American · Huntington, West Virginia, USA · Born 5 November 1987USC shooting guard and top national recruit whose single dominant season ended in NCAA sanctions after it was found he received improper benefits before ever playing a game.
Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo was born on 5 November 1987 and grew up between Kentucky, West Virginia, and Cincinnati, becoming a nationally famous prospect as early as seventh grade under Kentucky's varsity eligibility rules. Considered by multiple outlets the best high school player in the country, Mayo committed to USC in 2006 and enrolled in the summer of 2007, playing pickup games against NBA stars like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett while waiting for his college season to begin. In his lone season with the Trojans in 2007-08, Mayo averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors and helping USC to a 21-12 record, including a run to the NCAA Tournament where he scored 20 points in his tournament debut before falling to Kansas State. He chose not to return for a sophomore season, entering the 2008 NBA draft directly. Shortly after his departure, ESPN reported allegations - later confirmed by the NCAA - that Mayo had received cash, clothes, and electronics from a Los Angeles event promoter in violation of amateurism rules, both before and during his time at USC. The NCAA ruled in January 2010 that Mayo had been ineligible for the entire 2007-08 season, forcing USC to vacate all 21 of its wins and retroactively finish 0-12, along with a postseason ban the following year. Mayo was selected third overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and immediately traded to Memphis, finishing runner-up for Rookie of the Year. He and fellow USC athlete Reggie Bush were both reinstated by the university in 2020 after their 10-year disassociation periods expired.
Being one of the most hyped college basketball recruits of his generation, whose single USC season was later vacated entirely due to an improper benefits scandal
How They Played
Explosive, physically gifted combo guard capable of scoring in bunches, combining athleticism with a mature perimeter game beyond his years
Lasting Impact
Remembered as a symbol of the tension between elite amateur talent and NCAA compliance rules, whose one season at USC produced strong on-court results but became a cautionary case study in college athletics governance
Career Honours
- 2008 First-Team All-Pac-10
- 2008 NCAA Tournament appearance with USC
- Considered the top-ranked high school recruit in the nation (2007)
- Selected third overall in the 2008 NBA Draft
American Athletes