[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

4/28/06

Mayo rejoins AAU team
Will play with Greyhounds in Akron tourney

BY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->For North College Hill basketball standout O.J. Mayo, life should regain some normalcy this weekend - at least as much normalcy as there can be for a player rated the top high school junior in the country by many Web sites.

At 7:20 p.m. today, Mayo is expected to rejoin the D-I Greyhounds AAU team in Akron for a basketball tournament game that will feature the top three ranked players in the nation in the class of 2007.

Just last weekend, Mayo caused commotion on the summer basketball circuit when he briefly parted with the locally based Greyhounds, a Reebok-funded team, to play for the Nike-sponsored Miami Tropics in a tournament in Houston. He also visited Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, where he is considering transferring for next season. Speculation about Mayo's future increased earlier this week when news leaked that he had been suspended from NCH for fighting.

"All O.J. did was play for another team last weekend," said Sonny Vaccaro, Reebok's director of grassroots basketball and a confidant of Mayo's. "People are getting too worked up about it. It was just one tournament in April."

Tonight though, Mayo and NCH teammate Bill Walker, the No. 2 player in the class of 2007 in Rivals.com's rankings, are expected to lead the Greyhounds against DC Assault in the King James Shooting Stars Classic.

The Assault feature Michael Beasley, the third-ranked player in the junior class by Rivals.com.

Tournament director Dru Joyce was glad to see Mayo resume playing with the Greyhounds because the Tropics aren't playing in Akron this weekend.

"O.J., he's one of the most highly recognized players in the country," Joyce said. "People are attracted to him. They want to see him play, and the best teams want to play against him."

In Houston, Mayo publicly said he would rejoin the Greyhounds this weekend.

"I could see him coming back with us and playing in the Peach Jam in July," said Tropics coach Art Alvarez. "... He wants to play in the better tournaments, and that's one of the best. "