The waiting game in the NBA draft process has been hanging over Wisconsin Badgers fans' heads since Nigel Hayes decided to test the process and enter his name as eligible. While he did have impressive moments at the combine, the consensus among draft watchers was that Hayes needed to return to Madison for his senior season.

That said, with the deadline for a decision coming on Wednesday, we were coming down to the last minute. Alas, Wisconsin fans can finally breathe easily -- Hayes will be back for his senior season. The decision was first reported by the Wisconsin State Journal's Jim Polzin and later confirmed by Hayes's mother on Tuesday evening.

It was a longer process than expected, as the teams that had Hayes in for workouts were telling him that he was ready for the league right now, and while the NBA promise of being draftable does tend to be a risk if the consensus among the watchers saw a fringe second-round prospect, it did allow Hayes to continue having workouts. For Hayes, it was a proper usage of the draft process.

For Wisconsin, the expectations for 2016-17 are now sky-high. Hayes's return means the Badgers' entire rotation that was a bad minute away from getting to the Elite Eight is back and a favorite for the Big Ten championship. If Hayes can return to the efficiency of his sophomore shooting form, there's a chance for another season where the Badgers play a game or two in April.

Wisconsin officially confirmed Hayes's return Tuesday night. Here's the official release: