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O.J. Mayo (Official Thread)

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Cincy

Shooting star came with lot of hype
Left with even more

BY RYAN ERNST | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

In Cincinnati high school sports lore, O.J. Mayo probably will be remembered more as a phenomenon than as a basketball player. But when you peel away the layers of controversy and extensive media coverage of the past three years, you'll find a flashy yet fundamentally sound player whom those in prep basketball circles consider one of the city's all-time best.
"I think he has superstar written all over him, if he wants it bad enough," said HoopScoop editor and publisher Clark Francis. "He's a tremendous talent."
Mayo, largely regarded as the top player in the class of 2008, played for three seasons at North College Hill before transferring to Huntington (W.Va.) High School earlier this year. The 6-foot-4 point guard was a two-time Ohio Mr. Basketball who averaged 28.6 points last season.
And with that kind of talent came a lot of attention.
As a middle schooler, he had his own Web site. In April 2003, when Mayo transferred from Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky., to North College Hill, the story made front-page headlines in The Enquirer for a solid week, and USA Today and ESPN also reported on it. His recent transfer also made national headlines. Mayo, a top recruit for both colleges and shoe companies, signed autographs after most games.
An "O.J. Mayo" search on Google retrieves 122,000 hits. A similar search on online auction site eBay retrieves tens of hits, including an auction accepting bids for a replica NCH jersey emblazoned with Mayo's name and No. 32.
"He's the biggest draw of any (high school) player since LeBron James," Francis said.
And like James, Mayo backed up the hype on the court.
As a freshman he led the Trojans to a 21-1 record. He also led the city in scoring with 30.9 points per game and averaged 8.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 5.2 steals. As a sophomore he teamed with boyhood friend Bill Walker to lead NCH to its first of two Division III state titles. The following year, NCH faced a beefed-up national schedule and finished the season ranked third in the country in the USA Today Super 25 rankings.
Scout.com called him "one of the most unselfish stars in years. He passes the ball like an advanced player, shoots it deep, and there's no way to stop him off the drive in high school. Big-time competitor who consistently wins, meets challenges and sets the bar for kids in his class."
Despite the all-city, all-state and All-American accolades Mayo earned at NCH, his biggest stage was the national Amateur Athletic Union circuit.
"He dominated year-round," said local AAU guru Ozie Davis.
"Whenever there was a question about who he played in high school, it was always answered in the summer. He dominated at every level. His AAU team was extraordinary. It was a pleasure to see. On the AAU circuit, they'd sneak through the back door to see him play."
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akronbuck;662610; said:
wow 29. :biggrin: Now I understand how he dealt with the media and it was always reported very negative about him.
HE WAS TO BUSY LAUGHING AT HOW STUPID they were. 29 and godly gifted athlete.. Must be nice.
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Have we finally met the good looking woman who cooks and cleans? I would have thought 19 rather than 29, but I am in no position to call out Mr. Mayo, as I know no different. Smart kid, unbelievable if true. I have some friends who would benefit from being either tall or smart, and have neither. What a combo.
 
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Dispatch

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
In West Virginia, Mayo a slam dunk in his debut
Thursday, December 14, 2006
John Raby
ASSOCIATED PRESS
20061214-Pc-C2-0800.jpg
O.J. Mayo played at North College Hill last season but is now at Huntington, W.Va.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. ? The 2,000-seat gym was packed and the noise was earsplitting Tuesday night for a high school season opener perhaps like few others ever in West Virginia ? O.J. Mayo?s debut at Huntington High School.
Mayo, ranked by several publications as the nation?s top senior, turned two-time defending Class AAA champion Huntington into an instant national contender when he transferred to his hometown in September from North College Hill, where he was twice Ohio?s Mr. Basketball.
A 6-foot-5 guard, Mayo hit a three-pointer from the corner seven seconds into Huntington?s game with Nitro at the University of Charleston, and the onslaught never stopped.
"It was a whole lot of fun," Mayo said.
In a span of a little more than a minute, he dunked, made a three-pointer and scored on a finger roll in the lane. He scored 31 points and had nine assists in Huntington?s 94-46 win.
"I thought he played very unselfish, blended in well with the team and played good defense," Huntington coach Lloyd McGuffin said.
Adding Mayo, who led North College Hill to two state championships and in November signed a national letter-ofintent with Southern California, was a huge bonus. But McGuffin said his other players weren?t letting the hype go to their heads.
"Those guys are used to getting a lot of attention and they?ve done a good job of handling it," McGuffin said. "They?ve already played under a lot of pressure games before. It?s not anything new."
Huntington?s starting five also includes center Patrick Patterson, the returning state player of the year; and fellow seniors Chris Early, Jamaal Williams and Mike Taylor. Early, a 6-6 guard, signed in November to play at Oklahoma.
"I?m not here to put up 100 points," Mayo said. "If I have an opportunity to finish a play, finish the play. I can use myself as a decoy and be happy scoring zero points and still win the ballgame."
 
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Link

'Born leader' holds court

Mayo makes W.Va.'s Huntington a national power
By John Raby
Associated Press
Originally published December 31, 2006

CHARLESTON, W.Va. // O.J. Mayo left West Virginia five years ago to elevate his game. The stage he wanted for his senior year of high school, it turns out, was back home. The 6-foot-5 prep star has been reunited with childhood friends at Huntington High. Just as he did at his previous stop in Ohio, he has helped turn a school into a national contender.

Continued.....
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http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070128/SPORTS02/701280374/1002/SPORTS

likely will not play tuesday at duke.

six players from his team were ejected for leaving the bench area.

Mayo received the first technical foul for taunting Capital player Tyrone Goard after a breakaway dunk that gave Huntington a 61-43 lead with 5:15 left in the game. Mayo did not react to the call and walked to the opposite end of the court but was followed by Capital players. A verbal confrontation escalated between Mayo and Capital players before Lazo assessed the second technical foul to Mayo but none to a Capital player. After the second technical foul, Mayo followed Lazo to the scorer's table to object. When the referee stopped, Mayo bumped into him from behind, and then Lazo fell to the ground
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