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If Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Arizona or West Virginia win the NCAA Tournament, Jazz rookie Gordon Hayward will be buying a lot of sandwiches.
In a promotion for Subway, Hayward has agreed to purchase and hand out 5,555 meatball-pepperoni subs if any of the No. 5 seeds win the national championship.
A year ago, Hayward led fifth-seeded Butler into the championship game against Duke, where the Bulldogs lost, 61-59.
"As a five-seed last year, we were close to winning it," Hayward said before the Jazz practiced on Tuesday.
"… So this year, Subway and I are throwing our support behind the No. 5 seeds in the tournament."
Butler beat Kansas State in last year's Elite Eight, 63-56. The game was played at EnergySolutions Arena.
For that reason, perhaps, Hayward believes star guard Jacob Pullen and the Wildcats can win the national championship.
Favorable review
Jazz rookie Derrick Favors made his first start since being acquired from New Jersey in Monday's 112-107 overtime win over Philadelphia.
Favors finished with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.
"I thought he did pretty good," coach Tyrone Corbin said. "He did a good job defensively. He ran the floor pretty good, for the most part. He executed the offense decently. … He's coming along."
How short-handed?
Memo Okur won't play in Wednesday night's game against Minnesota because of a back injury, but the Jazz's manpower situation could be vastly improved.
Corbin had only 10 players available against Philadelphia, and point guard Devin Harris left late in the fourth quarter with a strained hamstring.
Harris practiced Tuesday, however, and his availability Wednesday will be a game-time decision.
"It's not too bad," Haris said after the Jazz beat the Sixers. "Not as bad as I thought."
Paul Millsap, Ronnie Price, Raja Bell and Hayward will also be game-time decisions against Minnesota.
Millsap has missed the last four games with a sore knee, while Price hasn't played since Feb. 26 because of a toe injury.
Hayward did not play against Philadelphia because of a sore foot, but X-rays and a bone scan were negative.