers to a 23-3 mark and a second straight appearance in the Class A state final four.

East Hampton's Hayden Ward subbed in as a sophomore and a complementary starter as a junior, but developed into a double-double threat on a nightly basis as a senior.

Ward chose the Lakers over SUNY Oneonta and Plymouth State (N.H.). "The guys are really nice at Oswego and it was really fun to hang out with them," Ward said. "I liked the coaching staff a lot. Besides that, the biggest reason I went there is because academically I felt it was the strongest one for what I want to do."

Ward was recruited in part by Lakers Head Coach Kevin Broderick, but Broderick departed earlier this month to coach his alma mater, Nazareth. The school has not named a replacement, but the school's assistants coaxed Ward to keep his initial commitment.

"[When the coach left], I really had no idea where I would go because I didn't feel the need for a No. 2 college because I was really focused on going to Oswego. I had to go back and really think things over and after it all I still came out with Oswego."

Last year, Oswego State posted a record of 16-11 as a member of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). The Lakers' conference record of 11-5 gave them a share of the regular season title and the No. 2 seed in the SUNYAC tournament. They were knocked off by third-seeded Buffalo State in the tourney semifinals.

The Lakers will graduate their top two scorers (Kyle Reuter, Tommy Downing) but otherwise return the core of its rotation. Ward has been informed that he'll play either of the forward positions. Particularly with the small forward position, the adjustment could be difficult.

"I told him he needs to work on his ability to put the ball on the floor, to get around people on his own with the dribble," East Hampton Head Coach Ed Petrie said. "He has a good perimeter shot. The way he's improved each year, I don't see him having any problem."

"I work on my shooting more over the break," Ward added. "Whatever they want me to do I'll do."

Bonac's Hayden Ward averaged better than 20 points and 10 rebounds to establish himself as one of the county's best big men this season.

"That's just what Ward did for Petrie at East Hampton. He was brought up as a sophomore, and in the early stages of the 2006-07 season, Petrie considered sending him back down to the junior varsity squad for seasoning. Instead, he kept Ward up, and he began to blossom as a reserve player. As a junior, he entered the starting lineup and fully transformed into a nightly double-double threat. He posted 15 points and 10 rebounds in East Hampton's rout of Jericho in the 2008 Long Island title game, and then his nine points and 20 rebounds helped the Bonackers beat Buffalo East to reach the state title game.

Ward established himself as one of the county's premier players, despite knee surgery that wiped out his final season as a volleyball player. He announced his presence in the paint with an 18-point, 14-rebound night against Greenport in Bonac's season opener. The numbers only increased from there. He hit 30 for the first time in his career on Dec. 18. Ward really picked up his production in the playoffs, tallying 33 points and 19 boards in the playoff opener against Comsewogue. In beating North Babylon for the overall county title, Ward put together a monstrous 33-point, 18-rebound effort, and in doing so broke the 1,000-point barrier for his career.

I always thought that I could play with some of the better people," Ward said. "It just took a little bit of time just growing up. I think I got a little bit bigger, lost some weight, got faster, and gained more muscle. It was more just a confidence thing, especially after my junior year with Mikey [Russell] and Marcus [Edwards] gone. Coach really worked with me on my shooting a lot and told me he thought I could be one of the top players with Jerome. Once I got my confidence going, it made things a lot easier."

Before he embarks on a new journey upstate, he reflected on an excellent three-year career on the varsity squad, particularly this past season when he and the team flourished.

"We had a great bunch of guys this year, with me and Jerome being the leaders," Ward said. "I was surprised with Tyler Brenneman coming up, Sam Hyman gave us a boost, and Jarred [Bowe] was big defensively. A lot of people didn't think we were going to do that well and didn't think we'd win Class A without Mikey and Marcus. Jerome and I knew we were going to be good this year. We accomplished most of our goals except for one; we did just about everything we set out to do."