OJ Mayo

11/16/06:
Instead of waiting for the late signing period in April, the nation's top-ranked basketball player says he signed his binding national letter-of-intent Wednesday with the University of Southern California.

Mayo, a 6-5 guard from Huntington (W.Va.) High, confirmed he signed on to play for USC. He said he told USC coach Tim Floyd on Tuesday that he would sign with the Trojans over Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas State and Florida.

The Associated Press reported that USC assistant coach Bob Cantu said the school received the signed letter of intent by fax Wednesday. "We felt that we could provide O.J. with the opportunity to learn from a former NBA coach," Cantu said, referring to Floyd, a former coach of the Chicago Bulls.

Mayo's childhood friend, 6-6 Bill Walker, signed with Kansas State last week. The duo helped North College Hill (Cincinnati) win the last two Ohio Division III state championships. When Walker's eligibility expired this year, Mayo transferred to his hometown school.

"I think USC is the best situation for me," Mayo said. "It's the perfect opportunity with coach (Tim) Floyd there. He coached in the NBA and knows what it takes to reach the league.

"Plus, Los Angeles is great city, unlike a small college town where all eyes would be on my every move. I just want to blend in and enjoy my time at school," he says.

This weekend, Mayo will take his official visit to USC.

He added, signing with the Trojans was "solely my decision, there wasn't anyone else influencing me."

Mayo's college decision was the second positive on Tuesday. Mayo also learned he scored a 29 on the ACT, a college entrance exam, and is on target for admission to USC.

Mayo previously visited the Los Angeles campus unofficially and was impressed with the school's new state-of-the-art, 10,258-seat Galen Center. "Los Angeles is a great basketball city and needs a (college) powerhouse," Mayo says. "It's the perfect situation," Mayo said. "After (football) players like Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, the school is ready for a player of my caliber."
- USA Today

10/29/06:
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/15876124.htm

10/06/06: "Sources confirm. . .that the Highlanders are moving nine of their 11 home games to Huntington's Veterans Memorial Field House. Coach Lloyd McGuffin's program presently plays its home dates at their campus on 16th Street near Interstate 64. Sources add that an effort is alive to carry some of Huntington's games on national television, perhaps via ESPN or a similar sports-oriented broadcast facility." - WOWKTV.com

08/31/06: The Huntington Herald has three articles, plus a great photo album of Mayo.
"Mayo enrolls at Huntington"

08/30/06
"Mayo's stay at NCH was unlike anything we've seen"

08/29/06: As always, Groeschen has the story.
"Southern Cal is still first on my list. There's also Florida, West Virginia, Marshall, North Carolina, Connecticut...you better put K-State on there, too."

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060829/SPT/308290021


08/29/06: "O.J. Mayo attended his last classes at North College Hill on Monday. When the bell rings today, he'll be in a whole new school. Mayo told USA Today on Monday he'll transfer to Huntington (W. Va.) High and be in class there today. "It's exciting to go home, but it's sad leaving North College Hill," Mayo told the paper. "I consider Cincinnati a second home." - www.Enquirer.com

08/28/06:
Mayo still in Cincinnati


08/28/06: The Huntington High administration heard reports that senior basketball superstar O.J. Mayo will enroll and attend Huntington High's first day of classes this morning. But school officials insisted Sunday that they had to wait until this morning -- just like the rest of the Tri-State area -- to find out if and where Mayo transfers. "I've pretty much heard the same thing everybody else has heard, but until he's registered I can't say anything at all," said Huntington High coach Lloyd McGuffin. "Neither he nor anyone from his family has contacted me." - Huntington Herald-Dispatch


08/20/06: Listed as the best player in his class. - USAToday/PrepStars.com

08/17/06: Tom Groeschen's blog continues with more updates.
http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/preps/

08/15/06: Listed as the 3rd best player in his class. - www.PrepHoopsOnline.com

08/13/06:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/15261781.htm

08/13/06: ...sources close to the situation say Mayo, a 6-foot-4 point guard from Cincinnati, will make it official with a press conference in Los Angeles.

Mayo, who has been widely acknowledged as the top prospect in the Class of 2007, was on the USC campus Saturday on an unofficial visit. During that visit, he stopped by the Trojans football practice, where he was serenaded by chants of "O.J.! O.J.!" - FoxSports.com

08/13/06: "O.J. Mayo, the nation's No. 1 recruit, made an impromptu campus visit and watched football practice while wearing a USC T-shirt. As usual, USC coach Pete Carroll masterfully coordinated the welcome for Mayo. Carroll brought Mayo to the post-practice huddle and told the recruit that when he arrived at USC, he needed to rebuild the football program. Mayo has told friends he wants to turn USC into a national power, much like Patrick Ewing transformed Georgetown in the early 1980s. Mayo's also told USC athletes since July he would become a Trojan, but he did not officially commit Saturday. "I'll make my decision before the end of the year," Mayo said. Mayo also threw passes with his friend, 6-foot-9 center Aaron Pogue, who is visiting USC this weekend." - www.sbsun.com

08/08/06: For the first time since before his sophomore season, North College Hill star O.J. Mayo is not on top of the Rivals150 for the class of 2007. . . .the biggest news is that Mayo is no longer ranked the No. 1 player in the country. Instead, that honor goes to Oak Hill Academy power forward Michael Beasley, who has committed to Bob Huggins' K-State Wildcats.

According to Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer, three players competed for the No. 1 spot. Beasley, Erik Gordon, a two-guard from Indianapolis, and Derrick Rose, a point guard from Chicago. Mayo is No. 5 and North College Hill teammate Bill Walker is No. 6 in the new ratings. They had been Nos. 1-2, respectively, in previous Rivals.com ratings." - Groeschen, Enquirer.com and www.RivalsHoops.com

08/07/06: The latest from Groeschen, Enquirer.com
http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/preps/2006/08/mayonch-transfer-rumors.asp

08/07/06:
http://www.draftexpress.com/dedaily.php?p=674

08/02/06:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/439922p-370604c.html

08/01/06: "North College Hill stars O.J. Mayo (tournament MVP) and Bill Walker led the D-1 Greyhounds to the 2006 AAU Junior boys’ basketball 17-under national championship Tuesday at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. In the title game, Walker scored 28 points and Mayo had 22 as the Ohio-based Greyhounds beat the Boo Williams Summer League team (Hampton, Va.) 73-49." - Groeschen, Enquirer.com

07/29/06: "Michael Jordan stuck around to watch Mayo play his first pool play game of AAU Nationals. While Jordan left just after halftime, he had to have walked away impressed with Mayo’s 35 point performance." - www.ScoutHoops.com

07/24/06:
Mayo will have say on court

07/24/06: "Derrick Rose is exceptional and would have rated among the top two or three point guards in any class of recent memory. He's good enough to lead a college team to a national title and will be some NBA franchise's first-round pick some day. But he's not on the same plateau as an overall player (and prospect) that Mayo is. But that's no shame (to Rose) because neither are Brandon Roy and or Randy Foye, the first two guards picked in the draft last month." - Frank Burlison, www.FrankHoops.com

07/23/06: "Manny Jackson of the Harlem Globetrotters was in the crowd for games involving Mayo, Walker, Love, Rose and Gordon. When the president of the world's most famous traveling team is in the stands it doesn't go unnoticed and is certainly some food for thought." - www.ScoutHoops.com

07/10/06: "Sources continue to tell ESPN.com that Mayo, who told the USC staff that he's coming, soon will announce he'll be a Trojan." - Andy Katz, ESPN.com

07/09/06:
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=107170

07/09/06:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/sports/basketball/09abcd.html
Mayo and some other top recruits are discussed in this NY Times article.

07/07/06: North College Hill star O.J. Mayo has not committed to play basketball at Southern California, as some reports indicated this week. But Mayo said Thursday that USC is first on his list of potential colleges. Mayo, who this week is playing at the Reebok ABCD summer camp in Teaneck, N.J., told a New Jersey reporter Thursday that he also is considering Florida and Kansas State.

"Me and Bill are still looking at Florida and K-State," Mayo told the Herald News (West Paterson, N.J.). "But USC is first on my list, and then K-State and Florida."
- Tom Groeschen, www.Enquirer.com

07/06/06: "The stature of USC basketball could take a major leap forward this week, because guard O.J. Mayo, the nation's No. 1-ranked player, is expected to commit to the Trojans, according to sources.

Mayo told several USC players and recruits last week he would officially commit to the Trojans during this weekend's ABCD basketball camp in Teaneck, N.J. And it could be a package deal, because Mayo, who lives in Cincinnati, wants to bring high school teammate, Bill Walker, the No. 2 player in the nation by Rivals.com, and center Aaron Pogue of Dayton, Ohio. Mayo's commitment would shake up college basketball and give USC a national image in a sport usually overshadowed by football." - LA Daily News

07/05/06: "O.J. Mayo, Scout.com's top-ranked player in the Class of 2007, is expected to commit to USC at a news conference at ABCD Camp on Thursday." - www.ScoutHoops.com

07/05/06: "O.J. Mayo, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2007, told the USC coaching staff and players last week that he would commit to the Trojans, multiple sources told ESPN.com. The 6-foot-4 Mayo, as recognizable a high school recruiting name as LeBron James and Greg Oden, made the statement while on his unofficial recruiting visit last week in Los Angeles. He still needs to make that sentiment public, though. He could do so as early as this weekend at the Reebok ABCD Camp on the Fairleigh Dickinson campus in Teaneck, N.J."

06/30/06: "During his on-campus visit Thursday, basketball recruit O.J. Mayo found time to play several pickup games with USC players Nick Young, Lodrick Stewart, Jeremy Barr, incoming freshman Taj Gibson and a group of Stoneridge Prep players including Mamadou Diarra, Babacar Sylla and Thomas Ibraham." - USC Update

06/29/06: "O.J. Mayo is on an unofficial visit, and it's not to Manhattan, Kan. According to sources, the 6-foot-4 guard and Scout's top-ranked player in the Class of 2007 is currently on a visit to The University of Southern California. Mayo arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday night and will leave on Friday.

Mayo has been less than forthcoming about schools he is considering in the past. Many people have speculated that he'd wind up at Kansas State after Bob Huggins took the job in Manhattan. However, this is a clear indication that Mayo is seriously considering playing for Tim Floyd at USC. Floyd is a former NBA coach and, according to sources, that's appealing to Mayo. USC has also built a new multi-million-dollar facility scheduled to open in September, and Mayo also likes the fact that he can play in a major city and help build a program." - FoxSports.com

06/25/06: "The Wildcats might not be as fortunate in their quest to land No. 1. That's O.J. Mayo, the 6-4 dynamo who is Walker's teammate and the most heralded high school player heading into the 2006-07 season. "That might be the toughest one to get. I'm not saying this, but the word is that he's not as excited about playing ball in Manhattan, Kan.," (Rivals.com Jerry) Meyer said. "It's not Southern California, and I know he's interested in USC." - Kansas City Star

06/24/06: "I want O.J. and Bill to come to K-State," Beasley said. "I know it's not likely to happen but it's a dream and I'd like them to come." - Michael Beasley, after he committed to Kansas State. www.ScoutHoops.com

06/20/06: Listed as the best player in his class. - www.HoopScoopOnline.com

06/13/06: "The fourth Rose City Showcase takes place Friday through Sunday at Grant High School in Northeast Portland (OR.) Eight of the nation's top AAU basketball teams are scheduled to participate.

Players expected to compete include Lake Oswego's Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo of North College Hill High School in Cincinnati, Michael Beasley of Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., and Bill Walker, also of North College Hill. The championship game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Sunday." - OregonLive.com

06/10/06: Mayo had a much more modest game, scoring 16 points (on 6 of 11 field goals) and dishing out five assists. He missed his first four shots on Friday and finished the first half with just four points. . . . with the (other team) up by two midway through the second half, Mayo hit consecutive step-back 3-pointers and then threw down a thunderous dunk." - Gwinnett Daily Post

05/30/06: "Beasley said not to assume he is going to Kansas State just because Hill is there. He also downplayed the rumor about him and Mayo and Walker, who were teammates at North College Hill High near Cincinnati as juniors.

Mayo, a 6-4 point guard, is the top-ranked player in the nation, according to scout.com. Walker is the 6-5 forward on the receiving -- and dunking -- end of many of Mayo's passes.

Gibbons said signing those three would be like hitting the triple jackpot at Kansas State. He believes it's just as likely the three would play together at a prep school next season, then go to the NBA after one year. "It would be great to play with those two guys," Beasley said. "But I'm not saying I'm going to be out at K-State with those two guys. They're probably not going to be there either. So I'm just going to wait it out." - excerpt - Charlotte Observer

05/19/06: Ranked #1 in his class by www.ScoutHoops.com

05/11/06: Ranked #1 in his class by www.RivalsHoops.com

05/10/06: Q & A with OJ Mayo, by Tom Groeschen

05/10/06: "As of 10 a.m. today, the "Mayo breaks his silence" story (on the Enquirer.com website) had nearly 7,000 online page views. It was the most popular story on our site, nearly doubling the page views of the No. 2 story. Staggering. - www.Enquirer.com

05/09/06: USA Today

05/04/06: Good update from Groeschen

05/03/06: "O.J. Mayo is back in school at North College Hill, with whatever suspension he had apparently over. Mayo has returned to school at NCH, according to sources close to the situation. The sources spoke to the Enquirer on condition of anonymity." - Groeschen, Enquirer.com

05/03/06: ". . .the championship game was where Mayo showcased his arsenal of moves. Mayo went for 25 points and 8 assists in the nationally televised win. Mayo's got into the paint at will and he can pull up on a dime and knock in a mid range jumper." - ScoutHoops.com


05/01/06: "Mayo reaffirmed what he told me last weekend in Houston, TX when he told Johnson that he plans to return to North College Hill next year to help the Trojans win a third straight Division III State Championship. Mayo had 26 points and eight assists in the championship game and was named the tournament MVP." - www.HoopScoopOnline.com

04/30/06: "I told Coach Huggins about two weeks ago I'd be going there," (Michael) Beasley said. Then Beasley said he'd like to see Mayo and Walker follow him to Kansas State. "We'd probably be the best college team out there," Beasley said. "It'd be one of the best recruiting classes ever." But Beasley said if Mayo or Walker decide on a different college, Beasley still intends to go to Kansas State." - www.Enquirer.com

04/29/06: "Mayo's team, D-1 Greyhounds, played its first game in the Papa John's King James Shooting Stars Classic on Friday evening and lost 73-65 in overtime to the DC Assault (Washington, D.C) at St. Vincent-St. Mary's gymnasium. Mayo, who was Ohio's Mr. Basketball this year for the second time, scored 23 points. Teammate Billy Walker, whom some consider the No. 2 prospect in the country behind Mayo in the Class of 2007, finished with 16 points." - Akron Beacon Journal

04/26/06: "According to Bill Walker, a member of the North College Hill team, Mayo has been suspended from school as a result of getting into a fight. The suspension was confirmed by two NCH sources and a member of the NCH school board.

The sources would not say whether the length of Mayo's suspension has been established. A local TV station reported Monday that Mayo had been suspended for 180 days. That figure, the sources said, is not accurate. Walker also said the 180-day figure is incorrect. "He (Mayo) got into a fight and got suspended for 10 days," Walker said. "It wasn't 180 days. I don't know where that came from." - www.Enquirer.com

04/24/06: WLWT TV in Cincinnati is reporting that Mayo will transfer to Oak Hill Academy for next school season, "if Oak Hill will take him". He also stated that NCH high school will have something Tuesday on the situation. - Mike Ryan

04/24/06: The D1 Greyhounds are scheduled to play in the King James AAU event in Akron, OH this weekend.

04/24/06:
http://www.hoop-rap.com/news/newsview.php?getstory=644

04/24/06:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/24/sports/24mayo.html

04/20/06: "It appears that O.J. Mayo does not have a stress fracture after all. The No. 1 prospect in the class of 2007 will be in action this weekend in Houston at the Kingwood Classic. The only catch is that he will not be playing with the Reebok sponsored D-One Greyhounds. Instead, Mayo, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound point guard from Cincinnati, will play with the Nike sponsored Miami Tropics. "Yep, O.J. is going to play with us this weekend," Miami Tropics director Art Alvarez told Rivals.com. "And he might play with us for the whole thing. We are going to start with this weekend and then see how it goes." - www.Rivalshoops.com

04/20/06: Beasley also had an interesting update about the top two junior prospects in the nation: O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker of North College Hill in Cincinnati, who've been rumored to be coming to K-State in 2007. "I talked to Bill," Beasley said, "and he said if I do it (go to K-State), he'll do it. O.J.'s still thinking about it. I think with all of us there, we could make history." - KC Star

04/19/06: The D1 Greyhounds will play in the Pittsburgh Jam Fest this weekend.

04/09/06: In a short piece on Fox19 tonight, Mayo discussed his friendship with LeBron James. He mentions how he speaks to him by phone occasionally and LeBron said how it was unsual to mentor someone when he is still at a youg age himself.

04/03/06: "Simply put, O.J. Mayo is the complete package. A fierce competitor with a physique and all-around game resembling Chauncy Billups of the Detroit Pistons, he has the athleticism and skill level to make all the plays from the point guard position." - www.RivalsHoops.com

03/31/06: Mayo was named to the Parade All American team.
http://all-americans.parade.com/2006_boy_basketball/2006_boys_basketball.html

03/30/06: "O.J. can just stroke it and Bill can jump out of the gym. I would love to play with them if they go there (KSU)." - 2007 recruit Michael Beasley, www.NinerReport.com

03/26/06: "Expect the Wildcats, with Huggins, to be involved with the nation’s top-ranked junior O.J. Mayo. Of course, the deal is Mayo and Bill Walker, are a tandem, so you can assume that the Wildcats have offered both and will make attempts to connect with each during Huggins’ first week on the job." - www.ScoutHoops.com

03/26/06: "O.J. Mayo said Saturday that the University of Cincinnati remains on his list of potential colleges. That has to please new UC coach Mick Cronin, who watched Saturday's North College Hill state title win from the stands at Value City Arena.

Since NCAA coaches are not permitted to speak about prospective recruits, there was no chance of getting Cronin's thoughts on the Mayo-Bill Walker recruiting derby. "I'm just enjoying the game," Cronin said, smiling.

Mayo and fellow NCH junior star Walker said they do not know Cronin as well as they do former UC coach Bob Huggins, who took the Kansas State job Thursday. But Mayo said UC remains on his list.

"I don't know much about him," Mayo said of Cronin. "When it comes down to my college decision, I'm pretty sure we're going to dissect everything as far as who the coach is, how the campus is. ... The city of Cincinnati really deserves a great college team, and if everything goes well, we might have an opportunity to go to UC. At the same time, we just want to hold off on a college and take care of the summer circuit and play our final year of high school." - www.Enquirer.com

03/25/06: "North College Hill won its second consecutive Division III boys' state basketball championship here today. The Trojans beat Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph 90-73 before 16,024 fans at Value City Arena, and set a Division III state tournament record for points in a game. NCH junior guard O.J. Mayo scored 34 points and had eight rebounds and seven assists. His first point of the day was the 2,000th of his NCH career." - Groeschen, www.Enquirer.com

03/24/06: Bob Huggins is the new head coach at Kansas State and Mick Cronin is the new head coach at Cincinnati.

03/24/06: Mayo will play in the state championship game on Saturday.

03/23/06: Mayo has been suspended for tonights game for unknown reasons. It had been reported on WCPO TV on their noon broadcast.

03/23/06: Ohio had plenty of great basketball players again this season, but O.J. Mayo is still the greatest. Mayo, a North College Hill junior guard, won his second consecutive Ohio Mr. Basketball award Wednesday night.

The Associated Press chose Mayo over a field that included Division I player of the year Raymar Morgan of Canton McKinley (signed with Michigan State) and Division II player of the year Daequan Cook of Dayton Dunbar (signed with Ohio State).

Mayo shared AP Division III player-of-the-year honors with three others, including teammate Bill Walker. Mayo is averaging 28.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.7 steals a game as NCH (24-1) enters the Division III state semifinals today vs. Archbold (24-1) at 5:15 p.m. at Value City Arena in Columbus.

Mayo is rated the nation's No. 1 junior by many scouting services and should have his pick of a college. With so many accomplishments, including 1,999 career points for NCH entering today, how could Mayo get better? "My game is more efficient now on the offensive end," Mayo said. "I've got a different focus now . . . to play better every time I walk on the court and to play hard for 32 minutes."

Mayo (6 feet 5, 208 pounds) plays a combination shooting guard/point guard for NCH. He is not sure where he will play in college and beyond. "I want to play both spots well," Mayo said. "If you can play the point, though, you can play just about anyplace."

NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey said Mayo has tried to be more consistent in terms of shot selection and in getting his teammates more involved. Mahaffey said Mayo also has improved his defense. "That's the one thing he's tried to work on," Mahaffey said. " . . . He always wants to guard the key players."

Mayo next year will try to tie the Ohio Mr. Basketball haul of LeBron James, who won the award three times (2001-03) at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

Mayo last year became the first Cincinnati-area boys' player to win Mr. Basketball since the AP began the award in 1988. Mayo also repeated this week as Gatorade Ohio Boys' Basketball Player of the Year

03/22/06: Mayo was named 'Mr. Basketball' for the state of Ohio for the second year in a row.

03/22/06: article excerpt Two of Ohio's best may go where Huggins goes

O.J. Mayo, Ohio's two-time Associated Press Mr. Basketball, said Tuesday that he and Cincinnati North College Hill teammate Bill Walker - both juniors - may go wherever the former University of Cincinnati coach goes. "That could be right," Mayo said of the rumor that he and Walker would go with Huggins as a package deal. "That could be a possibility. At the same time, we don't want to go to a raw program."

"It could be a great thing to happen," Mayo said of going to play for Huggins. "At the same time, we have to see where he ends up, what the school's fan base is like, see what the fans think about him and make sure everything is great."


03/18/06: Cin. N. College Hill 97, Versailles 52 DAYTON, Ohio - Bill Walker scored 26 points and reigning Mr. Basketball O.J. Mayo added 25 to lead defending Division III state champion Cincinnati North College Hill to a 97-52 win over Versailles in a regional final Saturday.
Versailles (20-5) took a 2-0 lead 23 seconds in on a layup by Tony McNeilan, but the Trojans (24-1) responded with a 26-5 run to make it 26-7 at the end of the first quarter. Mayo scored 13 points in the quarter including a 3-pointer as time expired. The Trojans scored 19 fast-break points in the quarter. The Tigers got no closer the rest of the way and trailed by as many as 50. North College Hill scored 54 points in the paint, 25 of them on fast breaks, and shot 69 percent from the field. Mayo shot 9-for-12 and Walker finished 11 of 14. North College Hill outrebounded Versailles 39-22 and nine players scored at least four points. - Assoc Press

http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/bk/boys/tourn06/Div3.PDF
(PDF file of the bracket)

03/16/06: North College Hill's Mayo, Walker unstoppable
One coach shook his head when asked how to stop North College Hill's boys basketball team. He shook his head and said, "That's a good question."

The coach was NCH's Jamie Mahaffey. His team had just flattened Bloom-Carroll 94-54 on Wednesday night in front of a big Nutter Center crowd.

North College Hill (23-1) faces Versailles (20-4) at 2 p.m. Saturday for a Division III regional title and berth in the state tournament.

"We try to work on everything we think people would do to us," Mahaffey said. "It's hard sometimes."

Hard is a relative term. The crowd got what it expected from the Trojans — plenty of ooh-and-aah moments from juniors O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker.

Mayo scored 31 points, including 5 of 8 long balls. He made tough jumpers and no-look passes. Mayo also had four rebounds, four assists and four fouls.

Walker had 29 points, with six highlight-reel dunks. Some were on offensive rebounds, breakaways (he had five steals) and a windmill jam that left Walker shaking his hand. "Oh, man," he said. "I got my wrist on that last one."

Bloom-Carroll (20-4) had a nice stretch or two after trailing 24-4, 33-13 and 41-18. Kale Richardson, a 6-foot-6 senior, had 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulldogs made 7 of 27 3s, but just 2 of 11 after halftime. Not once did the Bulldogs slow the pace.
"We've never held it all year and changing what we do in three days — I don't think is going to work," Bloom-Carroll coach Tom Petty said. "We had to try to gain a little respect and play hard with them and stuff. And telling our kids, hey we're going to stall, is saying we can't play with them anyway." - Hamilton Journal News

02/18/06:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060218/SPT0301/602180419/1062/SPT


02/16/06:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060216/SPT0301/602160349/1069/SPT03

02/15/06:
Trojans' boom days

02/13/06:
Walker dominant as O.J., Ellis sit

No. 1 vs. No. 2

Bill Walker scores and 'bounds big, but where is Mayo and Ellis?


01/31/06:
Leaders Of The Pack
Bill Walker and O.J. Mayo lead North College Hill to national prominence.
The Huntington Herald-Dispatch

CHARLESTON -- What does a basketball team do after it wins a state championship? Upgrade its schedule for the next season and shoot for being No. 1 nationally.

North College Hill, led by Huntington natives O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker, did so for 2005-06 and so far have answered every challenge. The Trojans, who won the Ohio Division III state title last year, held off a late rally by Beckley Woodrow Wilson to record a 95-88 win over Flying Eagles on Saturday night in the feature game at the Border Battle II tripleheader at the Charleston Civic Center Coliseum.

"I told you that was our goal," Mayo said, referring to the ambitions the Trojans had after going 2-0 in Border Battle II games on Dec. 10-11 at Veterans Memorial Field House in Huntington. "We want to be one of the best in the country," Walker added. "We know what we have to do. We believe in each other."

Last year, 3,820 fans showed up here to watch the Cincinnati school defeat Beckley, 81-64. For this tripleheader, attendance swelled to 6,210 paid and that included Randy Moss, standout wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders and native of Rand. He attended last year's games, too.

Mayo, a 6-5 guard, and Walker, a 6-6 forward, two of the top college prospects in the country, wowed the crowd with thunder dunks, alley-oops, no-look passes on fast breaks and amazing one-on-one moves in the lane on the way to scores. Mayo finished with 40 points and 11 rebounds and Walker contributed 23 points and a dozen rebounds. Walker racked up six dunks and Mayo five out of the team's total of 14. After the game, the two stayed to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans.

North College Hill, ranked No. 2 by USA Today, is 16-0 with three games left before the anticipated showdown with No. 1 Oak Hill Academy of Virginia on Feb. 18 at U.S. Bank Arena (16,500 seats) in Cincinnati. "That's been our goal," Trojans coach Jamie Mahaffey said. "We played a little sloppy tonight. We've got to continue to get better."

At one point, Beckley trailed by 16 points at 24-8. With just under one minute to play, the Flying Eagles had cut the deficit to six at 91-85. Mayo, as he did the previous Saturday when he hit six clutch free throws down the stretch in a 65-57 win over defending Kentucky Sweet 16 champion South Laurel, converted a one-and-one with 16 seconds left to set the final score.

"When we step on the court, we're No. 2 (nationally) and we have to show it," Mayo said. "We came in a little overconfident and lost our focus. Credit the Woodrow Wilson coaches. They were prepared. You realize you're up by seven (88-81) and it's time to buckle down and get serious.

"We came out fast. It was a little showtime and we did a lot of dunks. That style's good, but you can't get caught up in it. We have to play our game."

Beckley, 8-4 and ranked No. 4 in Class AAA in West Virginia, made its late charge behind the long-range shooting of Chase DeWeese. The left-hander connected on 8-of-11three-pointers on the way to a 29-point night. Mario Thompson turned it on late, finishing with 23 points, and 6-4 Mario Walton held his own underneath with 6-11 Keenan Ellis, Walker and Mayo. He blocked one of Walker's attempts going to the basket following a spin move.

"We tell kids to play the whole 32 minutes," Flying Eagles coach Ron Kidd said. "We try to instill in the kids not to fear anybody, not to be in awe. After the first three minutes, we settled down. We enjoy playing them and I think they enjoy playing us."

Mayo came away with one other accomplishment. He was able to break the North College Hill career scoring record of 1,847 points set by Leon Murray (1970-74). His total is 1,849. He surpassed Murray's mark on a dunk that gave his team an 89-76 lead with two minutes left. Play was stopped momentarily to award Mayo the game ball. He then tossed the ball about 20 rows up into the stands as the crowd cheered. "It's a great honor, but it's not about individual accomplishments," Mayo said. "It's about team goals. I've got great teammates. They make things a lot easier."

Over two seasons, Mayo, considered the next LeBron James, and Walker are a combined 6-0 in games in West Virginia. "I love being home again," Mayo said. "WVU (West Virginia) and Marshall definitely are in the running (for college). When it's time, I'll sit down and make sure I make the right decision."

Walker said it'll be fun playing Oak Hill, but the Trojans can't worry about that now. "That's an all-star team," he said of Oak Hill. "Every players a Division I talent."

In the first two games Saturday, George Washington (13-1), No. 2 in Class AAA, routed Lexington Bryan Station (13-7), 69-48. In game 2, No. 3 South Charleston (9-2) held off Science Hill (20-7) of Johnson City, Tenn., 68-66. The Black Eagles took a 52-35 lead into the fourth period.

"If you're a fan, it was awesome to watch," Kidd said of the three games. "If you're a coach, you want to stop stuff like that."

Border Battle promoter Mel Wulfekamp acknowledged that he's talked to defending Class AAA champion Huntington High about being part of the show, either as an opponent for North College Hill, or as one of the other top teams competing on the West Virginia side. The Highlanders feature standout center Patrick Patterson, candidate for player of the year. "We're working on it," Wulfekamp said.

"I think it would be a great game," added Kidd, whose Flying Eagles meet Oak Hill on Wednesday in the Coal Classic in Beckley. "They have good guards. They have size and could match them on the glass."
- The Huntington Herald-Dispatch

01/30/06: "Are you kidding me? He put 40 on you guys last night."
- Larry Bird, on whether or not he's heard of O.J. Mayo. - Beckley Register Herald

01/29/06:
Big crowds want look at NCH, Mayo
Saturday, January 28, 2006
The Associated Press

The arena packed with more than 10,000 fans is rocking to pregame music while outside, scalpers demand $25 to $50 for tickets with face value of $10, and frantic motorists scramble for rapidly disappearing parking spaces blocks away. All this for a high school basketball game.

The drawing card for the Jan. 16 game at Xavier University was North College Hill High's Trojans. Featuring prospective NBA players O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker, Ohio has another high school dream team, three years after LeBron James joined the Cleveland Cavaliers after leading Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School's "fab five" to national prominence.

Big crowds and big games are nothing new for North College Hill, which has also played in large arenas in Columbus, Kentucky and West Virginia and as far away as California.

"It's very intense. You just have to be prepared and don't look ahead," coach Jamie Mahaffey said of his team's schedule. "But our players are very mature about it. They stay focused."

Mayo, a smooth shooting and ball-handling guard, and Walker, a powerful, inside-dominating player, are widely considered the nation's top two juniors. They are joined by 6-11 junior Keenan Ellis and a strong supporting cast on a team that lost only one game last season and headed into this weekend unbeaten.

"They're a great team," said Cincinnati Taft coach Mark Mitchell, whose team lost 82-70 at that Jan. 16 game for its first loss and earlier beat three teams from other states in a New York tournament. "The difference in knowing that you’re good and being arrogant about it is that they know they're good and they play together. Everybody works for the common good."

After losing to the Trojans in last year's Division III state championship game, Ironton coach Roger Zornes commented: "It was like playing an all-star team out there."

The Trojans have won most games by lopsided margins, beating Wellston by 104 points and avenging last season's lone loss to Cincinnati St. Xavier with an 87-49 victory.

The players have been low-key in assessing their standing. After their closest call this season, a 69-67 victory over defending Division I champion Canton McKinley in Ohio State’s Value City Arena, Mayo wouldn’t offer an opinion on whether the Trojans are best in Ohio.

"The main thing was to get the win," Mayo said.

A big test, and big crowd, will come Feb. 18 when they play perennial national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy of Virginia at the U.S. Bank Arena here. A sellout crowd of more than 16,000 is likely.

USA Today's rankings have Oak Hill and North College Hill as Nos. 1-2 nationally.

"We know it's out there," Mahaffey said. "But if you start focusing on stuff like that, we told the kids, then you're like the Indianapolis Colts. They were supposed to be the team to beat (in the NFL), and they’re gone."

The school's athletic director, Joe Nickel, says much of his time is taken up fielding requests for tickets. In the third season for Mayo and Walker, the school beefed up its schedule and arranged with its league, the small-school Miami Valley Conference, to not play a full league schedule this year or compete for the league title.

As it was with James' team, there is no shortage of schools and venues that want to take on the Trojans and their fan-pleasing show of powerful dunks, alley-oop plays and fast breaks. Nickel even called Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary officials for advice on scheduling.

"That was a difficult issue," Nickel said. "We were looking to find competition that would help us get better. Our league stepped in and helped us. It's still a learning process."

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary athletic director Grant Innocenzi agreed that it's a challenge to balance demand to see the team against what’s best for the students. He said the players wanted to face a national schedule, and unlike the NBA-bound James, most wouldn't get another chance to play on some of the nation's storied basketball courts.

"We thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most of these kids," Innocenzi said. "How many kids can say they played at (UCLA's) Pauley Pavilion, the Palestra (Philadelphia) or Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum?"

Ohio athletics officials have taken steps to keep 'national schedules' in check, limiting high school teams each year to one out-of-state trip other than to bordering states. North College Hill's trip was to southern California, where the Trojans defeated teams from North Hollywood and Compton in December.

State high school athletic governing bodies set their own rules on out-of-state games, and interstate matchups are then sanctioned by the Indianapolis-based National Federation of High School Associations.

"You certainly see that a lot of places like to attract those great teams and great players, with the opportunity to match them up," said John Gillis, assistant director of the federation.

With the proliferation of high school basketball Web sites, prep games being carried nationally on ESPN, and star players such as James and Mayo who were nationally known before they could drive a car, some wonder whether the interest in marquee matchups will lead to a national tournament like the NCAA college basketball championships.

Gillis said he thinks the consensus of state-level administrators is that playing in statewide, end-of-season tournaments ‘‘should be the peak of the high school experience, that a national tournament would really not serve any educational purpose."

But he added: "You never know."

Jack Keefer, head coach of Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis for three decades, agrees with limits on travel.

"We've been invited to play everywhere, from Hawaii to New York to Orlando," said Keefer, whose unbeaten team is led by 7-foot-tall center Greg Oden and guard Mike Conley, both bound for Ohio State. While Keefer's team will travel to Chicago for a Feb. 11 game against Glenbrook North of Illinois, he said: "The bottom line is I just want us to be a high school team and to play the local teams."

Nickel said the schedule limits help make sure hometown fans get opportunities to see the team, a major source of civic pride in North College Hill's suburban community of some 10,000 people besides being a godsend financially for the school. A basketball program that annually brought in less than $10,000 a year now often reaps that in one game. The high school will be able to build an all-weather track, and the athletic program should be financially comfortable for years after this team is gone, Nickel said.

But as good as the Trojans may be, Innocenzi knows his pick in a match with James’ high school team.

"We would beat 'em," Innocenzi said. "Believe me."

01/29/06: "O.J. Mayo scored 40 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out seven assists to lead North College Hill to a 95-88 victory over Woodrow Wilson of West Virginia at the Charleston Convention Center Saturday night. Mayo's 40 points gave him 1,850 in his career, breaking the school record of 1,847 formerly held by Leon Murray. Bill Walker added 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Keenan Ellis chipped in with 15 points and 12 rebounds for NCH. The Trojans, who are ranked second in the nation by USA Today, are off until Saturday, when they face Summit Country Day." - Enquirer.com

01/22/06: O.J. Mayo Show nearly upstaged - Lexington Herald

FRANKFORT - It was expected to be a showcase event for O.J. Mayo and his No. 2 rated boys' basketball team in the nation, but somebody forgot to tell defending state champion South Laurel. The Cardinals put a serious scare into Mayo's unbeaten Cincinnati North College Hill team before falling 65-57 in the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic last night.

Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith and former Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins were in the crowd of 4,200 in the Frankfort Convention Center. "It was fun playing them, but it wasn't fun getting beat," South Laurel senior Walt Allen said. "I hate to lose. But I guess down the road, when those guys are in the NBA, it'll be fun to say I played against them."

Mayo, rated the top junior in the nation, is one of "those guys." The 6-foot-5 point guard wasn't at his best last night, due in part to foul trouble. He picked up three personals in the first half, including a technical for griping to an official. He got his fourth foul early in the third quarter and went to the bench for five minutes.

South Laurel took advantage, building a 43-37 lead in his absence. But the Cardinals couldn't hold on.

Mayo came through in the clutch, hitting six straight free throws in the last minute to help NCH hold on. He finished with 18 points and five rebounds. "It was a whole lot closer than I thought it'd be," Mayo said. "That's the first time we've been in that situation -- down a few points -- but we came together as a team."

Bill Walker, a 6-6 power forward also rated among the top juniors in the country, had 12 points and seven rebounds. And 6-11 junior Keenan Ellis had 14 points and six boards as NCH improved its record to 13-0.

South Laurel was led by juniors Trey Smith (18 points, six rebounds) and Jordan Hammonds (18 points, five rebounds). Senior Allen added 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Cardinals opened the game shaky, falling behind 19-5 as Mayo and Ellis broke free for two dunks apiece. "The key to winning any athletic contest is having no fear," South Laurel Coach Steve Wright said. "I thought we were shook a little early, but I was proud of the way we battled back.

"This is really going to help us come tournament time. We played a tough game (Friday night against Lafayette), and came back and played pretty well here."

Mayo, whose NCH team has a showdown with No. 1 Oak Hill Academy in a few weeks, was asked if any colleges are atop his recruiting wish list. "Right now I'm wide open to everybody," he said.

Does that include UK? "Kentucky is a great school, one of the top schools in the country, so of course any player is going to look at them," he said.

01/17/06:
NCH Beats Taft

01/08/06: NCH vs Canton McKinley from Prep Hoops Online

12/27/05: Tommy Amaker from Michigan attended the Compton Dominguez - NCH game, per PrepSpotlight.com

12/23/05: "Mayo, the high school phenom from Cincinnati North College Hill more than lived up to his billing Thursday night at Cerritos College, scoring 30 points in an 89-62 victory over North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake. But it was Walker, a fellow junior for the Trojans who wowed the crowd with thunderous dunks and complete control of the paint, which also included Harvard-Westlake center Alex Stepheson, a North Carolina bound senior.

Walker, ranked No. 2 in the nation in his class behind Mayo, finished with 34 points and 15 rebounds. His three highlight reel dunks in the third quarter helped North College Hill outscore Harvard-Westlake, 24-18, and take a 63-47 lead." - LA Times

12/21/05: Article in Cincy Post

12/20/05: North College Hill wins big over St Xavier HS 87-49. Tubby Smith attends the game. - Mike Ryan

12/12/05: Stardom can be a double-edged sword
Huntington Herald Dispatch
December, 12, 2005

Alisha Mayo would be the last person you'd think would fear seeing her idolized son come back to Huntington to play basketball in his hometown.

Huntington, however, isn't any different from Cincinnati or Columbus or wherever North College Hill High School takes her 18-year-old son, O.J. Mayo, next. Every place the prep basketball superstar goes there are thousands of people waiting for his autograph and who knows what else.

"I don't go to every game, but I make it to the majority of them," said Alisha Mayo, who still lives in South Point even though O.J. has lived with his AAU coach, Dwaine Barnes, in Cincinnati for the last two and a half years. "It's scary. It just scares me. You don't know who's true and who's not. You have to keep your guard up here (Huntington), too. The same people that might like you might not really like you."

It's not because she dislikes Huntington or the Tri-State. it's because the people here fawn over her boy just like people from any other place. And that is odd and scary for a mother of three. And wondering what they want from her oldest son makes it even more puzzling.

O.J. Mayo grew up in Huntington. By the time he was 14 he was already a hoops prodigy. When he transferred from Ashland's Rose Hill Christian Academy after his eighth grade year to Cincinnati's North College Hill the reasons were basketball-related, but it wasn't that cut and dry. His AAU coach lived there, but from hearing his mother's fears it's obvious she believes he's safer away from home. At North College Hill and in Barnes' care he can be insulated from media exposure and crazed fans as much as possible.

She liked having O.J. at home for the weekend with North College Hill playing at Veterans Memorial Field House, but his homecomings also scare her because of the attention he attracts.

"It's not too tough because it's only three hours away, and he drives me crazy when he's here," Alisha said after Mayo and NCH annihilated Wellston, 138-34 on Saturday. "He just tries so hard, sometimes he tries too hard. You just have to play your game. Putting on a show will get you hurt."

Alisha Mayo has heard the rumors of her son coming back to finish his high school career in his hometown where he tries so hard to impress the locals. Not only does she trust his best interests are to stay in Cincinnati, but she said there's not a chance of him playing for a high school in the Tri-State.

"High school, not a chance," she said.

What about Marshall University?

No comment. Not even a hint. And O.J. and fellow Huntington native and NCH teammate Bill Walker aren't talking about the rumors either.

But, they've heard them. They've heard how former University of Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins will replace Marshall coach Ron Jirsa -- even though Jirsa is under contract -- and bring the two Huntington natives with him. The rumors and questions are hardly fair to Jirsa or the high schoolers. But, the ultimate decision is up to O.J. Just like it was his decision to move to Cincinnati and become the next prep phenom.

"This is what he wanted," Alisha Mayo said. "He has wanted this since he was 9 years old. This was his dream. I'm behind him 110 percent, I just get nervous watching him with all these people."

Any mother who put herself in Alisha Mayo's position would have those same fears.

The potential for a meeting between North College Hill and Huntington High at next year's Border Battle wasn't very assuring from the way Mayo and Walker talked.

Both said they'd welcome a game against their old friends and YMCA teammates, but neither said they expect it to happen. Mayo wants next year's games to be played at the Cam Henderson Center instead of the Field House.

Mel Wulfekamp, the promoter and organizer of the Border Battle the last two years said Huntignton High was extended an invitation to play in the game the last two years. Last year, the notice was too late because Huntington already had a full schedule. This offseason, Wulfekamp said Huntington had reasons for not accepting that he didn't understand but wouldn't elaborate.

Huntington would not have been able to play in this Border Battle because West Virginia teams can not begin playing until Dec. 13, but the date may have been changed or they could have played in the later Border Battle in Charleston in January when NCH will play Beckley Woodrow Wilson. But even then fitting it into the schedule is difficult for a Mountain State Athletic Conference team that is tied into 15 conference games.

But all along next year would have made the most sense for a potential meeting between the Ohio Division II champs and the West Virginia Class AAA champs because any fears that other Huntington-area players would leave for North College Hill would no longer exist because Huntington's top players would be seniors.
- Huntington Herald



12/11/05: Mayo, Walker lead team to 104-point win
Huntington Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON -- O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker came back home for the second time in two years and gave the packed Veterans Memorial Field House crowd plenty of dunks and highlights to drop their jaws about in a 104-point victory over Wellston on Saturday.

The top-ranked juniors in the nation and Huntington natives combined for 20 dunks in only three quarters of play in a
138-34 win for North College Hill (3-0). Mayo scored a game-high 33 points, and Walker had 18 while battling leg cramps, neither played the entire fourth quarter.

That didn't stop the two from staying after the game to sign autographs for hundreds of kids, fans and players from one of the three other teams to play in the second annual Border Battle.

12/9/05: From a Marshall message board -
"I'm listening to SportsTalk here on WIRO and Paul Swann has OJ Mayo and Bill Walker on. Swann asked Mayo about the rumors of him and Walker coming to Huntington to play for the Herd. Mayo said 'Marshall is still one of our main focuses.' He then said that the two always had dreams of leading Marshall to a National Championship. Mayo said that he was still thinking about MU whether Huggins was here or not."


12/9/05: "Mayo is all grown up"

Heath Thomas remembers as an 8-year-old how the opposing team of 9-year-old basketball players walked with an extra year or two of confidence. Then Thomas' teammate, O.J. Mayo, walked in.

"At 8 years old, O.J. was dunking in warmups on eight and a half foot rims," said Thomas, now a senior forward on the Huntington High School basketball team. "The 9-year-old team came in thinking they were going to blow us out because they were a year or two older than most of us, but O.J. dunking in warmups was intimidating.

"O.J. scored 37 points that game as an 8-year-old. We probably had low-50s as a team."

Ovington J'Anthony Mayo is all grown up now, just 34 days after turning 18. Mayo's adolescence was fast-forwarded from the moment he stopped playing Huntington YMCA Buddy League basketball. By age 14 he was playing high school basketball for Rose Hill Christian Academy in Ashland as a middle school seventh-grader. He made national headlines that year (2002) and two years later transferred to Cincinnati's North College Hill High School where he evolved into the anointed next LeBron James, a former Ohio prep star who went directly from high school to the NBA. By then, much like NBA stars Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Kevin Garnett he was simply known by his initials -- O.J.

North College Hill is the defending Ohio Division III champion, and the Trojans defeated Ironton in last season's state finals.

This weekend's showcase is nearly as anticipated by the O.J. following as last year's initial homecoming. Last year, the Trojans defeated mismatched Parkersburg South and Lexington Bryan Station at the Field House by 40 and 35 points respectively.

Mayo and Walker, now household names nationally, have their pick of college programs. The city's Prodigal Sons are ranked No. 1 and No.2 in the nation's junior class of college basketball prospects. But, they originally made their name wowing grade school crowds at the YMCA and local gyms. Early on, coaches and parents knew they'd one day be can't-miss basketball recruits.

"One game I remember was when I was 11 years old and I was playing against him in an all-star game," Thomas said. "The game was really close and tied with six seconds left, but O.J. hit a shot at the buzzer.

"It was a fadeaway from the corner and a play that you would not expect a kid at our age, 11 years old, to make. In the 11-year-old age group we were playing in front of 2,000 or 3,000 people, and it was just crazy. I still have never seen anything like it."

George Smailes was the Huntington YMCA associate director almost a decade ago when Mayo and Walker were dominating Buddy League play, which Smailes directed.

"O.J. put in the work and played AAU back then," Smailes said. "He basically almost played year-round basketball. And for someone that dedicated and hardworking, it's no surprise what he's doing now.

"He was a very nice young man and child. He was very respectful."

That is what impressed Smailes the most about the future phenom. And, he said all of the players in the Buddy League during that era, Walker included, were respectful and easy to coach.

"For those guys to be ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in their class is just amazing, especially coming from a small town like this," said Scott Archer, Walker's Buddy League coach. "You don't really know when they are 11 years old where they will eventually go, but I remember (coach) Fred Aldridge telling me when O.J. was 7 that there was this kid named O.J. coming up and that he wanted to draft him first. Those two guys were just kind of a step above their age group."

Huntington hasn't been completely abandoned of talent with the exodus of Walker and Mayo. The majority of Huntignton High School's 2005 Class AAA state championship team -- Parks Ward, Tanner Wild, Adam Yeager, Wes Clayton, Thomas, Chris Early, Patrick Patterson, Michael Taylor and Jamaal Williams -- all played in the Buddy League at the same time. Many of that group also played AAU basketball with Mayo and Walker until their transfer to Cincinnati, and Taylor and Williams were their teammates at Rose Hill.

"I'll be there Saturday and Sunday," Taylor said. "The memory that sticks out most for me was the first time we ever met, and I had wanted to watch him (Mayo) play because already people had been talking about him. I got to watch him and Bill play, and they were my role models. I kind of looked up to them. O.J. was dunking already on the Buddy League A team, so you knew he was going to be good."

Patterson and Taylor are also NCAA Division I basketball recruits, making Huntington one of the latest hotbeds for prep talent. But the media attention Mayo and Walker have generated the last four years is almost unparalleled for the area.

Today, Mayo and Walker are insulated from much of the exposure by Mayo's uncle, Lamar Ziegler, and AAU coach Dwaine Barnes, their guardian in Cincinnati, and the coaches and administrators at North College Hill. Interviews are hard to come by -- even for national beat writers such as ESPN.com's Pat Forde.

Forde's article several weeks ago on ESPN.com detailed the run around involved in trying to set up an interview with the coveted players because of the shoe companies and handlers that surround the NCH program. Forde is still waiting.

Mayo's mother, Alisha Mayo, lives in South Point, Ohio. His father, Kenny Ziegler, is a Huntington native who played basketball for the old Huntington High.

O.J. still makes visits to his hometown other than just to play in the Battle of the Border.

But the hopes and dreams of him one day returning to play full-time in his hometown at Huntington High are unlikely despite wishful thinking and rumors that he and Walker might make one more transfer.

"It's no disrespect to anyone, but I need to talk about the guys I have -- not the ones I don't have," said Huntington High coach Lloyd McGuffin in regard to Mayo and Walker. "To have that much talent in one area, especially not being a huge area, is kind of coincidental. But O.J.'s just so down to earth and everybody wants to see them do well."

For now, the local legions of O.J. fans must settle for yearly visits at the Field House. A return next year against Huntington High is in the works.

"I'm sure he has people watching him and protecting him ... but he's still the same nice, respectful kid I remember," Smailes said of occasional visits by Mayo to his old YMCA stomping grounds. "He always talks, shakes hands and signs autographs. He is great with the little kids."

The media exposure may have created a mystical and elusive persona, but Huntington friends and coaches of Mayo and Walker say not much has changed.

Chances are they'll still be dunking on opponents Saturday and Sunday, only now they're the same age as their opponents and the rims are 10 feet tall.

11/30/05:
Big article on the CNN SI website today.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/basketball/more/11/30/hs.extras/

Excerpt -
I heard a lot of speculation about where O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker will attend college, none of it from informed sources, but there was one rumor [repeat, this is a rumor. - ed.] so juicy it stood out. Bob Huggins was said to have the inside track on O.J. and Bill (they have said they will go to college together) before he was fired at Cincinnati. As has been reported, he continues to speak with the boys even though he is not recruiting them to a specific school. If he has any sway over them (and some speculate that he was the one who convinced O.J. and Bill's AAU coach to move them closer to Cincinnati) then he could use that as leverage in getting a new job.

Which school would appeal to Huggins as well as the boys? "How about Marshall?" speculated one person who said he has spoken to Huggins. "Huggins is from West Virginia and so are O.J. and Bill."

Current Marshall coach Ron Jirsa is entering only his second season and certainly deserves more time to turn around the program. But would Marshall dump him at the chance to grab Huggins with the understanding that, after one season, he would bring O.J. and Bill back home to Huntington? I hope not, as it would be a disservice to Jirsa, but if Huggins can indeed deliver O.J. and Bill, it will be interesting to see what schools line up to hire him. - CNN SI


10/27/05: "O.J. Mayo and the North College Hill boys' basketball team will play two-time defending USA Today poll champion Oak Hill Academy (Va.) on Saturday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m.) at US Bank Arena downtown. Taft will play Dayton Dunbar at 6:15 p.m. at US Bank Arena the same night, on the final weekend of the 2005-06 regular season. Ticket details should be announced by December. The NCH-Oak Hill game has been in the works since April, and NCH athletic director Joe Nickel today confirmed the final agreement." - Groeschen, Enquirer.com

10/16/05: "A local basketball coach, one with serious AAU connections, recently swore to me on a stack of Reeboks that O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker would have committed to the Cincinnati Bearcats had Bob Huggins not been ousted." - Groeschen, Enquirer.com

10/12/05: Pat Forde (Louisville CJ) article that mentions Mayo.

10/11/05: There are rumors and one report of an altercation between Mayo and another NCH student on Saturday and again on Monday. However on tonight's news in Cincinnati, >none< of the local stations had any mention of it (and I checked them all). Also, neither local newspaper has made mention of an incident. WLWT has a report on their website. I wont be posting anything else on the incident unless if affects Mayo as a basketball player. - Mike Ryan

09/17/05: "we still think (Mayo and Walker) will end up playing for former Cincinnati head coach Bobby Huggins year after next." - HoopScoop (4 to 1)

09/15/05:
Q: "With Huggins getting fired, what are the chances of the Bucks landing OJ Mayo?
Andy Katz: Strong. But don't count out Louisville and Kentucky, too. It appears Mayo could stay close to home and the Kentucky schools are just as close to Cincinnati. I wouldn't rule out the Bearcats in the chase but it depends on who gets the job." - ESPN.com

08/24/05: "O.J. Mayo still has the Cincinnati Bearcats on his list of college choices, but they're not quite as high now. Mayo, the North College Hill star who arguably is America's top- ranked high school junior, said Tuesday that Bob Huggins' departure could hurt the University of Cincinnati's chances of landing him in 2007.

"I'll still consider them on the top five of my list," Mayo said. "But it would make it a little more difficult for me to choose UC, because you'd have a new coach and new relationship, whereas me and Coach Huggins have had a relationship since seventh grade." - Enquirer.com

08/23/05: "We thought Huggins and his staff had a great shot to get 7'0 Jason Bennett from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL in their current recruiting class and that they also would likely get 6'5 Jr O.J. Mayo from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH and 6'6 Jr Billy Walker from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH in next year's recruiting class." - HoopScoop

08/17/05: "I like the Chauncey Billups comparison (for Mayo). I love Billups' game (one of the best point guards in the league right now), but I expect Mayo to be even better." - Jerry Meyer, www.RivalsHoops.com

08/17/05: "Indiana University's incoming freshman basketball players will be in action Monday at Milan High School. Ben Allen, Joey Shaw and Earl Calloway will be playing in the Indiana University Recruit Game presented by Indiana Elite AAU. The game will start at 7pm. Along with the three Hoosiers, high school juniors O.J. Mayo, Keenan Ellis and Bill Walker, all from Cincinnati's North College Hill, will also be playing." - www.MadisonCourier.com

08/17/05: Listed as the #1 player in his class. - www.RivalsHoops.com

08/12/05: Listed as the #1 player in his class. - www.ScoutHoops.com

08/11/05: "His combination of size, strength and athleticism are everything you are looking for in a point guard. . . " - www.DraftExpress.com

08/09/05: DeCourcy on Mayo
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=7676

08/03/05: "Mike Krzyzewski is a good coach at Duke, but how good would he be at a school like FAMU without top players?" Mayo said. "If a coach can do good without great players, what could he do with players that could go to any school? (FAMU's) Coach Gillespie is a born winner. He just needs the opportunity to get the right players. He could show the world that, no matter how small the school, if you want to win you can beat anybody." - Tallahassee Democrat

08/01/05: "The charismatic point guard from North College Hill High School in Cincinnati, led the camp in scoring for the majority of the week. He got everyone's top game and wasn't afraid of any challenges. As great as Oden was, the people came to see Mayo." - www.RivalsHoops.com

08/01/05: "This kid has all the tools to be a dominant, Gary-Payton-in-the-mid-90s-esque point guard in the NBA. However, to be successful at the prep level and to keep the hype machine rolling behind him, Mayo shoots the ball every chance he gets. He was one of the Reebok camp's leading scorers at over 22 points per game, but his shooting percentage was under 30 percent." - Sportsfan Magazine

07/30/05: "Cincinnati head coach Bob Huggins was here to watch 6'5 Jr O.J. Mayo from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH and 6'6 Jr Bill Walker from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH . . . " - HoopScoop (3 to 4)

07/27/05: "The D1 attack came primarily at the hands of O.J. Mayo, who showed he is the most complete player in the nation." - www.RivalsHoops.com

07/26/05: "The Cincinnati-based D1 Greyhounds advanced to the quarterfinals of the Big Time Tournament with an 89-66 victory against the New Mexico Force Gold. O.J. Mayo and Billy Walker led the Greyhounds with 19 points each and Deonte Vaughn had 17." - Cincinnati Post

07/24/05: "His numbers looked fairly good - 28 points and 7 boards - but Mayo looked like just another player on the court in the team's loss to the SoCal All-Stars." - www.ScoutHoops.com

07/24/05: ". . . it's obvious that he has a better feel for the game when he is playing his natural point guard position. But with Heath White and Indiana commitment Deonta Vaughn on the squad, Mayo has moved to the two guard." - www.RivalsHoops.com

07/23/05: "Mayo came out cold and never really got into a groove until late in the game when he knocked down a couple of 3-pointers that got his D1 squad back in the game in the closing minutes. The 6-foot-5 point guard scored 22 points but only connected on 9 of 24 shots from the field while turning the ball over three times to his one assist." - www.RivalsHoops.com

07/16/05: Named 1st team All American, regardless of class. - HoopScoop

07/16/05: "O.J. and Billy Walker could walk in as freshmen (in the fall of 2007, that is; both will be juniors next year) at any school and make you a Final Four contender immediately. If I had to bet, I'd bet they would commit to Cincinnati before the end of August. They didn't end up in Cincinnati (both are West Virginia natives who played high school ball in Kentucky before moving to North College Hill) by accident.

"But if Bobby Huggins is not there," continued Francis, "I guarantee you they're not going to Cincinnati. I know for a fact that O.J. and Billy told Bob Huggins at one point that if he had taken the West Virginia job, they would have gone with him. I really think Huggins could still end up at West Virginia in two years. Or let's say the Indiana job opens up. Huggins could be the coach there and bring Mayo and Walker with him.

"O.J. and Billy make Bobby Huggins pretty hot right now. It doesn't sound like he's too much of a lame duck to me. The best way to sum it up is that Bobby Huggins needs Cincinnati less than Cincinnati needs Bobby Huggins. Because a lot of people out there want to win." - Cincinnati Post

07/16/05: "Mayo and Walker -- who grew up in Huntington, W.Va. -- and Ellis list Cincinnati, Louisville and West Virginia as solid possibilities. But nobody -- including Pitt or Big Ten schools Penn State, Ohio State or Indiana -- has been ruled out. "Our families are getting ready to put together a list, and then we'll put it out," Mayo said. "I know I want to go to school, but I don't know about four years." The three players, considered NBA-caliber, were watched by West Virginia's John Beilein, Cincinnati's Bob Huggins, Indiana's Mike Davis, Pitt assistants and the crowds of more than 1,000 that packed every inch of floor space in WVU's Student Recreation Center." - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

07/11/05: Listed as the best PG at the Reebok ABCD Camp. - www.HoopMasters.com

07/10/05: Mayo's picture and an article are in this mornings NY Times.

"He is considered a symbol for the new generation of high school players, who under the N.B.A.'s new collective bargaining agreement can no longer directly enter the draft."
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/ncaabasketball/index.html

07/09/05:
Interview with Mayo and Sonny Vaccaro on Fox19 with Dan Hoard -

Dan Hoard: Sonny, you've seen all the greats at an early age. Where does OJ rank amongst them ?
Sonny Vaccaro: Near the top. And the reason that is is that OJ's been a public figure longer than any kid I've ever been involved with. I knew about him in the 6th grade.

DH: OJ when it comes time for you to pick a school, what are going to be the key things that you consider ?
OJ Mayo: The fan base and the support. Basketball has a lot of ups and downs and its important to make sure you have the right people around you to make sure its ok and keep pushing.

DH: What is the liklihood that you and Bill will go to the same place ?
OJM: Yes sir thats 100% sure. We are definitely a package deal. It will be a team agreement wherever we go.

DH: And does Keenan Ellis figure in to that at all ?
OJM: Yes sir.

DH: So all three of you are likely to go to the same place ?
OJM: Yes sir.

DH: Some coach is going to be very happy.
OJM: (laughs) I hope so.


07/09/05: Listed as the 2nd best player at the ABCD Camp (behind Oden). - HoopScoop

07/09/05: "They watched Mayo have a down right bad game. For a guy that's been doing just about everything right all year long, Mayo found his kryptonite in Harris." - www.RivalsHoops.com

07/09/05: "O.J. is way better than me. I still have a lot of things to improve on. But O.J., I don't think he needs to improve much at all. He's already unstoppable." - Greg Oden, Memphis Commercial Appeal

07/09/05: Mayo on what schools he is in contact with: "None right now. I'm just a sophomore, gonna be a junior, so I haven't had the chance to talk to any schools." - ESPN

07/08/05: "In the evening, Mayo was simply outplayed by Paul Harris. Harris really brought the game to Mayo, and didn’t give him any room to drive to the basket. Mayo looked so intent on scoring, that he was forcing up threes and did not do a good job getting his teammates in the action. The evening was probably the worst I’ve ever seen Mayo play." - CollegeHoopsNet

07/08/05: "The North College Hill trio of Mayo, Walker and Keenen Ellis plans on attending college together -- but local recruiting power Ohio State appears to be fading off of their list after it landed its mammoth Class of '06." - CNN SI

07/07/05: Chat Transcript with Mayo
http://transcripts.usatoday.com/Chats/transcript.aspx?c=100&r=off

07/07/05: "Florida A&M, Syracuse, UConn, Louisville, Texas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia," Mayo said. "There's a good chance that Bill, Keenan, and I will play together," he said. "We're all real close and we talk a lot about it." - www.ScoutHoops.com (snip)

07/07/05: "On Wednesday, O.J. Mayo -- widely heralded as the best high school basketball player in the nation, regardless of class -- said he'd probably go to college with his prep teammate, Bill Walker." - Memphis Commercial Appeal

07/06/05: "Mayo scored 21 points, pulled down six rebounds, grabbed five assists and helped lead his team to a crushing 85-58 victory." - www.RivalsHoops.com

07/06/05: "At the start I wasn't a fan of the (new NBA 19) rule because there are some kids good enough to go, but I don't look at myself as one of them. The people I worry about are O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker. They're good enough to go right now." - Greg Oden, in the Bergen County Record

07/05/05: "The list for 6'5 Jr O.J. Mayo from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH includes Florida A&M, Connecticut, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Texas." - HoopScoop

07/04/05: Listed as the best player in his class. - www.ScoutHoops.com

07/03/05: "O. J. Mayo, a 17-year-old point guard who will be a junior at North College Hill school in Cincinnati, has a sturdy 6-foot-4 frame and is widely considered the top high school prospect in the country. But unlike previous prospects, Mayo knows he must wait another year - one year after graduation - to enter the NBA. He had plenty of people to tell him the news.

On June 21, the day the NBA and the union agreed in principle to a new collective bargaining agreement and a new 19-year-old age requirement, Mayo was at the National Basketball Players Association's Top 100 camp in Richmond, Va. "I had about 15 phone calls - a lot from college coaches," Mayo said by phone from Cincinnati.

Mayo said he was not disappointed by the age change. "It didn't affect me - I was wanting to go to school anyway," he said, listing Connecticut, Louisville, Florida A&M, Cincinnati, Texas and Syracuse as his top choices so far. But, he added, "the whole point to going to college, to get a degree, is to make money afterwards."

The camp at Virginia Commonwealth, run by the union for 11 years, focuses on life skills, as well as basketball. The classes, Mayo said, are about "making the right decisions, how to deal with girls and SAT prep, and NBA players come to talk to you." But he said he remembered the conversations on the court even better. Point guards Raymond Felton, the Charlotte Bobcats' fifth pick, and the Grizzlies' Jason Williams were at the camp, and Mayo played one-on-one with them.

"Me and them were really going at it - I did real good," he said. Everybody was watching. It kind of let you know you can play with them." Not for another three years. - NY Times

06/26/05: Named best overall player at the NBA Players Assoc Top 100 Camp. - HoopScoop

06/25/05: "However, the best recruiting class that might be on the horizon for a Division I school in the Buckeye State may eventually belong to Cincinnati, which very well could be the benefactor of the new age limit in the race for 6'5 Soph O.J. Mayo from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH, 6'6 Soph Bill Walker from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH, and 6'10 Soph Keenan Ellis from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH." - HoopScoop (2 to 3)

06/25/05: Some of the folks in attendance at the camp have begun to refer to the festivities as "Camp O.J." - www.PrepStars.com

06/24/05: "May have eclipsed Greg Oden as best high school prospect, or is at least 1A! - www.HoopMasters.com

06/23/05: "Effortless step back threes from NBA distances, cloud piercing jams, steals and no-look passes, Mayo did everything." - HoopMasters.com

06/23/05: "Not only is Mayo clearly a man among boys, but he runs the show, scores whenever he wants, has a great court demeanor, competitive drive, amazing skills, an incredible basketball IQ, and a tremendous work ethic." - HoopScoop

06/23/05: "While 99% of the camp ventured off the lunch, O.J. Mayo stayed after to launch jumpers with an instructor. Gotta love the big timer who is willing to work." - www.ScoutHoops.com

06/23/05: "On top of the phenomenal talent, Mayo is also a tireless worker in the drills, and a leader both on and off the floor. Coaches and trainers throughout the camp are singing his praises for the effort he's given thus far." - www.RivalsHoops.com

06/23/05: "Rising junior O.J. Mayo of Cincinnati is a brilliant talent, but he'll have been playing against high school players for six years by the time he finishes up at North College Hill High. He would greatly benefit from testing his skills against college players and coaches." - DeCourcy, Sporting News

06/23/05: "So, who's chasing Mayo? Try Ohio State, Illinois, Texas, UConn, Louisville, Cincinnati and Indiana for starters. And, for the record, Mayo always lists Florida A&M. Always." - www.ScoutHoops.com

06/23/05: "This was possibly the best game we’ve seen him play since April. He was smoking jumpers from all over the place and his ability to score with talent on the court is impressive." - www.ScoutHoops.com

06/23/05: "Most high schoolers asked said the rule would drive them to college rather than to Europe, prep school or the NBA Developmental League. "You never can stop learning," Mayo said. "In college, you have a lot of conflicts, a lot of media attention, and everyone is working hard. There's definitely a lot to learn there." - Baltimore Sun

06/22/05: "Bob Huggins: The Cincinnati coach has been undermined by president Nancy Zimpher, who has limited his contract through the 2006-07 season -- but our guess is Huggins will land Mayo for 2007-08. And if Huggins lands Mayo, Zimpher will be fired before Bob Huggins." - Doyel, Sportsline.com

06/20/05: "The age limit for entering the draft will increase from 18 to 19 (plus one year removed from high school)." - NBA.com (1 to 2)

Therefore -
Mayo would >not< be eligible for the 2007 draft since all HS'ers are required to wait one year. Otherwise, his 19th birthday in Nov of 2006 would have allowed him to declare for the draft if they had not inserted the 'Plus One Year' aspect of the rule.
http://www.nba.com/news/cba_050621.html


06/17/05: Named First Team All American by Slam Magazine. (First team also included Oden, M Ellis, G Green and J McRoberts)

06/17/05: "They know I have two more years. I'll be 19 when I graduate and I'll be 20 when I enter the draft so it's not something I think about. Right now, I'm just working on my skills." Making no secrets about his desire to enter the draft early, Mayo said recruiting isn't something he deals with as much as peers." - www.RivalsHoops.com

06/14/05: "How offensively skilled is the 6-4 Mayo? (Paul) Harris' defense on Mayo couldn't have been any better yet the junior-to-be
from Cincinnati scored 31 points despite missing the final five minutes of the second quarter while receiving five stitches over his right eye, courtesy an inadvertent elbow from Harris (who was dribbling against Mayo's defense at the time)." - Frank Burlison, FrankHoops.com

06/13/05: Mayo averaged 2.5 >more< steals per game than the 2nd place player. (Mayo - 6 spg, Jackson - 3.5 spg)

06/13/05: "Mayo certainly helped himself last week in the eyes of the NBA. One personnel guy who was there told me early in the week he was not on the Mayo bandwagon. As Mayo was in the midst of scoring 31 points in the final, despite having five stitches over his right eye, I looked over at the guy and asked if he was now a believer. He nodded affirmatively and mouthed the word, "wow." Couldn't have said it better myself." - CNN SI

06/13/05: "Mayo led the tournament with a 27.5 scoring average. He also averaged a tournament-best six steals per game. It was his defense, however, that sent him to the training room for an entire quarter in the championship game. Mayo said he was playing tight man defense when he took an elbow to the face from USA White's Paul Harris just before halftime, which opened a gash above Mayo's eye that required five stitches. He returned in the fourth quarter, but by then, the Blue squad trailed by double digits." - Enquirer.com

06/12/05: "Someone finally found a way to stop O.J. Mayo. You elbow him above the eye and open a deep gash. Mayo had to leave the men's basketball championship game at the 2005 International Sports Invitational last night with three minutes left in the second quarter while doctors numbed that side of his face and administered five stitches. His USA Blue team trailed by five at the time. By halftime the deficit was 12, and USA White was on its way to a 107-85 win." - San Diego Tribune

06/11/05: "Mayo is the festival's leading scorer, averaging 26.3 points to go with four assists per game. He scored a game-high 29 points in Blue's 96-74 semifinal victory over the Red late Friday night." - www.IndyStar.com

06/10/05: "While Mayo will only say that he's looking at Big East, ACC, Big 12 and Big 10 schools, Walker rattled off some schools of interest with a little prodding. He noted Cincinnati, West Virginia, Louisville, Texas, Wake Forest, North Carolina and UConn. But he made it clear that it was far from a final list." - CSTV.com

06/10/05: "Leading the way once again for the Blue squad was the No. 1 ranked player in the class of 2007 O.J. Mayo, who poured in 25 points. Not only did Mayo lead his squad in scoring, he also lead the Blue with 6 steals and 4 assists. The only downside of his performance was some careless ball handling, resulting in 8 turnovers." - www.RivalsHoops.com

06/10/05: "O.J. Mayo has been named to the Slam magazine first-team All-America squad for the 2004-05 prep basketball season. Mayo, who will be a junior at NCH, also was named America's "Best High School Junior" in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated For Kids." - Enquirer.com

06/09/05: "Led by O.J. Mayo's 25 points, the USA Blue squad dismantled New Zealand 118-57." - www.RivalsHoops.com

06/09/05: "If they put an age limit into the collective bargaining agreement that is supposed to be renegotiated this summer, then it's our guess that both of them will end up at the University of Cincinnati." - HoopScoop

05/30/05: "We also found it extremely interesting that the first school mentioned by both 6'5 Soph O.J. Mayo from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH and 6'6 Soph Bill Walker from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH was the University of Cincinnati. Just imagine what would happen if they both made early verbal commitments to the Bearcats with the stipulation that they will come to Cincinnati only if Bobby Huggins is going to be their coach. The rest of Mayo's list included Louisville, Connecticut, Texas, North Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Florida, Texas A&M, and Ohio State. - HoopScoop

05/30/05: "In a throttling of the Jazz, Mayo scored 34 points, including 25 in the first half. He then paced the Hounds with 22 in the Select title title." - www.ScoutHoops.com

= = = =
05/29/05: Charlotte Observer
North College Hill athletics director Joe Nickel was skeptical when he was told the next LeBron James was transferring to his high school in Cincinnati. Nickel had watched James, now an NBA All-Star with the Cleveland Cavaliers, play before James jumped directly to the pros. "My gosh, can you imagine having somebody like that at your school?" Nickel remembers thinking.

After having Mayo in school for two years, Nickel understands the hype.

North College Hill used to attract 200 to 250 fans to games, in a gym that seats 950. This season the games were standing-room-only, the gym was hot, and the similarities between Mayo and James have become obvious. Both have been Mr. Basketball in Ohio and display ability and maturity beyond their years.

James was the top player in his class before the Cavaliers selected him No. 1 in the 2003 draft. Most analysts rate Mayo the top player in the class of 2007. "He's just a great player," Mayo said of James. "He set the bar high for high school players. So hopefully I can just grab it and push it up an inch."

Mayo, a 6-foot-5 guard, is playing for the D-One Greyhounds this weekend in the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions AAU event in the Raleigh-Durham area. He displays excellent court awareness and passing ability, though he wasn't able to prevent the Greyhounds from losing to the South Carolina Celtics on Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Dwaine Barnes, Mayo's grandfather and AAU coach, joked that paranoia fuels Mayo's success. Mayo, 17, started playing basketball at age 10, and developed superior skills quickly because he was afraid other players were outworking him.

If Mayo goes to the gym to shoot 1,000 jumpers and doesn't think he has made more than half, he will shoot another 1,000. He might spend four hours at the gym instead of two.

Barnes said Mayo is under the mistaken impression that other players work as hard as he does. "I always say that there is a fine line between being paranoid and being on top of (stuff)," Barnes said. "He's protecting himself. He knows there are guys like him that can come along and jump past him. He's the lead horse in this class. He knows he's the one that's being chased."

Mayo said he plans to go to college instead of straight to the NBA. He considers himself "open" and doesn't have a list of favorites heading into his junior year. He handles his celebrity graciously; Nickel said Mayo and highly regarded teammate Bill Walker often stay long after games to sign autographs.

A white sweatband with a message of "RIP" around his head demonstrates that Mayo is playing with a heavy heart this weekend. Three friends -- Eddrick Clark, Dante Ward and Michael Dillon -- were shot to death May 22 in West Virginia along with a fourth teen, Megan Poston. The funeral was Friday. "It's all right," he said softly when offered condolences. "I'm good."

He is more than good on the basketball court, but Mayo said he is far from ready to proclaim himself the next LeBron James. He still is growing, having gained 11/2 inches and 13 pounds since last summer. He still wants to work a lot on his point guard skills, and Barnes wants him to work on his shot.

"O.J. is O.J.," Barnes said. "LeBron is LeBron. LeBron is great. O.J. is trying to get in position to one day be great." - Charlotte Observer
= = =

05/26/05: "Mayo mentioned Cincinnati, Connecticut, Indiana, and Louisville specifically when asked about his favorites." - InsideTheVille.com

05/25/05: Mayo and friends visit Bloomington. Three top recruits check out campus.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050525/SPORTS04/505250521/1002/SPORTS

05/22/05: "One of the best dunks of the AAU seasons occurred when a Greyhound player put the ball between his legs and tossed an alley-oop to O.J. who threw it down on a helpless defender." - ScoutHoops.com

05/18/05: "It would be very hard to choose UC if Coach Huggins isnt there. But they are definitely in my top 5". - OJ Mayo (paraphrased) on WXIX Sports

05/13/05: Invited to the 2005 Men's Youth Development Festival hosted by USA Basketball in San Diego from June 7-11th. - USABasketball.com

05/08/05: "The 6-foot-4 guard likes UConn and Louisville the most and lists Texas, Ohio State, Illinois, Florida State and Oklahoma State." - www.ScoutHoops.com

05/08/05: "Mayo scored in bunches evident by his near 30 points but he shot well below 40 percent from the floor. When his jumper is falling, it's a thing of beauty. However, his misses were poignant on Saturday because his squad needed two extra buckets to get the victory." - www.RivalsHoops.com

05/07/05: Listed as one of the top 12 players in the state - Rick Bolus

05/07/05: "O.J. showed the ability to beat anyone in the country off the dribble, shoot the ball from anywhere on the court, and make passes that only a few players on earth can make. Defensively, he is able to be a lockdown defender any time that he wants to. It was truly a thing of beauty to watch such a talented offensive player dominate on the defensive end as well." - www.DraftExpress.com

In case you are wondering, his birthdate is Nov 5, 1987.

05/06/05: The D1 Greyhounds play this weekend in the 'Southern Invitational' in Charlottesville VA.

05/06/05: "Greg Oden and O.J. Mayo, arguably the two highest-profile high school basketball players in the nation, had an AAU showdown in Fort Wayne, Ind., last weekend. Oden, a 7-footer who plays for Indianapolis Lawrence North and is considered the No. 1 player in the Class of 2006, had 17 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as his Indy Heat team beat Mayo's D1 Greyhounds 77-58. Mayo, a 6-foot-4 guard who plays for Cincinnati North College Hill and is rated the No. 1 player in the Class of 2007, had 27 points." - Lexington Herald



04/30/05: "On one play, Bill tipped a trey attempt prompting the ball to come a few feet short of the rim. Mayo jumps up and in one motion catches and throw the ball to Walker, who had already broke out for a fast break. Easy dunk for Walker." - Mike Ryan, Spiece notes.

04/29/05: "Greg Oden of Indianapolis, the top-rated junior in the nation who some are projecting to be the No. 1 selection in the NBA draft in 2006, and O.J. Mayo of Cincinnati, the top-rated sophomore in the country, are expected to compete in a tournament May 7-9 in Bolingbrook and the Bulls Training Academy in Lisle. The event will be hosted by coach Troy Johnson's Illinois Wolves AAU team." - Chicago Sun Times

04/27/05: Mayo and Walker have been invited to the NBAPA Camp, according to the Middletown Journal.

"The all-expense paid camp will feature a staff that includes current and retired NBA players, former college coaches and some of the nation's best high school coaches. College scouts will not be in attendance. The purpose of the camp is for players to not only experience basketball at the highest level, but also learn the ins and outs of the real world as a budding athlete.

(James) Dews will be joined by North College Hill stars O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker, along with Dunbar standout Daequan Cook, who has already committed to The Ohio State University. "I know all of them are good, just like me," said Dews. . . " - Middletown Journal

04/25/05: "O. J. Mayo was College Basketball News' choice for Most Outstanding Player (for the tournament) as he averaged 28.7 points per game, including a 42-point effort." - College Basketball News FYI - 2500 ball players competed in this event.

04/25/05: "Mayo scored 18 points in his semifinals loss but shot a very poor percentage against the ferocious defense of Tyrone Appleton. Appleton, who will prep next year, again and again forced Mayo into tough shots on move that normally produce easy looks at the basket." - www.RivalsHoops.com

04/25/05: "Not a single high-major head coach was watching O.J. Mayo's first playoff game of the day. Obviously no one is taking him very seriously in regards to college. (snip) If you’re looking to pinpoint what separates O.J. Mayo from your average sophomore sensation, ponder this: no one, maybe not even Greg Oden, has the kind of drawing power Mayo does. The bottom line is that right now he’s putting fannies in the seats." - www.ScoutHoops.com

04/24/05: "He's at his best with the ball in his hands, using his quickness and truly impeccable body control to finish at the rim. He's also a good shooter when he allows himself to be. In other words, he knocks in good looks from three and closer on those occasions that the degree of difficulty is less than 9.5. Mayo also is an outstanding passer who forces the issue and commits turnovers at times but also threads the seam beautifully.
His defensive instincts are top-notch, and against the Hoops he recognized a size advantage and operated unstoppably in the post. He's never going to be LeBron and never should be expected to achieve that level of greatness. That said, it wouldn't be a shock if he surpassed everyone -- including Greg Oden -- as the No. 1 prospect in the nation, regardless of class." - PrepStars.com

04/24/05: "Its hard to be the best player in your class for all four years of your high school career but so far so good for Mayo. If he learned one thing from King James its to be unselfish. He went off for 35+ and made some huge plays down the stretch for his club in an overtime win against the Celtics. Scoring is so easy for him and his passing game is effortless." - ScoutHoops.com

04/24/05: "Mayo went for 42 points, including 6 three-pointers. Most of his threes came from NBA distance. Speaking of the NBA, Mayo would be a lottery pick in this year's draft if he were available and he is making a strong case as the No. 1 player in the prep ranks regardless of class, putting him ahead of Greg Oden." - RivalsHoops.com

04/24/05: "Smith dismissed speculation that long-time prep basketball celebrity O.J. Mayo would play for Oak Hill Academy next season. "That won't happen," Smith said. "Not next year. I have no room. If they call next year, maybe." - Lexington Herald

04/21/05: "O.J. Mayo, probably the top player in the (Kingwood) field, is the headliner for the 2005 tournament. Just a sophomore (class of 2007), Mayo plays like a battle-tested college player. Many believe he's a lock to go to the NBA if the 20 year age rule does not go in play when his time comes around." - RivalsHoops.com

04/20/05: Walker, Mayo, Huelsman and the Greyhounds play in the 250+ team Kingwood Classic this weekend. Results of play can be seen here-
http://www.visionsports.com/HKC/2005/hkc_home.html

04/19/05: "Mayo, 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, is a great scorer with the same transition gear that former Longhorn T.J. Ford possesses. Mayo plays on both ends and has the ability to play the point. Mayo scores off the dribble as well as anybody who laces them up on the high school or college level." - OrangeBloods.com (Texas)

04/18/05: "the (Illinois) Wolves (AAU team) will host a tournament starring some of the top prep talent in the nation on May 7-9 at Bolingbrook High School and at the Chicago Bulls Training Academy in Lisle. "Greg Oden, the 7-footer, is coming," Johnson said of the prep-to-pro prospect from Indianapolis. O.J. Mayo and Billy Walker will be there, as well," Johnson said of a pair of highly-regarded sophomores from Ohio. Chicagoland's Derrick Rose, Jon Scheyer and Sharron Collins will also play at the event." - Peoria Journal

= = =
04/17/05: Named to USA Todays All USA Team with G.Oden, M.Ellis, J McRoberts and Louis Williams. Here is a quick Q&A from USA Today -
O.J. Mayo, 6-6, guard, North College Hill (Cincinnati)

Just the stats: Averaged 27.4 points and 7.8 rebounds. Only second sophomore named Ohio's Mr. Basketball. LeBron James was the first.

In 10 years I want to be doing what? "Playing in the NBA, helping win a championship."

Tell us about your first dunk: "I was in sixth grade. I put one down against an eighth-grader."

Greatest fear: "That I won't be successful."

NBA player who reminds you of yourself: Dwyane Wade.

Why do you wear No. 32? "Don't know, but I've worn it since the fifth grade."

Should there be an age limit in the NBA? "I don't think so because young players have shown they can dominate."

= = =
04/15/05: Mayo is on the cover of the new Dime Magazine
http://www.dimemag.com/content/COVERzoom_mayo.jpg

Article -
http://www.dimemag.com/feature.asp?id=1627

Most interesting part -

"In (LeBron) James, Mayo has found a friend and mentor. "I mean, who's had it worse with this kind of stuff than LeBron has?" Mayo says. "We talk once a week and he's always telling me, 'You're the truth. Keep doing what you're doing and you'll be where I am.' It means a lot coming from him. It's great having him to go to when I need advice."

"I know what kind of pressure OJ is facing," LeBron says. "All I tell him is that I'm here for him. I'm trying to help guide him and lead him in the right direction. He'll be alright though. He's a good kid."

Baron Davis lights up when asked about Mayo. "OJ is my dawg," he says. Davis says that he calls OJ all the time to ask about his grades and to keep up with what's going on in his life. He says Mayo has an "open invitation" to chill at his house whenever he wants."

"I've been coaching here for 26 years and we've traveled all over playing the country's best players and teams and OJ is right at the top of the best I've ever faced. Put it this way – you have to see him to believe him." - Toledo St Johns Head Coach, Ed Heintschel

- Dime Magazine

= = =


04/14/05: "An offer to OJ Mayo is really a matter of semantics. Hey, if that guy wants to come, you take him. HOWEVER, regardless of him saying he wants to go to college or not, schools are most certainly reluctant to waste time recruiting him unless there is an age limit. Look, his time for being offered will come but right now he's a victim of his own success." - Dave Telep, www.ScoutHoops.com

04/12/05: "North College Hill guard O.J. Mayo was the only sophomore named to the 20-man EA Sports All-American boys' prep basketball team, which was announced Monday. The EA Sports team is selected annually by the editors of Student Sports magazine, with this year's stars including 16 seniors, three juniors and Mayo." - Enquirer.com

04/11/05: I will keep this bio in the 'active' section because of its popularity, but at the rate Mayo is going, he can go pro straight from high school. The only thing that can stop him from going directly to the League is the "20 yr old rule" the NBA and NBAPA is proposing. - Mike Ryan

04/11/05: "Mayo and Walker teamed to lead their team to an undefeated record. Mayo used his sharp passing, sweet shooting, and dunks to get the attention of the fans. He has added close to 10 more pounds of muscle and grew an inch since last summer. We do not expect him to miss a beat this summer. Walker may have been the bigger crowd pleaser of the two. His thunderous dunks left fans wondering if Vince Carter had left the NJ Nets and joined the D-1 Greyhounds. He has added some more muscle and improved his ball handling and shooting. They are arguably the best duo in the country." - Breakdown Magazine

04/10/05: "North College Hill stars O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker are two of just five U.S. prep sophomores invited by USA Basketball to the 2005 Pacific Rim Sports Summit, June 8-11 in Seattle. The event will feature 40 top U.S. prep players, most entering their junior or senior year. In all, four U.S. teams will compete against young national squads from Canada, China, New Zealand and Russia." - Enquirer.com

04/09/05: Listed as the best player in the country in 2007. - ScoutHoops.com

04/08/05: "Mayo, a 6'5 204 lb. PG, is regarded by some as the best player in the country, no matter the grade. He doesn't really have any noticeable flaws. None. He has a very good handle, can stroke it from NBA three point range, and can create for others. (snip) In the full court ball handling drills that lead to NBA three pointers, O.J. handled the ball as if it was on a string and showed unlimited range. At one point, we counted him hitting 9 straight three pointers from NBA range (following which he missed one and then proceeded to hit 5 more in a row). Mayo did not have the usual (great) lift on his shot due to the ankle injury, but his mechanics were very impressive. (snip) Both I and Prerak Shah (the other DraftCity staff member in attendance) agreed that Mayo and Walker were more impressive than ANY of the players playing in the Roundball Classic. Only Gerald Green even came close." - DraftExpress.com

04/06/05: (interview snippet)
OhioPreps: Since you are planning on going to college, can you tell me what schools you are currently looking at?
OJ: No, not really. I'm just basically looking at conferences. The ACC, Big 10, and Big 12.

OhioPreps: Is it a done deal that you and Bill Walker are going to be a package deal wherever you decide to attend college?
OJ: Yeah, more then likely we are.
-Ohio Preps.com

04/03/05: Mayo was named Second Team, Parade All American. Mayo was the only sophomore listed of the 40 players on the four teams. There were five juniors listed. Parade All American teams have been selected since 1957, much longer than the McDonalds or Roundball Classic teams. - Mike Ryan
http://all-americans.parade.com/2005_boys_basketball.html

04/01/05: Highlights from Tom Groeschen's article in todays Enquirer.
- ... adds the Enquirer/Channel 9 Player of the Year award to his voluminous trophy case.
- "He's one of the top five players in the country, regardless of class," Francis said. "He sees the floor so well, finds the open man, and of course he shoots it awfully well."
- Mayo has two more years of eligibility.
- He's not transferring to national power Oak Hill Academy in Virginia or anywhere else.
- Mayo's workouts can total three to six hours a day during AAU season. During the school year, his daily routine includes an hour of weightlifting and at least two hours of basketball workouts. He generally takes 500 to 800 shots a day.
- Mayo also keeps his grades high, carrying a 3.2 GPA.
- from Enquirer.com

03/29/05: "There is little doubt in my mind that OJ can make the jump. The LeBron comparisons are way off base except for one thing: Mayo, like King James, can really pass the basketball. I think he'sa PG in the making. Unselfish, yet high-scoring is a rare and semi-strange characteristic. No way Mayo does what James did that fast in the NBA but we can't kid ourselves either. If he continues to progress (and he has for the last two years) then there is every reason to believe that at 6-4+ he'll be a high draft selection and a fine NBA player. He's very smooth, under control and his demeanor on the court is really outstandng. Now, he's got to stay humble and continue working but I'd bet a lot on him!" - Dave Telep, ScoutHoops.com

03/23/05: "Perhaps making up for the no-shows (at the Roundball Classic) was the presence of Cincinnati (OH) North College Hill's dynamic sophomore duo of O.J. Mayo and Billy Walker. The two were there to watch the proceedings and also got in a workout after the game participants left the gym. Not surprising was the fact that more than a handful of NBA guys hung around afterwards just to watch them shoot jumpers." - PrepStars.com

03/23/05: "He's a good kid...a fabulous talent. He's made a lot of progress since I coached against him as a junior high player. His talent speaks for itself, but I want you to know...he's a good kid, too." - Ironton Head Coach Roger Zornes (Ironton lost to NCH in the state final)

03/22/05: "This is a recap of Day 2 of the Roundball Classic. The two best prospects on the court today (only Gerald Green matched them) won’t even be playing in the all-star game: OJ Mayo and Bill Walker.

Two sophomore phenoms who play for the same high school team decided to drop in today. They shot around while the other players practiced, and after almost everyone left (except about 20 people), they put on a spectacular show.

Their play was so impressive that we will be devoting an entire article to them (including interviews with both Mayo and Walker), which will be coming out soon. Sadly, many of the scouts and GMs present (including Kiki Vandeweghe and Danny Ainge) were not present to marvel at Mayo and Walker. But they had enough to look at in the official practice." - DraftExpress.net


END OF SEASON
03/21/05: "Mr. Basketball O.J. Mayo had an assist on a critical basket and then scored the final four points for Cincinnati North College Hill in a 71-65 win over No. 2 Ironton. Second-team All-Ohioan Bill Walker had 19 points and 14 rebounds, with 6-11 center Keenan Ellis adding 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots. "We had a goal way back in November _ to play for the state championship," Walker said. "We did it. Now the goal is to get two more." Mayo finished with 22 points, six assists and three rebounds, despite carrying four fouls for most of the second half." - Dayton Daily News

03/20/05: "Mayo and top-ranked North College Hill won their first Ohio Division III state basketball title Saturday night, fending off No. 2 Ironton 71-65 before 14,749 fans at Value City Arena. Mayo, a 6-foot-5 sophomore guard, had 22 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals as NCH won the title it was forecast to win all season. (snip) The Mayo/Walker summer AAU teams have won seven national titles, but Saturday marked (their) first high school championship in four varsity seasons." - Enquirer.com

03/19/05: "Mayo also wowed spectators with his flashy ballhandling, with crossover dribbles and no-look passes. "He's Mr. Basketball, and he's supposed to be able to take over a game like that," Loudonville coach Mark Schlabach said. "That's a big challenge our kids were facing, against possibly the most talented team in the state and maybe the country." - Enquirer.com

03/19/05: "One question involved why Mayo wears jersey No. 32, which is the reverse of the No. 23 made famous by (LeBron) James and Michael Jordan. "When I was younger and playing point guard, I guess it was because of Magic Johnson," Mayo said. "I've just kept it since then." - Enquirer.com

03/18/05: "North College Hill dazzled the crowd with eight dunks and routed Loudonville 75-42 here today, in an Ohio Division III boys' basketball state semifinal game. NCH sophomore O.J. Mayo, named Ohio Mr. Basketball earlier this week, led the Trojans with 21 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two blocked shots and two steals. A crowd of 14,631 watched at Ohio State's Value City Arena, which seats 19,197." - Enquirer.com

03/17/05:
See this mornings Enquirer for two big articles on Mayo and NCH.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPT

03/16/05: Mayo was named Mr Basketball for 2005 in Ohio. "Mayo, a 6-foot-5 swingman, is the 18th winner of the AP's Mr. Basketball award, emblematic of the best player in Ohio as determined by a media panel from around the state. He becomes only the second sophomore to be selected as Mr. Basketball — the other was some guy named LeBron. Mayo averaged 28.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 3.4 steals for North College Hill (25-1) this season." - Assoc Press

03/16/05: North College Hill sophomore sensation O.J. Mayo deflected praise Tuesday night after being named Associated Press Division III player of the year for the second consecutive season. "It's not really me; we have a great supporting cast," Mayo said of his teammates.

The 6-toot-6 guard led North College Hill to consecutive AP poll titles and this season's Enquirer Divisions II-IV area poll title. Mayo, the Division III player of the year based on the recommendations of a statewide panel of sports writers and broadcasters, averages 28.9 points for one of the state's highest-scoring teams. "I take the most pride in really just being a team player and all-around player," Mayo said. "Of course, I wouldn't get the award if it weren't for my teammates." - Enquirer.com

03/16/05: "I thought he was the best player when I saw him last summer, regardless of class," said ESPN college basketball analyst Andy Katz, who saw Mayo play in AAU action in Las Vegas at the Big Time Tournament." - Enquirer.com

03/16/05: Sophomore O.J. Mayo — tabbed as "The Next LeBron" almost before the real LeBron was out of high school — headlines the 2004-2005 Associated Press Division III and Division IV All-Ohio basketball teams announced Tuesday. Mayo, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, has led Cincinnati North College Hill to consecutive AP poll titles and to this week's state tournament at Value City Arena.

Mayo, the Division III player based on the recommendations of a statewide panel of sports writers and broadcasters, averages 28.9 points a game for one of the state's highest-scoring teams. Of course, he played varsity basketball as a seventh and eighth grader across the river in Kentucky before transferring to North College Hill, which had won just two games the year before he moved in.

Just to take a look at his most recent game, Mayo had 29 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in Saturday night's 75-53 win over Middletown Fenwick. North College Hill (25-1) takes on Loudonville (22-3) in Friday's first semifinal. In the second game, Ironton (25-0) meets Archbold (24-1), with the winners meeting Saturday." - Assoc Press

03/13/05: "Mayo led NCH with 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Fellow sophomore Bill Walker had 17 points and nine rebounds." They beat Middletown Fenwick to move to the final four for Div 3.

03/11/05: "There was the first half, which was all Walker - 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting. Then there were the final nine minutes of the game, when Mayo went from having just two points to a total of 21, including 17 of NCH's 19 points in the final quarter." - Enquirer.com

03/07/05: Mayo and Walker are featured in the latest issue of Slam Magazine. The four page article includes some nice photos of them as well.

03/06/05: "West Liberty-Salem played a zone defense with one player chasing NCH star O.J. Mayo. The sophomore who averages 30 points per game did not react to the junk defense by trying to beat it himself. He did not even take a shot until the 4:45 mark in the second quarter.

"O.J. showed his patience and maturity," Mahaffey said. "He got everybody involved. He didn't force things. He took his shots. "And that's OJ. He does what's best for the team. He really doesn't outplay or overplay. He really a very controlled player, very smart player, very intelligent player. He knows what he wants to do and he'll do whatever it takes to win."

Mayo finished with 13 points but contributed eight assists and six rebounds. "Mayo's really good and Mayo showed how unselfish he is tonight," said West Liberty-Salem head coach Aaron Hollar. "He got his teammates involved." - Hilltop Press

03/04/05: NCH beat West Libery Salem 62-37. "Mayo, the D-III Southwest District Player of the Year, finished with 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds. While he drew the "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd early, it was fellow 6-6 sophomore Bill Walker who stole the show, recording game-highs of 22 points — including three thunderous dunks — and 12 rebounds. Walker dunked on the first play of the game. It clearly rattled the Tigers, who missed their first five shots." - Springfield Sun

02/27/05: Listed as the best player in his class, in the country.
"O.J. Mayo the 6-5 Jason Kidd-sized point guard from Cincinnati, OH North College Hill is still ranked number one nationally. This smooth point guard has size great vision, explosive quicks and (Unlike Kidd at this age) a sweet stroke from three that sets up his dribble drive or pass off penetration." - HoopMasters.com

02/22/05: Huggins attended the NCH game.

02/17/05: "Mayo is averaging 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals per game. Walker averages 20 points and 11 rebounds while Ellis, through seven games, is averaging 17 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. North College Hill is ranked The USA Today’s No. 10 team in the Midwest." - PrepSpotlight.com

02/10/05:
http://www.jjhuddle.com/stories/NCHProfile.htm

02/07/05: "(Tyler King) talks on the phone at least once a week with North College Hill (Ohio) phenom and good friend O.J. Mayo, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2007." - SchoolSports.com

02/06/05: "O.J. Mayo went for 27 points and eight assists as North College Hill (17-1) won at Huntington. Teammate Bill Walker added 20 points and 12 rebounds for North College Hill. NCH beat Parkersburg South (WV) HS 106-66. - Huntington Herald Dispatch

02/06/05: "This must have been what it was like for the Beatles upon their first return to their hometown Liverpool, England. The legions of locals likely flocked with hysteria to see their most famous natives. The Beatles returned from the States musical icons. O.J. Mayo returned to Huntington Saturday night already a 17-year-old basketball legend. And the atmosphere was frenzied with anticipation."
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/2005/February/06/LSspota.htm


02/05/05: "O.J.'s maturing more, shooting more consistent," Mahaffey said. "He's a more balanced player. He’s phenomenal. He's in the gym at 6am working by himself shooting 500 shots, he showers and goes to school while people are asleep. You have to be impressed by what he's done to get there."
"Mayo said he didn't have any favorite schools, but did have some conference preferences. "The ACC, the Big East, the Big 12," he said."
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/2005/February/05/LStop1.htm

02/01/05: "North College Hill, an Ohio Division III team, also played at the Civic Center in Charleston last Saturday night, and defeated Class AAA, No. 4 Beckley Woodrow Wilson, 81-67. O.J. Mayo led the Trojans (13-1) with 31 points and 13 rebounds, while 6-7 teammate and Huntington native Bill Walker added 31 markers (ed - "markers" ?). Both Mayo and Walker are only sophomores, and accounted for 82.7 percent of their team's points. The 6-5 Mayo is being billed the next LeBron James (now with the Cleveland Cavaliers), and [is] expected to be a lottery pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Against the Flying Eagles, he had 19 first-quarter points, including three treys." - Parkersburg News


01/31/05: Mayo Is Just Being Himself
Matt Lockhart, Charleston Daily Mail

O.J. Mayo is just trying to be a high school kid. Truth is, no one treats Mayo, the nation's top sophomore basketball player, like a high school kid. When he blinks, people notice. It has been like that since he was a seventh-grade Kentucky high school varsity star at Rose Hill Academy.


Guys like Caleb Faulkner are just high school kids. And chaps like Faulkner, who averages 25 points per game at Cross Lanes Christian, give proof Mayo isn't just a high school kid. "I played you at Rose Hill," Faulkner said, as the 6-foot-5 Mayo autographed his Border Battle program. "And you dunked on me." Faulkner wasn't alone in the scramble for nine pen strokes the Huntington native has perfected -- "No. 32 O.J. Mayo."

An eye-blink after Mayo shook the hands of the Beckley players his North College Hill team dismantled 81-64 Saturday at the Civic Center, some fans rushed the court while others slid across the scorers' table for a closer glimpse of the prep star with NBA potential. "Come on O.J.," North College Hill assistant Coach Cliff Green yelled, while Mayo signed stat sheets detailing his 36-point, 17-rebound night against West Virginia's defending Class AAA champions. "I'll be back," Mayo said as he tossed his red headband into a sea of kids grabbing at his jersey.

Mayo, who carries a pen in his jacket pocket, came back and signed basketballs, towels and jerseys for 30 minutes until everyone left. "He talks to trainers, coaches and fans," Green said. "He will even talk to you."

That last part is becoming a rarity for star athletes who would rather watch C-SPAN than talk to the media. "Yes sir," Mayo said after every question before a dozen reporters gathered near his Civic Center locker room. "It's not tough at all. I am just being me. Right now I am just trying to be a high school kid."

Fellow Huntington native Bill Walker, who had 31 points and 13 rebounds, sees how Mayo is all the time. So, Saturday was nothing out of the ordinary. "He is just a sharing person," said Walker, who is considered the nation's second-best sophomore behind Mayo. "That shows the kind of person he is."

NBA stars LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have seen Mayo play, but Saturday he had another visitor who overshadowed courtside occupant Brett Nelson. "We met Randy Moss," shouted 6-foot-10 sophomore Keenan Ellis. "He gave us his number to give to O.J."

Yeah, Moss was there, in the balcony. He ducked out when autograph seekers swarmed. "I met him once," Mayo said of the former Marshall football player. "He probably doesn't remember because I was 10." Now, it's hard to forget Mayo.

Signing autographs and talking to the media were just a few of the lessons he taught the crowd of 3,820. See, North College Hill, Ohio's top-ranked Division III team, was nowhere near full capacity against West Virginia's third-ranked Flying Eagles (11-3).

Mayo and Walker were the only varsity players available Saturday, because an altercation earlier this month left nine players and head coach Jamie Mahaffey suspended for the Border Battle.

So, for four quarters, a cramping Mayo directed a group full of JV players and a kid who had been the team's trainer on the court. In an unselfish way, he told them where to be, who to guard, when to pass and when to shoot. "I don't know if LeBron ever did that, but O.J. just did," Green said. It was nothing out of character for Mayo, a youngster with a win-first mentality.

"We (Mayo and Walker) wanted to coach our teammates because that is our future in two more years," said Mayo, who had a wet rag applied to his cramping right leg most of the second half.

When Mayo walked back onto the court after 30 minutes behind the scenes, it was like he had won an election. "Thanks for coming to Charleston," an elderly man told Mayo, while grownups took pictures of him on their cell phones and kids leaned over a table to get his signature. "It is always home in West Virginia," Mayo said. "I just live in Cincinnati." - Charleston Daily Mail


01/30/05: "O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker, heralded standouts for North College Hill, combined for 67 points to lead the Trojans to an 81-64 win over Beckley in the nightcap of the Border Battle I tripleheader Saturday night at the Charleston Civic Center. Mayo, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, pumped in 36 points and grabbed 17 rebounds while the 6-6 Walker totaled 31 points and 13 boards. Mayo had 19 alone in the first quarter. The dynamic duo did all of the work because the Trojans had nine varsity players sitting out as part of a two-game suspension for a fight in a game last week in Cincinnati. In attendance was Randy Moss of the Minnesota Vikings." - Huntington Herald-Dispatch

01/29/05: "When asked, jokingly, how he planned to stop sophomore sensation O.J. Mayo in tonight’s Border Battle, Woodrow Wilson’s coach fired right back. "Call LeBron James, maybe," Kidd said with a chuckle of his own." - Charleston Gazette

01/29/05: "Even with O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker the only regular starters playing in the game, North College Hill still had no trouble handling CHCA. After leading 37-22 at halftime, NCH held CHCA scoreless until only 8.6 seconds remained in the third quarter, while adding 27 points to their total. Mayo led all scorers with 28 points. He also had 15 rebounds, seven assists, six steals and two blocks. Walker totaled 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in only three quarters of action." - Enquirer.com

01/23/05: Scored 20 points in a win over Toledo St Johns
7-15 FGS 3-5 treys 3-3 FTS; 3 layups.
20 pts, 5 rebs, 3 assts, no dunks. (unofficial)
- Mike Ryan

01/21/05: "Scouts are saying the (high school) Class of 2005 will be the worst high school class (for basketball talent) in recent history. The class is so bad that the three best high school players in the country are two juniors and a sophomore, not seniors. Next year Greg Oden, a 7-foot, 240 pound junior from Indianapolis and Brandan Wright, a 6-foot-10, 220 pound junior from Nashville, Tenn., both appear to be locks for the top five. The year after that, O. J. Mayo, a 6-foot-5 sophomore point guard is projected as a high lottery pick." - Chad Ford, ESPN.com

01/18/05: Ticket info for Jan 29th game
http://dailymail.com/news/Sports/2005011831/
http://www.charlestonwvciviccenter.com/events.htm

01/15/05: Mayo had 26 and Walker had 23 in a win over CCD.
http://hacksports.com/Articles.2004.05/basketball.nch.ccd.1.15.05.htm

01/11/05: Mayo is averaging 31.6 points, 7.4 assists and 6.5 rebounds a game. His high game is 56 points.

12/31/04: Both Bill Walker and OJ Mayo are named two of the top five HS players in the country - regardless of class. - HoopScoop

12/22/04: Attended the No. 1 Beckley (WVA) versus No. 2 Huntington (WVA) game.

12/21/04: "Mayo, who was 10-of-31 shooting from the floor, scored 12 fourth-quarter points to finish with 31. . . " - Enquirer.com

12/21/04: Andy Kennedy attended the NCH - St Xavier game.

12/20/04: "The 'Border Battle' high school tripleheader on Jan. 29, including South Charleston High, but featuring sophomore sensation O.J. Mayo may be the ticket. Mayo, a Huntington native now playing in Cincinnati, has led North College Hill to a 7-0 start. He has had two triple-doubles and is averaging 27.1 points and 9 assists. On Friday night, he dropped 56 points on Lockland, an NCH school record, despite only playing one minute into the fourth quarter of a rout. Mayo had 21 in the first quarter." - Charleston Daily Mail

12/18/04: "O. J. Mayo scored a school single-game record 56 points and also had nine rebounds and eight assists." He also hit seven treys. - Enquirer.com

12/16/04: "O.J. Mayo, perhaps the top high school player in the country, told InsideTheVille that he plans to be in attendance for Saturday's game (against Kentucky), along with fellow high school teammates Billy Walker and Keenan Ellis. Although not many colleges are pursuing the multi-talented Mayo, there is a small, core group of programs that are involved with his recruitment. "Ohio State, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville Georgia Tech, and Texas," Mayo said of the school actively recruiting him. "That's really about it." - InsideTheVille.com

12/11/04: "Sophomore O.J. Mayo had a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists." - Enquirer.com

12/09/04: Listed by recruiting expert Rick Bolus as the top player in Ohio, regardless of class. Bolus bases his player rankings on college potential.

12/09/04: "The super sophomore duo of O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker led Cincinnati, OH North College Hill to an easy 90-37 win over Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy on Tuesday night. Mayo scored a game-high 40 points, while Walker added 12 points for the Trojans, who are off to a 4-0 this season." - HoopMasters.com

12/01/04: "Mayo led NCH, with 27 points, and 8 assists, while teammate Bill Walker finished the night with 24 points, and 11 rebounds. One more note on North College Hill, they had a big surprise for everyone else it the city, and state, as on their bench sat 7-0 center Keenan Ellis. Ellis, is RecruitingNation.com's #12 player in the class of 2007, and he has now transferred from Indianapolis' Cathedral High School, to North College Hill." - RecruitingNation.com

11/27/04: "Sophomore O.J. Mayo scored 34 points to lead North College Hill, the top-ranked team in the Enquirer Divisions II-IV coaches' poll, to an 81-57 victory over Badin at Fairfield Friday night. Mayo also had nine assists, eight rebounds and six steals." - Enquirer.com

11/26/04: As a sophomore, O.J. Mayo already might be the best player in Cincinnati, and also the state. The North College Hill star might have been the best last season, too. It all depends upon whom you ask. "O.J. is the best player in the state in any class," Wyoming coach Tony Gentry said. Gentry said that last season, after watching Mayo score 44 points on his team.

Mayo, a combination point guard/shooting guard, averaged 30.9 points a game last season. He finished third in the Ohio Mr. Basketball voting behind winner Jamar Butler (Lima Shawnee) and Andrew Brackman (Moeller). Butler is now at Ohio State, Brackman at North Carolina State.

Mayo has three years remaining at North College Hill. And, the area's second-best player might be in the same building. Bill Walker, like Mayo a 6-foot-6 sophomore, transferred with Mayo to NCH from Rose Hill Christian (Ky.). Mayo is rated the tri-No. 1 sophomore in America by Hoop Scoop analyst Clark Francis. Walker is No. 9 in that class.

NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey says that's all fine, but Mahaffey also remembers the 58-47 upset loss to Reading in last season's Division III sectionals. "We are a year older, but still young," Mahaffey said.

Mahaffey said Mayo and Walker both have improved their physical strength, but he said the Trojans overall remain green. Most of the team is still underclassmen.

Circle the calendar for Dec. 21, when North College Hill visits St. Xavier. Mayo, Walker and Wolf all will be in the house, which assuredly will be sold out. - Enquirer.com

10/29/04: Listed as the best PG in Ohio, regardless of class. - PrepSpotlight.com

10/15/04: Attended Midnight Madness at Cincinnati. - Mike Ryan

10/15/04: Listed as the #1 player in his class. - PrepStars.com

09/21/04: "Ranked the top player in the Class of 2007, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound combo guard from Cincinnati's North College Hill High School dominated in his first game, leading the D-I Greyhounds -- one of the nations top AAU teams -- to a 87-52 blowout over the North Carolina Bulls. Mayo, who is 17 years-old, scored a game-high 32 points and hit seven 3-pointers, including four in the first quarter. He drilled many of the shots well beyond the arc and with defenders in his face." - NCPreps.com

09/21/04: evaluators comments -
"He is more complete than the other top players in his class and is completely selfless. He has improved his shot and passes the ball well."
"The total package. He can play the 1, 2 and 3 but is probably best suited at point guard because of his playmaking abilities and unselfish style. He found open teammates near the basket all tournament long. Also able to knock down outside jumpers, break down defenders one-on-one and hit tough shots in the lane, he can dominate a game single handily." - NCPreps.com

09/20/04: Ignore the "next LeBron" hype and and focus on what makes the star of the '07 class so special. A 6-5 point guard - and yes, he seems intent on being a point man, despite the skills and size to play an effective two - Mayo has the handles, toughness, vision, range athleticism and intelligence to be a great PG. He's flashy, but not overly so, and shows the sort of maturity and poise that forces you to constantly remind yourself that he's got three more years of prep ball left." - Slam Magazine, issue 82

09/23/04: "The top players in NC, SC, and VA all attempted in vain to expose the weaknesses of both OJ Mayo and his crew. The Greyhounds first of all get props for even making the trip as they had to do so with only 5 players. You heard it right...5 players! No subs, no opportunity to foul out, and definitely no room for error. These guys got it done against legitimate competition without so much as a hard breath. There were several players regarded as high major prospects and many more who will soon receive such billing that individually could do very little to impede the progress of the basketball juggernaut known as the D-1 Greyhounds.

OJ Mayo is without question the best sophomore basketball player in the entire country. He toyed with every defender that was bold enough to breakdown in front of him and almost single handedly outscored every team that they faced. He was supported by the most exciting sophomore basketball player in the country 6'6 WF Bill Walker, 6'11 C Keenan Ellis, and class of 2008 PG Damon Butler.

The Greyhounds went 5-0 in the AFTERMATH II and were not played to any closer than a 20 point margin. A scrappy Charlotte Nets team featuring a sensational sophomore of their own the sharpshooting and lightining quick 5'10 Chad Tomko were the only team to actually posses a lead of any kind on the Greyhounds. The Nets took advantage of a some what fatigued Greyhound team that had played 2 games already that day and quickly regrouped to play a back to back game with D-ONE SPORTS 17U and the Nets. Even this was not enough to secure a win against this group of phenoms because after trailing for roughly half of the game OJ led a late run that saw a deficit turn into a 20 point lead in a matter of minutes." - d-oneSPORTSreport.com

09/15/04: "(Nike doesn't) need to pay anyone significant money until [6-foot-5 high school freshman] O.J. Mayo comes around," said Sonny Vaccaro, who now works for Reebok basketball after spending years in the marketing departments of Nike and adidas." - ESPN.com

09/06/04: "The New York Elite Invitational, sponsored by the Long Island Lightning, concluded three days of play on September 6th. The Gold Pool semifinalists were Playaz Basketball Club, GC Ballers of Buffalo, D1 Greyhounds of Cincinnati and, Long Island Lightning. The D1 Greyhounds defeated Playaz Basketball Club while Lightning topped the GC Ballers. The championship game was one of the best and certainly most interesting ever played at Island Garden. Lightning came from sixteen points down in the second half to hand the Greyhounds one of its few defeats ever! (actually, the Greyhounds had been 276-0 when playing within their own age group - Mike) O.J. Mayo lived up to his national reputation by averaging 35 points in the tournament, including 37 in the final game. The final score was Lightning 83 and Greyhounds 80. - NYCNJHoops.com

09/05/04: In conjunction with the 25th 'birthday' of ESPN, Mayo was mentioned on ESPN as one of the five athletes that will make a difference in sports in the next 25 years. Others mentioned were a HS hockey player acknowledged by Gretzky and the son of Nascars Mark Martin.

08/31/04: "Along with Oden, Caracter and senior guard Louis Williams, Mayo is among the nation's four best high school players. Mayo, whose combination of basketball skills, athleticism and intangibles are at the highest level, is thus No. 1 on our list (of 'Phenoms'). O.J. is followed, remarkably, by his high school teammate, 6-5, 210-pound sophomore combo forward Billy Walker, who when healthy is the premier straight-up leaper in the present high school ranks. While both Mayo and Walker reportedly are a year older than most sophomores, there's no denying that each is a truly unique talent." - HoopMasters.com

08/30/04: (Listed as the best player in his class). Leading the way for the 2007 class is combo guard O.J. Mayo. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound scorer came onto the AAU circuit with the D-1 Greyhounds already boasting a national reputation and only enhanced it with his exceptional play.

Known as a prolific score, Mayo can not only fill it up but has a well-rounded offensive game that includes a good handle, excellent court vision and a shot selection beyond his years. In addition, he rebounds his position well and is athletic enough to play above the rim when necessary. He’s as versatile as anyone in the country, regardless of class." - RivalsHoops.com

08/18/04: Listed as the best player in his class. - theInsidersHoops.com

08/09/04: "O.J. Mayo, 43 points for D1 Greyhounds vs. Los Angeles Stars, Reebok Big Time Tournament. Soon to be a sophomore at North College Hill High in Cincinnati, Mayo was playing against some of the best players from Los Angeles' Westchester High. Mayo displayed at least eight NBA-caliber moves. On one, he picked off a steal and changed directions at full speed with a behind-the-back dribble. My favorite involved a pass fake to the right that put his defender off balance, then a 360-degree spin-dribble to the left into a quick launch of a 3-pointer. The shot connected. Mayo left no doubt he is a future NBA point guard, and his performance suggested he might be the best prospect at the position in more than 20 years--since Isiah Thomas was playing at St. Joseph near Chicago." - DeCourcy, Sporting News

08/04/04: O.J. Mayo is on the cover of the August edition of Basketball Times.

08/02/04: "Most dazzling performance: O.J. Mayo, 43 points for D1 Greyhounds vs. Los Angeles Stars, Reebok Big Time Tournament. Soon to be a sophomore at North College Hill High in Cincinnati, Mayo was playing against some of the best players from Los Angeles' Westchester High. Mayo displayed at least eight NBA-caliber moves. On one, he picked off a steal and changed directions at full speed with a behind-the-back dribble. My favorite involved a pass fake to the right that put his defender off balance, then a 360-degree spin-dribble to the left into a quick launch of a 3-pointer. The shot connected. Mayo left no doubt he is a future NBA point guard, and his performance suggested he might be the best prospect at the position in more than 20 years -- since Isiah Thomas was playing at St. Joseph near Chicago." - DeCourcy, Sporting News


07/31/04: "I pattern my game after Baron Davis because he's capable of playing the one or scoring points at the two," he said. "He's a smooth combo-guard...that's how I see myself." - Mayo, in an article from HoopMasters.com

07/28/04: Listed as the second best player in the country, regardless of class. (Oden #1, Bill Walker #6, Daequan Cook #31) - HoopScoop

07/27/04: Impressive praise from former NCAA Head Coach and ESPN analyst, Fran Frischilla -
"Mayo is everything I heard he was. He is already one of the best players in the country in any grade. He is an excellent athlete with terrific basketball instincts that show up in outstanding change-of-direction ability and lightning-quick hands. He handles the ball and passes like a point guard (his likely NBA position) and scores like a shooting guard. Mayo already possesses the strength to get to the basket. He is not only an excellent shooter, but he also knows how to create the necessary space to get his shot off. This is something most players never master at any level. In a game I saw at the Reebok Big Time Tournament versus a very rugged Los Angeles Stars team, Mayo scored 43 points in a variety of ways. Yet, it was a "quiet" 43 points as he looked for open teammates and made good decisions with the ball. And when he got knocked down, he jumped right back up and made his free throws. He has terrific poise. While Mayo will turn 17 this summer and is an older rising sophomore, it does not matter. My sense is not a lot of colleges will waste time recruiting him and that he will be right at the top of the NBA's Class of 2007." - Fran Frischilla - ESPN.com

07/27/04: "Walker and O.J. Mayo, his North College Hill teammate, were both named to the all-tournament team. Mayo finished fourth overall in scoring with an average of 27.1 points per game." - CincyPost.com

07/26/04: "O.J. Mayo, regardless of his class, is probably the best guard in the country right now with the others being Louis Williams and Monta Ellis." - theInsidersHoops.com

07/26/04:
http://www.cincypost.com/2004/07/26/hoop07-26-2004.html

07/25/04: "He has been simply amazing at times here and is clearly trying to make a statement this week that he belongs at top of the sophomore class. - HoopMasters.com

07/24/04: "It was clear something special was going on inside Foothill High School's auxiliary gym Friday. The standing-room-only crowd gave it away.

That something special was O.J. Mayo, a 6-foot-6-inch sophomore-to-be at Cincinnati's North College Hill High School who is already considered one of the nation's top prospects. Many college coaching staffs have already given up on trying to recruit him.

Their assumption: Mayo will bolt to the NBA when his class graduates in 2007, so why bother spending time and money to keep tabs on him. But Mayo thinks that is a bit presumptuous. "My plan is to go to college first," Mayo said after scoring 43 points in the D1 Greyhounds' 80-75 loss to the Los Angeles Stars at the Big Time Tournament. "All this (NBA talk) is hype. I'm not ready for the NBA. I want to go to college. I hope they're all looking at me."

The gym was packed with college coaches who couldn't help but watch Mayo. But the reality is, they were there to see his teammates and the opposition -- players they believe they have a legitimate shot of signing.

A couple of NBA scouts also were on hand, focusing solely on Mayo. But he might not be available to them, either, if the league adopts a 20-year-old age limit in its next collective bargaining agreement.

Current NBA rules say a player must graduate with his high school class before he is eligible to enter the draft. Despite his sophomore status, Mayo will turn 17 in November (his parents held him back in sixth grade). If the NBA maintains the status quo, the earliest he could turn pro would be June 2007. "That's why I want to go to college first," Mayo said. "I know I'm not ready. I've got to get stronger and more consistent. I need to mature emotionally."

Mayo talked to Greg Oden, arguably the top high school prospect in the country, at the recent ABCD Camp and both are willing to put the NBA on hold. At least that's what they're saying now. "The money will always be there," Mayo said. "But what if I get hurt and I can't play? I have to have something to fall back on, right?"

Mayo's ideal situation: to play for a college program with a reputation for grooming players for the NBA. "I'm totally open. But that's what I'm looking for," he said.

Sonny Vaccaro, owner of the Big Time, said it would be a mistake for colleges not to recruit Mayo. "If I was a college coach, I'd recruit him right now," Vaccaro said. "If the NBA puts in an age limit, it makes it all moot. You want to be on the ground floor with this kid. Trust me, he'll remember who was there at the start."

Mayo started slowly Friday against the Stars, trying to get his teammates involved. But as they struggled to execute, Mayo took over. He showed explosiveness in driving to the basket, quickness on defense and a deft touch with the ball. The Stars knew Mayo was the go-to guy but still couldn't stop him.

They managed to win, though. As for Mayo's Greyhounds, they begin elimination bracket play at 2:20 p.m. today at Chaparral High School after going 1-2 in pool play. "This is my first time to Vegas," Mayo said. "I like it. I'd like to stick around a couple more days." - Las Vegas Review


07/22/04: "What immediately jumped out at me was how mature, both physically and mentally, Mayo is. Calling a player 'cerebral' is a cliché but it’s appropriate usage with the 6-5 point forward from Cincinnati’s North College Hill HS. . . .Mayo is one of the best all-around players in America regardless of class. If he goes to college it will be an upset of epic proportions." - GOAZCats.com (Arizona)

07/21/04: "O.J. Mayo is going to shake the world some day. He's not going to be LeBron (James), but he has a chance to play against LeBron." - Sonny Vaccaro in the Las Vegas Sun

07/15/04: "Suddenly, The Hoop Group Summer Jam Fest, starting Friday, at the WVU Rec Center, isn't a matter of who is coming. It's more like, who isn't?

The Summer Jam Fest will have the marquee name in guard O.J. Mayo, who was born in Huntington but now lives in Cincinnati. A rising sophomore, Mayo is listed as the top recruit in the class of 2007 and plays for the D1 Greyhounds, one of the most-watched summer AAU teams. His Greyhounds teammate Bill Walker, a 6-foot-5 forward, also a rising sophomore, isn't far behind Mayo as far as recruiting analysts are concerned. "Walker is really beginning to establish himself right now," Keller said. "Basically, if you have a team with Mayo and my team has Walker, I'm not complaining."

And while Mayo recently stated that WVU is on his short list of schools along with Cincinnati and Louisville, both he and Walker are projected to go straight from their senior proms to the NBA. "That's pretty much what the talk is now about those two, but I can't imagine two guys who just finished their freshman year are talking about going to the NBA," Keller said. "Now, if they continue to work on their games and continue to get stronger, there's a great chance they both will. If I was a betting man, I would bet they would both go to the NBA. They certainly have the bodies for it." - Dominion Post

07/14/04: Listed as the best soph at the Reebok ABCD Camp by Bob Gibbons/Hoopmasters. (#2 - Bill Walker, #10 Keenan Ellis)

07/13/04: Mayo averaged 9.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.9 apg and shot 42% from the arc. - Reebok ABCD camp stats

07/12/04: "O.J. Mayo dazzled the crowd with an array of crossovers before whipping a pass to Bill Walker standing alone under the basket. The "oohs" and "ahhs" were roaring down from the capacity crowd attending the Underclassmen All-Star Game at ABCD Camp as Walker jammed home the final two points.

Mayo, though, was already backpedaling across halfcourt, screaming, "This is my show, this is my show." Sorry, O.J., but you're going to share this one with your classmates. They're too good to be left out of the spotlight anymore. "You saw it," ABCD Camp director and founder Sonny Vaccaro said. "You just can't deny it."

Mayo and Walker, high school teammates in Cincinnati, are only part of the Class of 2007 that set the four-day ABCD Camp on fire. The rising sophomores left Hackensack as the most talked-about crop of players, and are already drawing comparisons to last year's senior class, which featured eight first-round draft picks. "It's just ridiculous how many great players there are in this class," said 6-foot-7 Taylor King out of Huntington Beach, Calif., a player Vaccaro likens to Chris Mullin. "They're rising to the occasion and everybody is noticing now. All the young kids in the camp, the rising sophomores, really stepped up their game this week."

Mayo, who camped here last summer, already was anointed president of the Class of 2007 by the media and scouts. And since the current senior class isn't as impressive as in years past, the sophomores were given a showcase. They ran with it.

Players such as Mayo, Walker (nearly every shot he made in the All-Star game was a dunk), King, Wallace, Daniel Hackett, Cory Fisher, Edwin Rios, Keenen Ellis, Alex Legion, and Cory Stokes from Bayonne turned ABCD into a youth festival. "The seniors are good," said East Coast talent evaluator Tom Konchalski, "but I think the underclassmen are excellent. Bill Walker is almost as good as O.J. Mayo," he added. "He's as explosive athletically, and he shoots it well. He's a good outside shooter, but he just attacks the basket."

The players certainly have no fear of success. Walker and Mayo said they were honored to be in the same sentence as last year's senior class, but Wallace believes it is possible to be as good. – Bergen County Record, NJ


07/11/04: "It’s time we begin referring to Mayo as the best point guard in America, regardless of class. His ballhandling and passing by themselves are elite traits." - theInsidersHoops.com

07/10/04: "Mayo was more impressive then I've ever seen him in this game. He really looked comfortable handling the point guard role, and he had 8 assists in one game, and tied for the camp lead in dimes after day one." - Peegs.com

07/09/04: Bold quotes from PrepStars', Eric Bossi -
"it becomes apparent pretty quickly that there really aren't any holes in his game. He's a legitimate 6-4 now and plays the game like a legitimate point guard."

"he isn't just some freak athlete or creation of media hype; he's a fundamentally sound player whom somebody has obviously spent a lot of time teaching the game."

"Most of all, though, Mayo has that 'it', that something that just lets everybody in the gym know he is a star and that there isn't anything that they can do to keep him from being one."
- PrepStars.com


07/09/04: "He did a little – no, check that – a lot – of everything all day. The most impressive aspects of his game were his body control and ability to make those around him better." - theInsidersHoops.com

07/08/04: "(speaking on his reason for attending the Reebok Camp, instead of the other shoe camps) Mayo cited his connection to ABCD founder Sonny Vaccaro and Reebok grassroots marketing guru Chris Rivers. "My family just has a relationship with Sonny and Chris," said Mayo. "My uncle is close to them, so I just felt like this was where I should go." - NY Daily News

07/07/04: "Louisville, Connecticut, Syracuse, Cincinnati, and West Virginia make up the early list for 6'4 Soph O.J.Mayo from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH. Cincinnati, Louisville, and Kentucky were mentioned by 6'5 Soph Billy Walker from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH." - HoopScoop

06/22/04: "My vote for top player honors in camp went to 6'5 Frosh Billy Walker from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH for a number of reasons. First, Walker was one of the leading scorers and most consistent players in camp from start to finish. Second, he was unstoppable when he used his incredible athleticism and explosiveness to beat everybody to the hole. Third, nobody in the camp played any harder than this guy. As a matter of fact, Walker was so good, we're not sure whether he or 6'4 Frosh O.J. Mayo from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH is the best freshman in the nation. Yes, it's that close! And Mayo also had a great week, as he too was one of the leading scorers in camp and impressed us with his court savvy, feel for the game, ball handling and passing skills, ability to get his outside shot, and explosiveness to the hole." - HoopScoop

06/21/04: "While he’s an absolutely tremendous talent as a scorer, today he showed off the ability to ‘get his’ within the flow of the game without Kobe-esc and disrupting his team’s offensive philosophy.

. . . he managed to finish with 11 points – all coming without throwing up one ‘bad’ shot, making terrific passes, and executing the pick and roll to near perfection. Besides his offensive game, OJ had a very good defensive game – logging four steals and serving as one of the lynchpins in his team’s trapping defense.

With such a big reputation preceeding him, it seems that everyone tries to raise their game to make a name off Mayo. However OJ continuously responds with the cool of a veteran who’s content to let the game come to him. All in all he’s done nothing to vacate his throne as the nation’s best player in the class of 2007." - TheDevilsDen (Duke)

06/21/04: "Mayo was getting steals and blocks in the noon game. Now, everyone wants to compare him to LeBron and that’s not fair. But, the one area he does compare favorably with James is passing. He’s unselfish, sees the floor and doesn’t force in bad passes." - theInsidersHoops.com

06/20/04: "Nutritionists say mayo is bad for your health. Well, if you're a defender trying to check Class of 2007 stud O.J. Mayo, that's definitely true. The 6-4 WG from Cincinnati (OH) College Hill uses exceptional body control to finish everything on the break. He also makes big-time moves off the dribble for pull-up jumpers and in-control moves to the hoop." - PrepStars.com

06/20/04: "Did O.J. Mayo just commit to Louisville? Didn't think so, but imagine the surprise generated by a Louisville Courier-Journal story last week in which the last line of the article quotes Mayo as saying, "I plan on being a Cardinal."

Presuming he wasn't talking about the St. Louis professional baseball team, and considering he was in Louisville for a summer basketball game at the time, it sounded strangely like Mayo was naming his college before his sophomore year of high school.

Not so, says his grandfather and AAU coach, Dwaine Barnes. "He didn't say that," Barnes said. "That guy (reporter) just took a shoulder shrug whatever way he wanted to take it. Why in the world would a 16-year-old know where he wanted to go to college? We saw it, and we laughed."

That's not to say Mayo isn't interested in Louisville or a host of other schools at this point, including Cincinnati, Connecticut, West Virginia and North Carolina, according to Insiders.com. But it would be mind-boggling for the nation's top-rated sophomore prospect from North College Hill to commit anywhere this early." - Enquirer.com

06/19/04: Mayo is attending the NBPA Camp at VCU. In the formation of teams Mayo was placed on the same team as another 2007 phenom, Taylor King from LA. - Mike Ryan

06/18/04: "Freshman phenoms O.J. Mayo and Billy Walker were putting on an impressive shooting display in the early afternoon. Mayo connected on 18-24 threes in a contest with Walker. Walker connected on 17. Midway through Mayo's turn, we reminded him that the NBA line is further back. He stepped back 3 feet and calmly sank six in a row." - HoopMasters.com

06/17/04: "This year's (NBPA) Camp will feature the top prospects in each of the upcoming high school classes. . . .the two top prospects in the Class of 2007; 6-5 guard O.J. Mayo from Cincinnati, OH and 6-7 forward Taylor King from Santa Ana, CA will all be in attendance at this camp." - HoopMasters.com

06/13/04: "Former Rose Hill Christian basketball star O.J. Mayo, who recently finished his freshman year at North College Hill High School in the Cincinnati area, addressed rumors that he will transfer again during an interview with The Courier-Journal yesterday. "I intend to graduate from North College Hill," said Mayo, who is playing for the Cincinnati-based D-1 Greyhounds in the Basketball Congress International's Boys National Invitational at MidAmerica Sports Center this weekend. "Rumors are something I can't control."

Mayo, who lives with his grandfather and AAU coach, Dwaine Barnes, across the street from the high school, said North College Hill is similar to his West Virginia hometown. "It reminds me of Huntington because it's a small community with nice people," he said. "The school has a good environment and good academics, and you've got great people all around you."

Mayo, a 16-year-old 6-foot-5 guard consistently rated among the top three players in his class by national recruiting services, transferred to North College Hill after an eighth-grade year in which he led Rose Hill to its first 16th Region title in 2003. He averaged 20.5 points and became the first eighth-grader voted to The C-J's All-State team.

He made a splash in the Ohio prep ranks during his first season at North College Hill. He averaged 30.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 5.2 steals, was voted the state's Division III Player of the Year and was named School Sports magazine's National Freshman Player of the Year. He has been featured in Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine.

North College Hill, which went 2-18 the previous year, won its first 21 games last season and was Division III's top-ranked team in the Associated Press poll before losing in the district semifinals.

The D-1 Greyounds, the defending BCI and AAU national champions, will play at 11:30 a.m. today. The tournament, one in a series of BCI events that has drawn more than 16,000 participants to Louisville this year, continues through Tuesday at MidAmerica. "I think this is the only time we're coming to Kentucky," Mayo said.

But he still could return to school in Kentucky, whether or not he transfers.

Discussing his future plans, Mayo said that he thinks about the National Basketball Association "once in a while" but wants to attend "a top-10 college program." Then he smiled. "I plan on being a Cardinal," he said." - Loiusville Courier Journal


06/12/04: "Former Rose Hill Christian High School star O.J. Mayo will be playing for the defending champion D-I Greyhounds in the Basketball Congress International's Boys National Invitational today through Tuesday at MidAmerica Sports Complex in Jeffersontown.
Mayo, a 6-foot-5 guard, recently completed his freshman year at North College Hill High School in Cincinnati. The tournament, which includes teams of ages 9-17 from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, will begin today at 8 a.m., and Mayo's team will play today at 11:30am and 3pm." - Louisville CJ

05/31/04: "...the Class of 2007 offered evidence that it will be a good one as ninth graders such as Eric Gordon, O.J. Mayo (a 6-5 guard from Cincinnati who was the No. 3 scorer in the tournament), Los Angeles sharpshooter Tyler King and Mississippi point guard Al Graham all shined against older competition." - Durham Herald Sun

05/31/04: "Mayo continuously creates scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound combo guard is a very good passer in transition and can score off the pass and the dribble. He was third in scoring in the 17-under division, averaging 27.3 points per game over six games. Blessed with a unique understanding of the game, Mayo makes a strong argument for being the best in his class." - RivalsHoops.com

05/30/04: "His team lost in the finals of their division but in its defense, they were a bunch of youngsters 'playing up' a level in competition and couldn’t match Mean Streets intensity. Still, Mayo showed the Dean Dome contingent that he’s a gifted scorer and his passing skills have improved as well. He’s smooth and was one of the top scorers here." He made the all-tournament team and averaged 27 ppg over the weekend. - theInsidersHoops.com

05/30/04: "O.J. Mayo was leading the event in scoring through pool play. Credit a 40-point and 36-point game for his big time average." - theInsidersHoops.com from the Tournament of Champions

05/17/04: "Here’s something for the Huntington (WV) and Tri-State sports communities to start talking about. O.J. Mayo, who is from Huntington but has made his mark in basketball first at Rose Hill Christian and now at North College Hill in Cincinnati, is booked to play in Charleston and Huntington next season.

North College Hill will play in a tripleheader on Jan. 29 at the Charleston Civic Center Coliseum and in doubleheaders on Feb. 5-6 at Veterans Memorial Field House. Mel Wulfekamp, who operates Mr. Basketball in Cincinnati, is the man who put these games together. "I’m in it to help the schools," Wulfekamp said.

North College Hill will meet West Virginia Class AAA champion Woodrow Wilson in the nightcap on Jan. 29. In the first two games, Brookhaven of Columbus will play Parkersburg South and Western Hills of Cincinnati will take on South Charleston. The first game is expected to start at 6 p.m.

Parkersburg South will get its shot at Mayo and the Trojans in the nightcap on Feb. 5. Lexington Bryan Station will meet Martinsburg in the opener at approximately 6:30 p.m. The Feb. 6 (Sunday) matinee will feature Lexington Lafayette against Science Hill High at 1 p.m. followed by North College Hill against Lexington Bryan Station at 3 p.m.

Tickets will be available at the schools and they will get to keep part of the money. Wulfekamp plans to schedule a press conference, probably in December, to finalize all game details.

After two stellar seasons at Rose Hill, Mayo took Cincinnati by storm last April with the highly-publicized transfer to North College Hill and December through March with his play on the court. In his first game, Mayo scored 22 points as the Trojans beat Badin, 46-43. The game was moved from Badin’s 1,000-seat gym to Lakota West’s 2,400-seat facility to handle the crowd size. An ESPN crew showed up to document the moves of the No. 2-ranked freshman in the country by Hoop Scoop recruiting service.

Mayo, who wears No. 32, was named National Freshman Basketball Player of the Year by Student Sports magazine, a California-based publication devoted to high school sports. The 6-foot-6 guard/forward averaged 30.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 5.2 steals in leading North College Hill to a 21-1 record. The Trojans were ranked No. 1 in Ohio Division III and Mayo was voted Ohio Division III Player of the Year by The Associated Press.

Mayo first gained national attention at Rose Hill when he started as a seventh-grader and averaged 23.1 points a game. The following season, he averaged 20.5 points and led the Royals to their first Sweet 16 berth and became the youngest player ever named to the Louisville Courier-Journal’s all-state team. He’s already been featured in USA Today, Sports Illustrated and Slam Magazine. He was part of an ESPN documentary on basketball in Kentucky and a CNN feature on young stars.

North College Hill has another player to watch in 6-6 forward Bill Walker, who transferred from Rose Hill to the Cincinnati school two months ahead of Mayo.

Wulfekamp said North College Hill is trying to upgrade its basketball schedule for 2004-05. The Trojans will be the smallest school (class) competing in Charleston and Huntington. - Huntington Herald Dispatch


05/16/04:
Phenom puts skills on display
By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

O.J. Mayo, of North College Hills High School in Cincinnati, was in Green Tree playing at an AAU event. There was O.J., acting innocent again. O.J. Mayo, schoolboy basketball wizard, flashed a big smile at the suggestion that he might try to go to the NBA after his junior year of high school. "Ahhhh," Mayo said with a laugh. "You know how the media is sometimes, saying things like that." All joking aside, if this O.J. is guilty of anything, it's being too good for his age.

Mayo, who was in the area yesterday for an AAU tournament, is a freshman guard at North College Hill High School in Cincinnati, but he was the Ohio Division III player of the year this past season. He attended Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky., as a seventh- and eighth-grader.

In Kentucky, an athlete does not have to be in ninth grade to play on the varsity. Mayo averaged 23 points as a seventh-grader, 20 as an eighth-grader and was selected all-state.

He might be the most heralded freshman to play high school basketball. He has been featured in ESPN The Magazine and Sports Illustrated, as well as on ESPN television and CNN. "The Next LeBron" is what some have called him, and he put his talents on display in Pittsburgh yesterday. Mayo was playing for the D-One Greyhounds AAU team in the PA Swoosh Tournament of Champions at the Greentree Sportsplex. "He lives up to everything he's supposed to be," former Duquesne University coach Darelle Porter said.

Porter coached the PA Swoosh Southpointe ninth-grade team that defeated the D-One Greyhounds. Mayo, though, played only part of the second half. He was being rested because the team had five games to play in one day. "Right now, he could start for any college in any conference in America," Porter said. "He's that good."

Mayo says he's 6 feet 5 and 190 pounds. Some have questioned his age, but newspaper stories have said he's 16, turning 17 in November.

There is no doubting his talent, though. In a game against the Cleveland Titans yesterday, he played inspired and had 29 points, including four 3-pointers as the Greyhounds rolled to an 87-72 victory. He seemed a little disinterested in the next game against the Pittsburgh Stars, which had some top juniors from the WPIAL, including Penn Hills' Gerald Warrick and Shaler's Nick Sefscik and Stu Anglum. The Stars won, 82-77. "When he wants to, he dominates," Porter said of Mayo. "Plus, look at his body. It's already like a college player's body."

Mayo's game has everything. He has an exceptionally quick first step, good leaping ability, an excellent 3-point shot and is a superb passer.

He also has a good disposition on the court, exhorting teammates, smiling sometimes at fans and giving officials a pat on the back. "I just want to win, more than anything," Mayo said. "In these [tournaments], I just try to go compete hard and compare myself to other cats."

But he's top dog. Bob Gibbons, a nationally known high school basketball talent scout from Lenior, N.C., calls Mayo "a phenom."

"If I were predicting, I'd say he'll be a kid who will never go to college," Gibbons said. "He can compete with the best high school seniors in the country right now and he's only a freshman. He's a smaller version of LeBron James."

Gibbons said Mayo's reputation is at least as big as Sebastian Telfair, a New York point guard who recently decided to skip college for the NBA. Telfair recently signed a $15 million shoe deal with adidas. Mayo's team, by the way, wears Reebok shoes and uniforms.

What about the future for Mayo? He said he might follow Carmelo Anthony's path and go to college for one year. Just don't count on it. "I just want to keep working," Mayo said. "I don't think I'll be where I want to be until one day when I'm in the NBA and then the Hall of Fame. Until then, I'm real far away from where I want to be."
- Pittsburgh Post Gazette


04/26/04: O.J. Mayo has been tearing it up, so far this Spring. He started with an outstanding performance at the Reebok Pearland Classic, in Texas, and then backed it up this past weekend, by dominating the Houston Kingwood Classic. . . . . 15 & under division, the Greyhounds beat one of Michigan's top teams, The Family, by 15. Mayo finished the game with 28 points, and 10 assists. In the finals he dropped 38 on Team Texas, as the Greyhounds won by 22." - www.recruitingnation.com

04/24/04: "O.J. Mayo might not be an explosive athlete, but the well built 6-foot-3 combo guard has tremendous body control and knows how to play the game." - RivalsHoops.com

04/24/04: "O.J. Mayo finished with 31 points, including a trio of trifectas." - theInsidersReports.com

04/15/04: "O.J. Mayo. . . will be playing three games in Summit County over the weekend in the All-American Cage Classic. Mayo, who is a student at Cincinnati North College Hill, will be playing for the Division I Greyhounds in the AAU event." - Akron Beacon Journal

04/15/04: "O.J. Mayo of North College Hill has been named National Freshman Basketball Player of the Year by Student Sports magazine, a California-based publication devoted to high school sports. Mayo, a 6-foot-6 guard, averaged 30.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 5.2 steals in leading NCH to a 21-1 record. He was named Ohio Division III Player of the Year by the Associated Press." - Enquirer.com

04/14/04: Mayo is featured in a cover story in CityBeat magazine.
http://www.citybeat.com/2004-04-14/cover.shtml

04/10/04: "Colorado State was one of 29 colleges represented Saturday afternoon at the SLAM Pearland Texas Classic, which concludes today with the 17-and-under division championship game. And the arrival of 16-year-old freshman guard O.J. Mayo of Cincinnati -- widely regarded as "the next LeBron James" -- added interest to the tournament.

The 6-5 point guard played varsity as an eighth-grader in Kentucky before moving to Cincinnati, where he averaged 30.9 points this season. Mayo seemed to impress coaches in Pearland when his team -- D-1 Greyhounds -- opened against the Southside All-Stars. Mayo grabbed the opening tip and set up the alley oop for high school teammate Bill Walker. Mayo then followed that up with a dunk.

Spectators quickly began talking about "the top-ranked freshmen in the country" or remembering when they had seen Mayo on television or in magazines. He finished the 65-56 win with 21 points, three rebounds and two assists. Still, Mayo tried to ignore the attention and focus on his game. "It kind of made me work a little harder," Mayo said of his "next" status. "Hopefully one day, I'll be up with LeBron."

Saturday morning, the D-1 Greyhounds beat the Houston Swoosh 62-55. Angleton sophomore Brandon Roberson didn't know about Mayo except for talk from his teammates before the game. Later, he compared Mayo to Texas signee and McDonald's All-American point guard Daniel Gibson of Jones. "I haven't seen him dunk, but he can shoot it," Roberson said. "It's hard to put a hand in his face." - Houston Chronicle

04/05/04: "As a seventh- and eighth-grader the things that he did ... were just unbelievable. O.J. Mayo is a tremendous person. He's a tremendous player. And he has the burning desire to be the best. A lot of times when kids are blessed with a lot of ability, they tend not to use that ability, or they tend to coast. But that is the complete opposite of O.J. Mayo. It's easy to have talent but not use talent. And it's easy to play when things aren't expected of you every night that you step on the floor. But every time this kid takes the floor, I mean, the expectation level is so high it's unbelievable how he's been able to balance all of it." - former Rose Hill coach, Jeff Hall, Louisville Courier Journal

03/25/04:
Learning from LeBron
Jodie Valade, Cleveland Plain Dealer Reporter
When the uncle is around, there are no autographs. Not even for the pipsqueaks who come up to O.J. Mayo's knees, begging for his name to be scribbled across a slip of paper. The uncle has seen too many old men hand a crisp $20 bill to children in exchange for the signature afterward, too many signed trading cards get auctioned online.

Questions about anything but the kid and his skills are met with abrupt answers and hardened eyes from the grandfather. The 16-year-old with the sculpted biceps and the explosive hops is what the story is about. It shouldn't matter how Mayo ended up at North College Hill in Cincinnati when his mother is back in Huntington, W.Va., or how his grandfather is involved in his upbringing.

There is no guidebook for raising The Next LeBron, but the men who have directed Mayo through ninth grade have firm ideas on how it should be done. They watch closely. They hover and protect. If someone asks for the autograph of the 16-year-old team manager which has happened more than once this season they know about it. Nothing goes unnoticed and nothing happens without their approval.

They learned from watching LeBron James and his experiences in his senior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, when his high school games were televised on ESPN, when the Ohio High School Athletic Association investigated the origin of a Hummer he received as a birthday gift, and when he was suspended because he accepted retro jerseys as a present. "I would never say LeBron made mistakes, but we learned a lot from watching what he went through," said Lamar Ziegler, the uncle who lives with Mayo.

FOLLOWING THE RULES
So The Next LeBron and his guardians have rules. Nothing written, not even spoken aloud, but they are understood. For starters, no one talks with Mayo without approval from his grandfather, Dwaine Barnes. Neither Barnes nor Ziegler allowed Mayo to talk to newspaper or TV reporters for more than a month before the state tournament began. He had to focus on the Trojans until the team, ranked No. 1 in the state in Division III, fell in the district semifinals earlier this month. Mayo led North College Hill (21-1) with a 30.9-point scoring average during the regular season, but he couldn't lift a program that was 2-18 last season any further in the tournament.

The early season attention from national media was flattering ESPN came to film practices, and CNN and Sports Illustrated have featured Mayo in stories but the glut of media began to smother. North College Hill coach Jamie Mahaffey cut off all player interviews last month after a local television station attempted to chase down Mayo. When players were allowed to talk again during the tournament, they could answer questions only about the game. Nothing else.

Ziegler knows that flip-flopping accessibility isn't popular. But it's also a tricky situation. Once they opened the floodgates when Mayo was a seventh-grader playing for Rose Hill Christian's varsity team in Ashland, Ky., they had a difficult time justifying why they should be closed now.

If Ziegler and Barnes decide to shield Mayo from the media and public entirely, they're labeled controlling hypocrites. If they let him bask in the spotlight of his teenage fame, they're contributing to the ugly beast of underage exploitation. "You can't win," Ziegler said.

Mayo might be The Next LeBron merely because the 6-6 freshman draws the same hyped attention that the Cleveland Cavaliers rookie did as a teenage sensation. James was anointed "The Chosen One" his junior year at SVSM. Mayo already has been dubbed "The Next One," in honor of James.

Clark Francis runs the Louisville-based Hoop Scoop recruiting service and has seen Mayo play a handful of times. Last year, Francis labeled Mayo the top eighth-grader in the nation after the kid helped Rose Hill Christian to a 55-10 record in his two seasons there. Mayo played two years in Ashland, Ky., because Kentucky middle-schoolers are allowed to play at the varsity level something he couldn't do across the Ohio River in Huntington, W.Va. He was the first eighth-grader named to Kentucky's All-State high school team, though he's also a year older than most since he repeated a grade as a child. Rose Hill Christian, a school of about 80 students, was 1-33 before he turned around the program. This year, Hoop Scoop lists Mayo third among ninth-graders across the nation, behind No. 1 Taylor King out of Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei and Gary Johnson out of Houston.

Francis ranks players beginning their fifth-grade year, though he acknowledges that he often is forced to use word-of-mouth assessment for players so young. He doesn't travel across the country to see 10- and 11-year-olds. But he also strives to be the first to proclaim a phenom. "Is it too early to rank guys in sixth, seventh and eighth grade? Yeah, maybe," admitted Francis, who has been ranking players for 21 years. "But at the same time, you can track these guys to see who handles the pressure. If you want to be the next Michael Jordan or LeBron, you'd better be pretty good all the way through. If you can't handle that kind of pressure, it's better to find out early and you can go play something else and do something else."

EYE OF THE STORM
Mayo is used to it the attention, the pressure, the fawning. He signed his first autograph at age 11. He has trading cards listed on eBay (starting bids range from $2.99 to $5.92). He had his own Web site, www.ojmayo.org, which has been shut down. A local reporter followed the team to every game and practice to chronicle this season, and there are whispers that a book is in the works.

Shoe companies know about him, and representatives hover at the exclusive summer camps he attends. He already receives a handful of letters every week from colleges, and coaches such as Louisville's Rick Pitino attend his games.

Mayo finds his sanctuary in the game. He lopes with a casual indifference on the court, as if he's seen it all before. His eyes are sleepy, his face set solidly to never betray emotion. He has a smooth, but sometimes unreliable, jumper. His powerful leaping is what brings the crowd in the packed gyms to its feet. A handful of Mayo's baskets each game seem to come from dunks either the fancy, reverse variety, or the powerful, straight-forward kind.

In a road game last month, the high school gym overflowed with fans who wanted to see The Next LeBron and his array of offensive moves complemented by his solid attention to defense. Mayo didn't let a painful hip pointer keep him on the bench. "They didn't come out here to see how the season's going," Barnes said of the typical sellout crowd Mayo draws. "They came out to see him play. He knows that."

They also came armed with chants and signs aimed at disrupting the kid. He's used to the heckling by now, the opposing fans who chant that North College Hill somehow did something underhanded when Mayo transferred there last spring.

Mayo went to live with his grandfather, Barnes, who already lived in Cincinnati and liked the prospects of the kid playing in a bigger city surrounded by more talent. It raised enough eyebrows that OHSAA Commissioner Clair Muscaro met with Mahaffey and North College Hill Athletic Director Joe Nickel to assure the transfer was legitimate. Muscaro understands the importance of eligibility after overseeing James' tumultuous senior year at SVSM.

The Next LeBron lives with Barnes and Ziegler, just a stone's throw from the North College Hill gym. Barnes, who is an AAU coach, practices with his grandson late at night and early in the morning, tracking down the school janitor for keys to the gym when the doors are locked. He said the kid still sees his mother, Alisha Mayo, every weekend. His father, Kenny Ziegler, is less involved. Barnes reportedly didn't know his grandson existed until O.J. was about 6 years old.

But among the rules of raising The Next LeBron is that the story stays focused on Mayo, not his family. Barnes' face hardened when asked about his involvement with his grandson and details of how The Next LeBron is raised. "We don't talk to a lot of people," he offered as explanation.

For all the protection, Mayo is at ease with the inquiry. He listens with wide eyes. He professes that he absolutely plans to attend college instead of leaping straight to the NBA. He asks questions in return and smiles readily. "He's mature enough to handle it," Mahaffey said.

But is he The Next LeBron? "The Next O.J.," the kid corrected, flashing dimples. - Cleveland Plain Dealer


03/23/04: Mayo was named POY in Div 3 for the state of Ohio.


03/11/04: "The mainstream media thinks 6'3 Frosh O.J. Mayo from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH is the best sophomore in the nation (some are even touting Mayo as the next LeBron James), a number of our competitors (who we suspect have copied our rankings) have 6'6 Frosh Taylor King from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA ranked as the best freshman in the country, and we've gone on record recently saying that we think 6'7 Frosh Gary Johnson from Houston (Aldine) TX is the best player in the class. In other words, a legitimate case can be made for all three, so we've decided to make it a three-way tie for to player honors in the Class of 2007 for now and see who earns it this spring and summer." - HoopScoop

Completes his freshman season at NCH.



03/05/04: In a loss to reading in the state tournamnet, here were some unofficial stats -

OJ Mayo - 28 points, 3-11 on treys. 5-8 from the FT line.
Six rebounds, 4 steals and a block.

Game track
End of 1st qtr - 13-12 Reading
End of half - 24-20 NCH
End of third qtr - 39-36 NCH
Final - 58-47 Reading

It was 45-40 NCH with 6 mins left in the game. Reading went on a 18-2 run to finish.

03/02/04: "The O.J. Mayo phenomenon has transcended not only North College Hill High School but all of the Cincinnati area prep basketball this season. Mayo, rated the nation's No. 2 boys' freshman basketball player by Hoop Scoop recruiting service, has done much more than lead NCH to a 20-0 record and No. 1 ranking in the final Associated Press Division III state poll.

His very presence has attracted several transfer players to NCH, with more wanting to climb aboard. Mayo averages an area-high 30.9 points per game. "We probably get at least one call a week from people wanting to transfer kids in here," said Joe Nickel, North College Hill's athletic director. "I'm not saying O.J. is the whole reason, but certainly that's part of it." And with the Trojans opening sectional tournament play today at 6:30 p.m. at Sycamore High School against Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, Mayo's future status is daily fodder on internet chat boards.

There are rumors that he'll transfer to La Salle, Moeller, Winton Woods or even to the nation's No. 1 program, Oak Hill Academy (Va.). Pick a day, he's going somewhere else. Nickel has heard it all, but said there is no substance to any of it. But, given Mayo already has transferred once, from Rose Hill Christian (Ashland, Ky.) to NCH last April, it's open season on what he might do next. "We have no indication from O.J. or his family that he's moving at all," Nickel said. "And I'm not going to ask them about it every time somebody asks me about it."

Nickel has advice for the band of high school basketball players itching to jump on the O.J./NCH bandwagon. "We don't take tuition, which means you have to establish residency in our school district in order to be eligible to play," he said.

Paul Leary, a 6-foot-5 sophomore transfer from Hughes, moved in before school started this year. Darion Goins, a 6-1 junior, transferred in from Middletown after the 2003-04 season started. He moved in with his mother. Both Leary and Goins have become part of the regular NCH rotation. But the best-known transfers are Mayo and fellow freshman Bill Walker, a 6-5 inside player who hasn't even taken the court this season.

Walker, like Mayo, is a transfer from Rose Hill Christian. Walker is the No. 5-rated freshman in America by Hoop Scoop but has sat out the 2003-04 season after knee surgery. His status is uncertain for postseason, and apparently he will not play unless needed. And still, NCH is 20-0 after going 2-18 last season. The main reason, of course, is Mayo, a 6-6 guard/forward who has been as good as advertised. He has averaged 30.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 5.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game this season.

After averaging better than 20 points per game as a varsity starter in both seventh and eighth grade at Rose Hill, Mayo made national headlines when he transferred to NCH last spring. The reasons were never fully explained, but Mayo does have several family members who live in the Cincinnati area. Billed as "The Next One" in homage to LeBron James' Sports Illustrated cover ("The Chosen One"), Mayo appeared in USA Today , Sports Illustrated , and on ESPN and CNN before even coming to NCH.

His summer AAU team won multiple national titles and more than 200 consecutive games. Overall, Mayo hasn't lost a game since last year's Kentucky boys' state tournament. "We're just trying to do what we do well here," NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey said. "We've had a lot of things to deal with this year, and we've fought through it. We're coming on strong now." Mahaffey, a former Roger Bacon and Miami University player, is a second-year varsity coach. After North College Hill got almost no media attention last season, Mahaffey now has to deal with it several days a week. Recently, Mahaffey cut off all player interviews after NCH objected to a local television station's handling of an attempt to interview Mayo. The players will talk again once tournament play starts, but only about the games themselves.

Dwaine Barnes, Mayo's influential AAU coach/grandfather, said the family would rather not comment for this story. The family prefers a low profile, but that has not stopped the media.

ESPN's Outside the Lines has been to Cincinnati and done one segment on Mayo, with another to come. The Cleveland Plain Dealer stopped by, following up on the next LeBron. Cincinnati Magazine is doing a piece. And Nickel was quoted in a New York Times cover story on prep phenoms. NCH is looking to go national itself, to a degree.

Nickel told Mayo's family that he would try to take the team back to Mayo's hometown area, the Huntington, W.Va./Ashland, Ky. area, for games. NCH will go to Huntington and Charleston, W.Va. for matchups next season.

The 2004-05 NCH local schedule will include a date at Division I St. Xavier, another game with Division I Fairfield and a reprise of this year's opener with Division II Badin. NCH tried to get out of four games in its Miami Valley Conference, but the league said no. NCH's league opponents have mixed feelings about Mayo mania. Mayo has drawn larger crowds than most MVC teams generally attract, but also has brought certain defeat to most opponents. Lockland came the closest of any MVC team this year, a 69-61 NCH win. "I don't know what you say about them having so many new kids come in there," said Howard Brownstein, Cincinnati Country Day coach. "I had some good teams in the early '90s, but with only one or two kids of that caliber. They have several, and there's not a whole lot you can do."

Theresa Hirschauer, Cincinnati Country Day athletic director, also wondered about the transfers, but respects Nickel, who has been an NCH administrator for 30 years. "Joe does a class act over there," Hirschauer said. "We just look forward to the challenge of playing them again next year."

Patty Seta, athletic director at Summit Country Day, echoed a common thread voiced about Mayo. "I've met him several times at some (MVC) leadership seminars, and he's one of the greatest kids you'll ever meet in your life," Seta said. "Very nice and polite." Said Hirschauer, "He's a wonderful young man." Seta: "I know they're blowing people out, but you'll have that sometimes in various sports. CHCA has dominated our league in football the past two years. We had a 20-0 volleyball team ourselves. "I think everyone in the league is excited about him being with NCH, really."

Mayo seems to like it, too. Earlier this season he was asked about his move to Cincinnati. "I feel like I've got a home here now," he said then. North College Hill believes that will not change. The Trojans have their eyes on a state title, and perhaps more should Mayo stay at the school. "Almost any time I talk to somebody, they ask me if O.J. is moving," Nickel said. "If his family walks in one day and says they're moving, then we'll know. Right now, I don't see any indication of that happening." - Enquirer.com



02/29/04: "North College Hill freshman O.J. Mayo has averaged 30.9 points per game this season. He has scored 617 points, and if he doesn't score a point in postseason - odds seem pretty good that he will - that projects to 2,468 career points. And that would make Mayo the area's all-time leading scorer." - Enquirer.com

02/22/04: "Freshman sensation O.J. Mayo ended the regular season with another triple-double Saturday night, helping North College Hill, Ohio's No. 1-ranked Division III team, finish the regular season 20-0. The more pressing question now becomes: How will the Trojans' dominance translate into tournament play?

NCH was not at its peak Saturday, but still posted a 69-56 victory over Highlands before an overflow crowd of 1,700 at NKU's Regents Hall. Mayo didn't disappoint the large crowd with his night's work of 34 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He enjoyed one of his finest shooting nights of the year, making 14-of-20 shots, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. But NCH was ragged on the whole, committing 30 turnovers, nearly double its season average.

It's the kind of loose end that NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey will stress in the long layoff before his team's first tournament game on March 2. "We'll definitely have to address that," said Mahaffey. "It looked like everyone was doing more than they're capable of doing. I don't know if it was the crowd or the fact it was our last game, but everyone was being more spectacular than they needed to be."

Even Mayo had some sloppy ball-handling moments. But when needed, his court presence is such that he is able to supply whatever element of the game his team most requires. NCH scored the first 13 points of the game Saturday. Highlands never drew closer than eight the rest of the way.

When they got to within 26-18 in the second quarter, Mayo answered with a three. When the Bluebirds narrowed the lead to 42-33 in the middle of the second quarter, Mayo went on his most assertive stretch of the night. The ball rarely left his hands as he scored 11 straight NCH points to end the quarter.

When he added a long three just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter to put NCH up 57-39, he had delivered the message that NCH would not be caught on this night. "He's definitely a tremendous player," said Highlands coach John Messmer. "When we saw him last week, he didn't shoot it as well as he did tonight."


Messmer and Highlands also saw Mayo a year ago, when he played varsity as an eighth-grade phenom for Rose Hill in eastern Kentucky. Highlands, a 27-3 team a year ago, won by 22 that night. "I think he's a lot smarter even over a year ago," said Messmer. "He seems to really understand it's not necessarily a one-man show. He shows a lot of maturity in terms of not being an individualistic player."

That factor makes NCH a dangerous tournament threat. For Mahaffey, the challenge will be making sure the rest of his young cast is ready for the night - if it comes - when Mayo is saddled with foul trouble or slowed down significantly by an opponent's defense." - Enquirer.com



01/30/04: OJ Mayo's well-rounded game helped produce a well-rounded number Thursday night. Mayo, the freshman sensation from North College Hill High, had 39 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds to lead the unbeaten Trojans to a 100-48 dismantling of New Miami in front of a large crowd at Fairfield Arena. And he did all of that without even playing in the fourth quarter.

"I've only been in (the Miami Valley Conference) four of five years, but I can't imagine there's ever been a better player in this league," New Miami coach Kevin Lakes said. "I mean we're not talking about a junior or senior. We're talking about a kid who should be playing JV ball at the most, chronologically."

It took Mayo less than two minutes to throw down his first dunk, and there were many more to follow as North College Hill - the state's No. 1-ranked Division III team - used a smothering full-court press to force the Vikings (4-9 overall, 2-7 MVC Grey Division) into 35 turnovers. "We can't simulate that kind of pressure in practice," Lakes said. "We can't even import that kind of pressure. Their point guard (6-foot-2 freshman Nathaniel Glover) is bigger than anyone on our team."

Thirteen of New Miami's giveaways came in the first quarter, resulting in a number of run-outs for easy buckets for the Trojans (14-0, 9-0 MVC Scarlet), who built a 16-point lead at first stop. "We've been working on our defense because our defense is still not good," NCH coach and former Miami University player Jamie Mahaffey said. "When we get into the playoffs, we're going to have to play better defensively and increase our intensity."

There were some highlights for New Miami, including one by sophomore guard David Allen. Guarding Mayo at the top of the key, Allen not only came up with a clean steal, he also beat Mayo down the floor for a layup that cut the NCH lead to 13-7 with 31/2 minutes left in the opening quarter. But with the New Miami section roaring, Mayo came down and calmly buried a 3-pointer to start a 13-2 run, and the Vikings were never in the game after that.

Mayo, who had seven dunks, finished 16-of-26 from the floor, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. "My guys were out there trying, so I mean what more can I ask of them," Lakes said. "But we're young and we have many things to fix, and a game like this is not the time to try to fix things."

North College Hill's Andre Evans (12 points), Paul Leary (11) and Glover (11) supplemented Mayo's big night as the Trojans kept the pressure on and the treys flying until after they reached the 100-point mark - which was 30 more than their season average. "I know how we do things at New Miami and I'm happy with the way we do things," Lakes said. "A game like this is not the way we do things, and it's best to just leave it at that. My job is to keep these things from happening, to stop them from scoring 100, and I didn't do that."

With the pressure unrelenting and the deficit mounting, tempers started to flare in the third quarter, both on the court and in the stands. After missing a hot-dog dunk where he tried to pass the ball to himself off the glass, Mayo missed a reverse dunk on his next trip and got whistled for a technical for hanging on the rim. That brought derisive jeers from the New Miami section, and that, in turn, resulted in a handful of Fairfield students going into the New Miami section to start taunting.

A scuffle broke out, with a couple of fans being dragged out of the stands and on to the court right in front of the New Miami bench, all while play was still going on. "It was just some kids talking back and forth," said Fairfield athletic director Eric Higgins, who was on the scene immediately along with five or six police officers. "It wasn't a fight," Higgins continued. "There were no punches or anything. We ejected three people."

While that was going on in the stands, Allen picked up a technical after fouling out, and a few minutes later freshman Matt Wysong was slapped with a T of his own. "I've lost before," Lakes said. "I mean there are certainly worse things that can happen than losing a basketball game. But I am extremely upset about us losing our composure. We just can't do that." - Hamilton Journal News



01/23/04: It was 45 minutes before Tuesday night's tip-off and the game traffic on Adams Road was backed up more than a half-mile from Mount Healthy High School. Not that it mattered. The hand-scrawled "Sold Out" signs already were taped to the gym doors.
There was a carnival-like atmosphere inside - where the 1,150 seats were filled and officials were hauling out metal folding chairs for some of the scores left standing. This was a special night - and not just because Mount Healthy was battling next-door rival North College Hill. Most of the fans in this northwest suburb of Cincinnati were about to get their first real taste of Mayo.
Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo - O.J. for short - is the freshman star of NCH, and in the words of Sports Illustrated: "The Next Big Thing."
Now that LeBron James is off conquering the pro frontier, the prep landscape was there for the taking and Mayo has done just that.
It's safe to say - for several reasons pro and con - there's no one quite like him in the high school game. Though just a freshman, he's playing his third varsity season, at his second high school, in a career that already has taken him to three different states.
Head reeling? Wait, there's more.
Under the guidance of his grandfather, Dwaine Barnes - who works for Springboro business magnate Milt Kantor - Mayo went from Huntington, W.Va., to Rose Hill Academy, an 80-student Bible school in nearby Ashland, Ky., because the state allows grade-schoolers to play varsity. Before he got there, Rose Hill had gone 1-33.

As a 14-year-old seventh-grader - he had been held back a school year - Mayo averaged 23 points a game. The following year, he took Rose Hill to the state tournament and was named first-team All-Kentucky. Hoop Scoop scouting service anointed him the nation's top eighth-grade talent.

Nine months ago - after leading Rose Hill to a 55-10 mark - he transferred to North College Hill, which had won just two of 20 games last year. Going into Tuesday's game, NCH - coached by former Miami University standout Jamie Mahaffey - was 11-0 and the No. 1-ranked Division III team in Ohio. Mayo - listed at 6-foot-5 - was the leading prep scorer in Cincinnati, averaging just more than 28 points a game.

A week earlier he'd been profiled on ESPN's Outside the Lines. Before that, he had been featured in several national magazines and had his own Web site. Yet his biggest props came from the guy whose gaudy footsteps he has followed. "LeBron is O.J.'s idol, someone he respects as an athlete and a person," Barnes said. "So it was special last year when LeBron came to watch O.J. play, then shook his hand, hugged him and told him, 'Keep up the work, big fella, and I'll see you in the league.' "

Already, though, Mayo is in a league of his own. No prep player in the area prompts more conversation and debate. While most agree he's a rare teen prodigy along the lines of golfer Michelle Wie or soccer pro Freddy Adu, some wonder if he isn't a teen mercenary, ever-ready to take his hoop gifts to the next best team.

Such was the backdrop Tuesday. And since the two schools are less than two miles apart - and because Mayo is dating a Mount Healthy girl - he instantly was in the crosshairs. "You ain't all that," sniffed a girl at courtside. "We're holding the mayo tonight, baby," bellowed a man old enough to be Mayo's father.

Besides the team bench - which he never touched - Mayo's only place of sanctuary in the first half would be those front-row seats where his grandfather and uncle Lamar had positioned themselves to give guidance.

Mayo missed his first four shots, eight of his first 10 and seemed to be pressing. With his grandfather prompting him and Mahaffey calming him during the break, Mayo settled down and followed a previously successful script. "A lot of places we've gone, he's seen the signs they held up and heard the catcalls," NCH Athletics Director Joe Nickel said. "When we played Hamilton Badin, they were on him pretty good. And that's when he took the ball right in front of their students and launched a 3-pointer that hit nothing but net. He was all smiles from then on."

It was the same Tuesday. He opened the third quarter with a long 3-pointer, then scored on an alley-oop dunk, fed several teammates with no-look passes and finished off another deep trey with a two-handed wave to the crowd. He had 14 third-quarter points, 16 in the fourth and finished with 41 to lead NCH to the 78-65 victory.

Afterward, Mayo admitted he'd been overly excited at the start: "This was the first time I was in an atmosphere like this." As he spoke, Lamar stood next to him, monitoring the conversation.

Mayo's uncle and grandfather - who live with him in an apartment they said is about 100 yards from North College Hill High - are very protective, and rightfully so. "We learned a whole lot from the LeBron situation," Barnes said. "Everyone wants to come up and shake your hand and talk and call you on a first-name basis. But you can't really trust anyone. At Rose Hill, O.J.'s autographs ended up on eBay. And with O.J, there's no car, no $1,000 suit. Oh, he's got a suit - a Sunday suit for church."

It must fit him well, because a lot of his prayers are being answered. His parents were just 14 and unmarried when he was born. He was raised by his mother, and Barnes, his paternal grandfather, said he didn't even know he was part of the family until O.J. was "6 or so." "His daddy (Kenny Ziegler) was a kid himself and never said nothing. I think he was embarrassed by what he'd done. I kind of had an idea, though. I mean you hear things."

When O.J. was 10, Barnes had seen enough to tell the boy's mother: " 'This kid is special . . . One day he's gonna go to the league.' . . . They thought I was crazy and, yeah, I know it's a million to one, but I saw the vision he had on the court."

Barnes coached O.J.'s AAU team to two national titles and began looking for bigger horizons. "If he stayed in West Virginia, he would have played junior high ball. In Kentucky he could play varsity."

While the Rose Hill effort brought success, Barnes said he realized "O.J. would not be able to play four high school years in Kentucky." Mayo will turn 19 just before the start of his senior season, and Barnes said Ohio rules will allow him to play that final year.

He said they ended up at North College Hill because they had met the 31-year-old Mahaffey on the AAU trail and liked the way he treated his players.

Barnes also embraces a line of thought that certainly will trigger more debate: "We didn't want O.J. to go to a guy who had been coaching 25 years - a guy who maybe had 21 Division I players and five guys in the NBA - and thought it was all due to the system, not the kid. The way I see it, the kid makes the high school, not the high school makes the kid. Look how it was with LeBron in Akron or with O.J. at Rose Hill and here."

It can't be argued that Mayo carries the NCH team. And yet his stardom doesn't come without sacrifice.

Barnes said he has keys to the school gym and brings O.J. over for daily, late-night sessions: "He might shoot 500, maybe 800 shots. That's why when other guys are dying in the fourth quarter, he's still strong."

Nickel - a 35-year veteran who has scuttled his spring retirement plans because he wants to watch the Mayo spectacle unfold - thinks the freshman already is one of the best: "I got to see LeBron James in the state tournaments, and I never would have imagined anyone approaching what he did. But I've seen O.J. do some amazing things. Like you're seeing now in golf and soccer, he plays beyond his years." And that was made clear on the last play of Tuesday's game.

Rebounding a Mount Healthy miss, Mayo drove the length of the court, weaving through four defenders, once with a behind-the-back dribble. He finished off the fifth player with a left-handed layup that just beat the clock. That brought a roar of appreciation from fans of both teams. Hold the Mayo? Naah, these folks got extra Mayo . . . and loved it." - Dayton Daily News

= = = = = = =

01/17/04: "O.J. Mayo posted a triple-double with 34 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and seven steals to lead the top-ranked Trojans." NCH is now 10-0.

01/13/04: ESPN Outside the Lines had a feature on Mayo and his new found celebrity.

12/23/03: North College Hill is the new No. 1 team in The Enquirer's Division II-IV boys coaches' poll. The Trojans, 7-0, are led by highly touted freshman O.J. Mayo, and are coming off a 58-56 overtime victory over No. 5 Madeira." - Enquirer.com

12/21/03: North College Hill freshman O.J. Mayo scored 24 of his game-high 28 points in the second half and overtime to keep the Trojans unbeaten. The Mustangs led 52-48 in overtime when Mayo hit one of his four 3-pointers to cut the lead to one. Mayo scored eight points in the extra period." NCH is now 7-0 - Enquirer.com

12/07/03: "Freshman O.J. Mayo had a breakout game, scoring 35 points, pulling down nine rebounds and handing out eight assists for NCH. North College Hill jumped out to an early 20-7 lead and took a 31-21 lead into the half. Mayo went to work in the third quarter, scoring 15 points and spurring a 18-4 run by the Trojans, which put the game away. " - Enquirer.com

12/06/03: "O.J. Mayo scored 22 points and won his Cincinnati prep basketball debut Friday, with an ESPN crew and UC coach Bob Huggins in the house. Mayo, whose transfer to North College Hill made national headlines in April, led the Trojans to a tense 46-43 win over Badin before about 2,000 fans at Lakota West.

The game recently was moved from Badin's 1,000-seat gym to 2,400-seat Lakota West to accommodate the expected crowd, with Mayo ranked the No. 2 freshman player in America by Hoop Scoop recruiting service. "It was kind of a scary one, but we had fun and got the job done," Mayo said. "We knew we weren't going to blow out a GCL team."

Mayo, a 6-foot-6 freshman guard/forward, referred to Badin's membership in the Greater Catholic League North division, which has placed a team in the Ohio Division II final four each year for the past decade.

NCH, a Division III team from the Miami Valley Conference, won just two games last season. This year, the Trojans are rated No. 7 in the Enquirer's Divisions II-IV coaches' poll and Badin is tied for No. 4, although both teams lack seasoned varsity players.

Mayo shot 7-of-15 from the floor (2-of-7 on 3-pointers) and had four rebounds, three steals, two assists and five turnovers. He would have had several more assists had teammates made some open shots. "We're young, and we'll be OK," NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey said. "A lot of guys froze and were watching him (Mayo) at times, and I didn't expect that. But we showed a lot of mental toughness by hanging on."

An ESPN crew has been following Mayo recently and plans to feature him in an upcoming Outside the Lines show. Mayo has been called "The Next One" in homage to LeBron James being "The Chosen One," and already has been scouted extensively by Huggins and other college coaches.

Another NCH freshman, 6-7 forward Antoine Wilhite, cinched Friday's win by scoring NCH's last four points. Wilhite hit a layup with 1:20 left to make it 44-43, then hit two free throws with 2.4 seconds left to make it 46-43. Badin's John Strittholt got off a 40-foot desperation shot that just missed at the final buzzer.

Bill Walker, Mayo's talented NCH classmate rated the nation's No. 5-best freshman by Hoop Scoop, missed Friday's game recuperating from a knee injury dating to last spring. Walker, a 6-6 forward who also transferred from Rose Hill Christian, had surgery recently and could be out past midseason.

NCH built several 10-point leads, including 29-19 at halftime, but Badin came back with tough defense in holding the Trojans to two points in the third quarter. "Every team has a goal to go undefeated, and this is a stone off our back," Mayo said. "I was just trying to get everybody involved, and it worked out well for us."

Mayo transferred to NCH from Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky., after being rated the No. 1 eighth grade player in America by Hoop Scoop recruiting service. This year, Hoop Scoop lists Mayo the No. 2 freshman behind 6-6 forward Taylor King of Santa Ana, Calif. Mayo averaged better than 20 points per game both of the last two seasons as a varsity starter at Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky. - Enquirer.com

12/5/03: Listed as First Team All State, even though he is just a freshman. Others on the First team - Andrew Brackman, Matt Terwilliger, Josh Duncan and Jamar Butler. Teammate Bill Walker is listed as Second Team All State along with Ben Raymond and Brian Roberts (both from Toledo St Johns), then sophomores Dave Lighty and DaeQuan Cook. - Hoop Scoop

12/05/03: "The King (LeBron James) is gone, but there are several princes ready and willing to take the throne in Ohio High School Basketball. The most well know is 6'4 Frosh O.J. Mayo from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH via Ashland (Rose Hill) KY, who right now is way more publicized than James was entering the 9th Grade and a little more skilled and physically advanced. Because of James, high school players are being hyped earlier than ever and Mayo has already been written about in ESPN Magazine, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, and Slam, just to name a few. In contrast, James did not capture the mainstream media's attention until his sophomore year. As for Mayo being more skilled and stronger, that is due to the fact that Mayo was held back a year. So, if you compare the sophomore LeBron to Mayo right now, it wouldn't even be close in favor of James. I also do not think Mayo will be 6'8 and 240 lbs. and I not think he will approach LeBron's skill level when he is a senior in high school." - HoopScoop

12/05/03: Yes, O.J. Mayo has hit town. But for now, the list of top Cincinnati boys basketball players begins at Moeller, where the defending Division I champions return a loaded lineup. While Mayo and fellow big-time transfer Bill Walker figure to take North College Hill far on the small-school (Division III) circuit, Moeller is already there in Division I.

Mayo, a 6-6 guard, is rated the No. 2 freshman nationally by Clark Francis of the Hoop Scoop recruiting service. Walker, a 6-6 forward, is rated No. 5. Last season, Mayo was rated the nation's top eighth-grade player by Hoop Scoop. But he has been supplanted at No. 1 in Hoop Scoop's class listings by Taylor King, a 6-6 forward from Santa Ana, Calif., who already has committed to UCLA.

Mayo was a varsity star the past two years at Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky.; Kentucky allows students to play varsity sports before ninth grade. Mayo averaged 23.1 points a game as a seventh-grader and 20.5 as an eighth-grader and led the team to the Kentucky state tournament last season. Then came his ballyhooed transfer to North College Hill in April, with former Rose Hill teammate Walker joining Mayo at NCH.

NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey, whose team went 2-18 last season, realizes many are predicting 20-0 this season. But Mahaffey prefers to downplay the hype. "I'll never rank us, because I'm going to be harder than anybody on us," Mahaffey said. "Whatever happens is because we worked hard and caused it to be that way."

Mayo, who can shoot, rebound, distribute and lead, is polished well beyond his years. "Just his whole demeanor of determination, his desire to get other players involved and do whatever it takes to win, those things set him apart," Mahaffey said. "A lot of kids think they can do it, but with his skill level and effort, he knows how to do all that." - Enquirer.com

START OF FRESHMAN SEASON, begins above.

11/25/03: The school cleaning lady is trying to be patient. It's 11 p.m., after all, and 15-year-old O.J. Mayo is still doing wind sprints. And there's one more drill to go. His grandfather, Dwaine Barnes, barks out a spot on the floor (top of the key) and the number of shots he has to hit (14 of 20) before he can call it quits. Mayo, dripping sweat but not yet winded after hoisting nearly 300 shots already, collects himself -- and hits 18. Grinning at the cleaning lady, he bounds over to move his bookbag so she can roll up the bleachers. She smiles back. Word is, he's going to be famous someday.

Of course, he has to get used to ninth grade first. Because of LeBron, the searchlight will be forevermore trained on the kids. And not just on seniors biding time until they make the jump. Even freshman phenoms are beginning to feel the pressure of the quest. At the head of that class is Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo, the 6-foot-4 shooting guard honing his game at North College Hill HS in suburban Cincinnati -- as fortune would have it, just down the interstate from LJ's old stomping grounds. Mayo already has a rep: recruiting analysts rated the Huntington, W.Va., native as the top eighth grader in America last season, and he's led his AAU team to two straight national titles. As a seventh grader he averaged 23.1 points for the high school varsity. But now that he's actually in high school, the heat will be turned up. Can he handle it? Here's a breakdown of his LeBronability:

Hype
Mayo is already a vet of media mania. His transfer in April from Rose Hill Christian School in Ashland, Ky., to NCH was big news; his enrollment was covered live on local TV. Uncle Lamar put up a website, but they took it down after too many people thought it was tacky self-promotion. He's been dealing with naysayers for a while. "They say that I'm older," says O.J.. "I ignore it."

Skills
He's a good decisionmaker who can toss treys from NBA range or reach into a deep repertoire of dunks. "O.J.'s abilities are between LeBron's 10th- and 11th-grade years," NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey says. "Not many kids can consistently dominate a game at any time. O.J. can."

Size
But at 190 pounds, O.J. is still more AI than LeBron. "I know how strong LeBron was in school, so I'm pushing my weight lifting," he says. Clearly, he's on the right track. "He matured early," says recruiting expert Clark Francis of The Hoop Scoop Online. "If he grows to 6-7 and shows he's got the desire, he's got a shot at being the next LeBron."

Drive
Mayo knows hard work and sacrifice. His move to NCH meant leaving his mom and siblings to move in with Uncle Lamar. And that cleaning lady is used to being kept late. "The other kids go home and sleep," he says. "I come back to the gym." Mayo knows everyone is gunning for him, but Mahaffey still feels compelled to offer regular reminders. "I tell him, 'I heard you're not the best player around here.' " And then Mayo goes out and works like he's not.

"It" factor
Girls camp out at his locker. He has killer dimples, a tattoo that reads "Juice Monster" and social flair. "I watched him walk into English class and shake everyone's hand," says NCH athletic director Joe Nickel, who is planning to move two Trojan games to bigger venues.

Most to the point, Mayo's gotten the ultimate stamp of approval. LeBron came to check out O.J. last season. "He said, 'Keep working, young fella, and I'll see you in the league,'" O.J. recalls, laughing. "Am I the next LeBron? I hope so. But I also want to be the next O.J.. I'll do whatever it takes." Place your bets. - ESPN The Magazine


01/15/02: "At the request of The Courier-Journal, a reporter for the Huntington Herald-Dispatch inspected Mayo's birth certificate on file at the Huntington Courthouse. He said it confirms Mayo's birth date was Nov. 5, 1987." - Louisville Courier Journal