PG/SG O.J. Mayo (Official Thread)

[BuckStocksHere]

There is an article on ESPN "insider" discussing the apocalypse of todays high school basketball. Problems with players and entourages and shoe companies...etc.

They mention Mayo and his "entourage" causing a scene... anyone have any word on this...

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

There is an article on ESPN "insider" discussing the apocalypse of todays high school basketball. Problems with players and entourages and shoe companies...etc.

They mention Mayo and his "entourage" causing a scene... anyone have any word on this...

Apparently, at the main event tourney in Vegas, the coaches of O.J. Mayo's team made an issue about the team they were facing and the fact they had the wrong color of uniform for the game and wanted a forfeit and delayed the game about 45 minutes, now the reason some people have a problem with it, is because this is about high school kids getting looks from college coaches and apparently two pretty good players on the opposite team had to go get the right color jersey and by the time they got back to the game, they only got to play a couple of mop up minutes.



newyorkinsider.com (free)

8/10/05

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Louisville-bound Edgar Sosa

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Denny Conroy Associate Editor
Date: Aug 9, 2005

Prep phenom O.J. Mayo met Brooklyn's rising frosh Lance Stephenson last month at the Reebok ABCD Camp; this became the talk of the basketball world. They could meet again next week at the NYC Hoops Festival at Baruch College.
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Here's info on the event.

• Mark your calendars for the 1st Annual NYC Hoops Festival sponsored by Reebok Basketball in Assoc. w/ Gary Charles & Sterling McNally which will take place Wednesday August 17 - Saturday August 20 @Baruch College located in Manhattan, New York.
  
  The tournament will be played in championship style one game elimination format and will feature some of the hottest talented prospects in the nation.
  
  Confirmed: D-1 Greyhounds (Ohio)
  #1 Class 2007 - O.J. Mayo, #2 Class 2007 - Bill Walker
  
  NY Panthers (NY)
  #7 Class of 2006 - Derrick Caracter , Top 50 Class 2006 - Doug Wiggins, Top 50 class 2006 - Robbie Thomas, #2 Class of 2009 - Lance Stephenson
  
  Playaz Basketball Club (NJ)
  #2 Class of 2006 - Wayne Ellington, #15 Class of 2006 - Gerald Henderson
  
  Metro Hawks (NY)
  Top 50 Class of 2006 - Jonathan Mitchell, Top 30 Class of 2007 - Mike Coburn
  
  Philly Ballers (PA)
  #1 Class of 2008 - Tyreke Evans, Top 30 Class of 2007 - Antonio Jardine
  
  Gauchos (NY)
  #10 Class of 2006 - Curtis Kelly, Top 50 Class of 2006 - Edgar Sosa, Top 75 Class of 2006 Kashif Pratt
  
  Long Island Lightning (NY)
  Top 10 2007 - Corey Fisher, Top 100 Class of 2008 - Justin Burrell, Top 50 Class of 2007 - Darius Gabriel
  
  THE MATCHUPS
  
  Wednesday August 17, 2005 (Quarter Finals)
  6:30PM - Gm#1 - Long Island Lightning Vs. Philly Ballers
  8:30PM - Gm#2 - NY Panthers Vs. Metro Hawks
  
  Thursday August 18, 2005 (Quarter Finals)
  6:30PM - Gm#3 - D1 Greyhounds Vs. Team Odom
  8:30PM - Gm#4 - Playaz Basketball Club Vs. Gauchos
  
  Friday August 19, 2005 (Semi-Finals)
  6:30PM - Gm#1 Winner Vs. Gm#2 Winner
  8:30PM - Gm#3 Winner Vs. Gm#4 Winner
  
  Saturday August 20, 2005 (Championship)
  12:00PM - Consolation
  2:00PM - Championship
  
  TICKETS $5.00 - ONE DAY TICKET (GOOD FOR TWO GAMES THE DAY PURCHASED)
  $15.00 - SUPER TICKET (GOOD FOR ALL GAMES - INCLUDING CHAMPIONSHIP)
  
  NO ADVANCED TICKET SALES AVAILABLE
  
  BARUCH COLLEGE
  ARC FACILITY
  55 LEXINGTON AVENUE @24th ST. TRANSPORTATION: MTA #6, F, N OR R TO 23rd ST.
  

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

yahoo.com

8/10/05

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By Mike DeCourcy - SportingNews


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He is so good, he will redefine the initials O.J. That's how good O.J. Mayo is. Unless you are among the hopeless addicts who showed up at the Reebok ABCD Camp or the Big Time tournament or the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival -- and congratulations, if you are -- you probably have not yet seen Mayo play this game. So you read about him and wonder whether he's as good as has been described in print. And he's not. He's better.

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Mayo is a 6-4 point guard who will be a junior at North College Hill High in Cincinnati. He has been among the nation's most famous high school players since he was a seventh-grader starring for a Kentucky high school. With his size, strength, athleticism and skills, he almost certainly will be the No. 1 overall pick when he enters the NBA draft.


But what route will he follow to get there? Mayo has said he will be fine attending college now that the NBA passed a rule mandating draft entrants be at least 19 and one year beyond high school graduation. Mayo will reach that age before finishing high school, but the one-year-out requirement will force him to occupy himself until June 2008.

Mayo could play a year at a prep school. He could work a year with a personal trainer, avoiding formal competition. He could earn excellent money overseas, plus more from a shoe company endorsement. He could sue the NBA, but the suit would face a tough climb given Maurice Clarett's failure in a similar case against the NFL.

Or, Mayo could play in college.

Which is what he needs.

There is so little about the game that Mayo does not do exceptionally well. He changes direction at full speed. He is a spectacular shooter. He gets open with moves others can't conceive. He is a superb, unselfish passer.

The problem is competition. His high school games mostly are a joke; North College Hill won its state tournament games by an average of 29.5 points. His loaded club team, the D1 Greyhounds, only rarely encounter worthy competition.

The Greyhounds did lose to Greg Oden and the Spiece Indy Heat in Las Vegas at the Big Time tournament championship, a game that featured more likely future pros than many Final Four battles. That gave Mayo a dose of what college basketball would be like. But college crowds would be larger, the pressure greater, the opposition more sophisticated. Opponents have time to scout you in college. For Mayo to become the best player he can be, he needs that. He already has conquered the overmatched and unprepared. Many, many times.

There is a common belief among college coaches that Mayo will avoid the risk of injury or exposure in college and choose prep school. That would provide no benefit; by the time he finishes his senior year at North College Hill, he will have played against high school kids for six years. Insurance could protect him against a college injury that would end his career or damage his draft position.

And exposure? Not a chance. He's too good.

He is so good, in fact, that some day the initials O.J. will not be an easy punch line on late-night television or morning drive radio. They once again will be spoken with a sense of wonder and awe. Senior writer Mike DeCourcy covers college basketball for Sporting News. E-mail him at decourcy@sportingnews.com.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ScoutHoops.com$

8/12/05

Scout.com has posted video of Mayo in action.



ScoutHoops.com (free)

8/12/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Scout.com Class of 2007 Rankings

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Mike Beasley (J. Hawkins)

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Dave Telep & Staff Scout.com
Date: Aug 12, 2005

O.J. Mayo fended off all comers to retain his top spot in the Class of 2007 rankings. While Mayo, Mike Beasley (pictured) and Kevin Love are constants in the Top 3, there’s at least one new face in the Top 10.
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<CENTER>Scout.com’s 2007 Post-Summer Top 50</CENTER>

Can anyone catch O.J. Mayo? We’ll probably be asking ourselves that question at the end of the 2005-2006 school year. It seems like Mayo has had a stranglehold on the top slot in the Class of 2007 for sometime now.

So far, so good for the North College Hill standout. Mayo, the single biggest attraction in high school basketball, has withstood the pressure of playing in front of packed gymnasiums each time out and consistently played to a high level.

Mike Beasley, Scout.com’s No. 2 prospect in the class, switched high schools and enrolled at powerful Oak Hill Academy with his friend Nolan Smith (No. 16). Beasley, one of the most versatile forwards around, is a consistent scorer, rebounder and producer. Against older players in the spring and summer, Beasley was remarkably consistent.

Speaking of consistency, Kevin Love isn’t bad either. The best outlet passer in grassroots hoops is also quite the low post scorer. He’ll sneak out to the perimeter and make some jumpers on you and simply knows how to score it inside.



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Rounding out the Top 5 are two backcourt players who bring athleticism to their position. Bill Walker (pictured) is simply the most dynamic dunking machine in the high school game. His throwdowns are genuine momentum changers and more often than not he finishes strong and way above the rim.

While Derrick Rose’s game isn’t nearly as loud as Walker’s, he remains a big time point guard with athleticism, vision, feel and pace. He plays the game much older than his age would lead you to believe.

Most of the names in the remainder of the Top 10 are quite familiar if you follow high school basketball. Kyle Singler (No. 6) missed most of the summer with a knee injury. He remains a primary recruiting target of many elite programs.

Jerryd Bayless (No. 7) put on a show at the Nike All-American Camp to regain his spot in the Top 10 while guys like Cole Aldrich (No. 8) and Eric Gordon (No. 10) have consistently been around the Top 10 for the past year.



<TABLE align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Scout.com’s newcomer to the list is charismatic power forward Herb Pope (shown). He started his summer strong on the camp scene and though he left the AAU Nationals early, he did so after leaving quite an impression. Scout.com released its 2008 Top 15 earlier this week and plans on unveiling its 2006 Top 100 on August 15th! Please check back with us!


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[wadc45]

Not surprisingly, O.J. is rated #1 overall in the new Rivals 2007 rankings.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

rivals.com (free)

8/18/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>Movement among top 100 for 2007 <HR width="100%" noShade SIZE=1></TD></TR><TR><TD>Rivals.com
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