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O.J. Mayo (Official Thread)

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7/12/05

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TEANECK, N.J. -- One year. That's it. That's all colleges will get from O.J. Mayo.

He said he's 36 months away from the NBA. He has it down to months, not years.

So whichever school is planning on recruiting him, better build a team ready to make a run at a national title -- and have room for two of his friends. One of them, North College Hill (Ohio) High's Bill Walker, may be in the mix for 2008 early entry as well. Who knows … their teammate Keenan Ellis could be, too.

Mayo said the three of them, all rising juniors at the same high school, want to attend the same college. According to Scout.com, it certainly would be as big a windfall as Ohio State got with Lawrence North (Indianapolis) teammates Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. Oden is the top player in the class of 2006 and Conley is in the top 15. Fellow Buckeye commitment and AAU teammate Daequan Cook of Dayton Dunbar High is in the top 10, while David Lighty of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High in Cleveland isn't too far behind Conley.

According to Scout.com, the 6-foot-4 Mayo is the class of 2007's No. 1 player, the 6-5 Walker is rated No. 5 and the 6-10 Ellis is rated No. 11.

"I'm totally open," Mayo said Friday afternoon at the Reebok ABCD Camp. "I'm going to school. Our plan is to go together, most definitely a package deal."

Scout.com lists 14 schools for Mayo, including in-state schools Ohio State and Cincinnati. Mayo declined to give a list, so it's clearly too early to start projecting who could grab him and his teammates.

"Big East, ACC, SEC, Big 12, we've talked about this since sixth grade," Mayo said. "We've talked about me, Bill and Keenan being in the same place."

Mayo would likely be going straight to the NBA if it weren't for the new minimum requirement rule that was agreed to by the NBA and its players' union. The new rule, beginning in 2006, states that a player must be 19 years old in his draft year and one year out of high school to be eligible for the NBA. Mayo would be 19 when he finishes high school but still has to wait a year to go to the draft.

"Money is going to be there regardless if it's this year or next year," Mayo said. "I don't want to become a selfish player and don't want to hold out on [Walker and Ellis] for a couple of dollars. My dream is to go somewhere together and win a national title.

"Thirty-six months. That's how I look at it. I've been waiting since I was a little kid and my dream is to go to the NBA, but I'll be humble and work hard."

Don't think for a second that schools will pass on Mayo and Co., because they're worried about him only being around for one year. Remember Carmelo Anthony? Last time we checked, he won a national title in one year at Syracuse.

Mayo said Anthony went into a good situation with Gerry McNamara (a freshman at the time) and Hakim Warrick (a sophomore) when the Orange won the 2003 title.

So how should schools recruit him? Former Cal coach Todd Bozeman, who was Mayo's coach at ABCD, said schools should recruit him with a backup plan in mind.

There are rumblings of some sneaker company coming through with a major deal for Mayo to allow him to go to the NBDL or prep school or overseas to pass the time before he would become draft eligible. But that doesn't seem to interest Mayo.

The D league?

"I don't know about the D league, I couldn't name two teams," Mayo said. "I saw a few episodes on TV once. I know it's a league of guys trying to make it to the NBA. I don't know anything about the D league. I didn't even know they had an age limit. No one talks about the D league in high school."

Mayo said he has no idea what to expect in his recruitment. He said he should be recruited like anyone else. But he won't be. He has to know that. This is new territory for college coaches. They know if they can grab him and his teammates, if that's really the case, then they could potentially compete nationally. We'll see how the possibility of the one-year Oden run at Ohio State turns out in 2006-07. Mayo's turn will come the following year.


Let the recruitment begin. It should be an entertaining watch, if not one of the most hyped we've seen recently in the sport. We knew LeBron James wasn't going to school. The same was true of Dwight Howard. Now we're back to the big-time recruiting game, even if the players are only staying for a year.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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7/12/05

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Preps talk camps, colleges, NBA

By Christopher Lawlor, USA TODAY
TEANECK, N.J. — The summer high school basketball circuit was in full swing last week as three events — Reebok ABCD Camp, Nike All-America and Adidas Superstar USA — featured the nation's top boys players.
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</TD><TD class=sidebar vAlign=top width=75>Greg Oden, who attended Reebok ABCD camp last week, drives in the Indiana High School All-Star game.</TD><TD rowSpan=2>
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</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=bottom align=left>By Joshua Smith, AP</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Six campers shared their thoughts on issues such as recruiting, the value of summer camps and the NBA age restriction.

Taking part:

• Guard O.J. Mayo, North College Hill (Cincinnati), who was at ABCD.

• Guard Javaris Crittenton, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, Adidas.

• Forward Thaddeus Young, Mitchell (Memphis), Adidas.

• Center Greg Oden, Lawrence North (Indianapolis), ABCD.

• Guard/forward Wayne Ellington, Episcopal Academy (Merion, Pa.), Adidas.

• Guard Tywon Lawson, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Nike.

Q: Is it necessary to attend one of the top camps to get noticed by colleges?

Crittenton: No doubt. Most of the big schools want to see you play against the best competition.

Ellington: Most definitely. Coaches usually find players they never knew about. Personally, it gave me a lot of recognition when I played well at Adidas a year ago.

Lawson: If you plan on attending a top college you better be there. Camps put you in front of the top Division I coaches, and you're competing against the best players.

Mayo: It's good to play against the top players, but in some cases camps can hurt players. Sometimes there's a point guard that likes to shoot first and that takes away from a shooting guard who's suddenly out of rhythm.

Oden: I think so because it gives you a chance to measure yourself against other players your size. Two years ago I attended Nike camp in Indianapolis, and I was scared to death. I didn't know what to expect, but I had good teammates and that gave me confidence.

Young: More so for the unknown players who have all to gain by performing against the best (players). That's where players make a name.

Q: What do you think about the NBA's (recently adopted) age minimum?

Crittenton: It's unfair, but I understand why it's being done. The NBA is guarding against players that are not ready mentally, physically or spiritually. College (he selected Georgia Tech) will make me a better man.

Ellington: There are two views. First, it's sad for the high schoolers that were ready and capable of making the jump. Then there are the NBA veterans that are trying to hold a job.

Lawson: It's unfair because there are some ready for the NBA. The NBA makes rules for good reasons, but I know a few guys who won't attend college. Instead they'll play a year of prep school ball and then declare. Eventually you'll see someone challenge this in court.

Mayo: At least for me it's not unfair because I want to attend school.

Oden: There's no reason to be mad; it's here and not going away. I know some guys don't like it and those are the same ones that don't like school. They'll probably try the prep school route before jumping to the NBA.

Young: It goes both ways. Some are ready and some aren't (for the NBA). What you will see is more players headed to prep schools for a year before declaring for the draft.

Q: If you could change one thing about recruiting, what would it be?

Crittenton: Coaches need more opportunities to call recruits. As it is, coaches aren't allowed to speak that often with players, but given the opportunity the players could get a better feel for the coach and their program.

Ellington: Leave it alone. It's all good.

Lawson: Lengthen the summer live period for coaches. Give them a full month instead of breaking it up in parts. With more time, coaches and players benefit. Selecting a college is a big decision.

Oden: Change the rules regarding (visits). My two official visits, Ohio State and Wake Forest, went great. I was taken to great restaurants and had a chance to meet with the coaches in a real social setting. When I visited North Carolina, Michigan State and Indiana on unofficial visits, it was different. Basically I sat in the coach's office and talked. It just didn't have the same feel as the official ones.

Young: More restrictions on phone calls. There's this one time of the month when all they do is call ... call ... call. It's crazy, non-stop calls.
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scout.com (free)

7/19/05


<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Final ABCD Photo Gallery

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Mike Lyncheski
Date: Jul 18, 2005

O.J. Mayo's declaration that West Virginia is a viable contender for his services has Mountaineer fans dreaming of him in gold and blue. Here's a final look at Mayo at last week's ABCD camp.
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All photos copyright BlueGoldNews.com
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If separated from Walker, who seems to not be welcome at OSU... do you see Mayo as a good choice to bring on board? Obviously he's a world class talent, I just wonder what some of your thoughts are on grades, attitude, and always having new shoes (rumor).
 
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If separated from Walker, who seems to not be welcome at OSU... do you see Mayo as a good choice to bring on board? Obviously he's a world class talent, I just wonder what some of your thoughts are on grades, attitude, and always having new shoes (rumor).
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Well, if he decided to not go to the same school as Walker, it would be hard not to recruit him just based on his talent. By all accounts he is a team player and if you have ever seen him play, he does a great job of getting his teammates involved in the game. Off the court, no real issues. BUT...I don't think he would be the right fit at OSU considering who will be on the team when he would arrive. I just don't think he would fit in with the group of kids that Matta has coming.

I still don't think we will ever see him in college and I am not even going to touch the "new shoes" issue.
 
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Scout $

7/24/05

By Frank Burlison...Mayo ended his game on Saturday night by throwing a game-winning alley-oop to Walker. Mayo has been struggling with his jumper and is settling for the jump shot much too often.
 
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7/26/05


Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">
NBA took pressure off Oden, Mayo

By Nick Christensen <[email protected]>
[size=-2]LAS VEGAS SUN[/size]


This time last year, Greg Oden, who had just finished his sophomore year of high school, was still fielding questions about the NBA, listening to offers from colleges and showing off why both were interested.

Then last month, his decision on what to do next year got a lot easier.

The NBA and its players association approved a new collective bargaining agreement in June that, among other things, set a minimum age for the NBA at 19.

That means high schoolers like Oden, no matter how much talent they have, will spend a year in college unless they're a year older than the rest of their graduating class.

And so far for Oden and rising junior O.J. Mayo, that's just fine.

"I really didn't worry about the (pros) because I was only a junior," Oden said. "I was just worried about my senior year of high school, finishing school and getting good grades."

Oden averaged 10 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in three pool play games at the Big Time basketball tournament. His Spiece Indy Heat team handily defeated teams from Washington and Philadelphia, and are likely to play at 7:40 tonight at Basic.

Spiece coach Michael Conley said he thinks Oden's decision to play college basketball was made long ago.

"In Greg's mind he was going to college," Conley said. "He told everybody that. People probably still don't believe it. The NBA thing, it took a little pressure off him. You've got people saying it's not very smart to pass up that much money and go to college. He had to deal with people saying that. Now he doesn't have to worry about that."

Conley said Oden was keenly aware that the competition he so dominates at tournaments like the Big Time is no indication of what he'd face if he went straight to the pros.

"He's not ready go to the next level at the way he wants to play at," Conley said. "He made a quote that I think said it all. He said, 'Number 1, when I go to the league I want everybody to know why that guy was drafted high. And Number 2, I want to try and be the rookie of the year,' and he feels he still needs to improve his game to do that."

Oden said the closure of the NBA option hasn't had any impact on his game.

"You come out and play every game and try not to bring stuff off the court onto the court," he said.

Mayo, who has drawn comparisons to LeBron James, said the CBA rules on players' minimum ages is nothing but a positive.

"Before the decision, there were a lot of questions of what my decision was going to be," Mayo said. "Right now I just want to go - I have to go to college. It's totally made it easier."

Mayo continues to attract the interest of the biggest names in college basketball, and justifiably so. His 25.3 points per game is tops in the Big Time's Elite Eight, and he's 10th in rebounding at 7.33. He also had eight steals in the Greyhounds' three pool play games.

The Greyhounds are probable to play at 5 p.m. today at Basic.

While coaches still salivate over the prospect of Mayo attending their school for a year, Oden's decision is made.

He, along with teammates Daequan Cook and Conley's son, also named Michael, have all committed to Ohio State. "When you know the guys you're going to play (in) college with, that's a great bonus," Oden said. "Usually guys going in, they only know the players from their visits. I've known these guys since eighth grade, I've known Mike longer. Knowing I'm going to be playing with them, chilling with them, rooming with them and becoming a young man with them is a great feeling." </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 
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7/27/05

HENDERSON, Nev. - The Cincinnati-based D1 Greyhounds were part of history against a familiar opponent Tuesday night.

They just wished the outcome were different.

The Greyhounds surrendered a seven-point halftime lead in a 73-67 loss to the defending champion Spiece Indy Heat in the open division championship game of the Reebok Big Time Tournament at Foothill High School.

The Heat is the only team to win consecutive tournament titles, something Greyhounds and North College Hill guard O.J. Mayo hoped his squad could do one day.

"We have an opportunity to win it two years in a row, this year and next year so it's real important to us," Mayo said earlier this week.

Mayo led the Greyhounds with 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while Bill Walker added 16. In nine games Mayo averaged 22 points, 17th best in the tournament.

Greg Oden was named tournament MVP and grabbed two key rebounds in the final two minutes of the game helping the Heat to its second victory against the Greyhounds in the tournament.

Oden, one of three Heat players committed to attend Ohio State in the fall of 2006, made four free throws after getting fouled twice while grabbing the rebounds giving Spiece a 70-63 lead the Greyhounds couldn't overcome.

Oden, who also had eight blocks, and guard Eric Gordon had 18 points each followed by Mike Conley with 15.

"It just came down to who could make the most plays," said Walker. "We wanted to win.

"It's disappointing to lose, but to lose to a team like that one with so many good players is saying something. Our games are competitive because we know each other very well and it's a good rivalry."

The Greyhounds served notice that they will be a favorite here next year when they plan on competing in the event again.

After an 0-2 start in pool play with losses to the Heat and the Southern California All-Stars they got better with each game as evidenced by impressive performances in the quarterfinal and semifinal games played earlier Tuesday.

"We're just playing hard and defending better," Greyhounds center Keenan Ellis said after a 79-63 win against the Oakland Soldiers in the quarterfinals. "We just try to change a lot of shots.

"We want to make it difficult for people to score."

Although the Greyhounds are known for their ability to score with high-flyers such as Mayo and Walker, the defensive effort of the 6-foot-11 Ellis, who will be a junior at North College Hill, Walker and 6-8 Alex Tyus in the paint made a difference throughout the week.

Playing three games in one day leading up to the championship didn't bother the Greyhounds, according to Walker, who hopes he will one day be able to watch a film of what turned out to be a well-played championship between two powerhouses.

"It was a great game," Walker said. "It was probably a great game to watch as a fan.

"I'm sure one day I'll be able to sit down and enjoy it."
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