Name:

OJ Mayo

Position:

Guard

Team:

USC Trojans

Height:

6-5

Weight:

215

Class:

Freshman

Profile:

Like another Ohio schoolboy of recent vintage -- LeBron James, perhaps you've heard of him? - Mayo received so much attention as a high schooler, in Sports Illustrated and other media outlets, that his school started moving games to larger venues to accommodate the crowds.

Unlike James, Mayo can't boast a squeaky-clean image.


He was involved in several controversies during his high school career, including a marijuana possession ticket (dropped when someone else claimed ownership of the offending herb) and an alleged assault of a referee which led to a suspension and temporary restraining order. His early career at Southern Cal was marked by an incident as well, when Mayo broke the jaw of teammate Daniel Hackett during a pickup game. The official story is that Hackett caught an inadvertent elbow; the rumor is that Mayo slugged him.

But it was only after the completion of his freshman -- and only -- season at USC that the bigger issues started to surface. A reporter from ESPN's Outside the Lines connected Mayo to a street agent named Rodney Guillory, who reportedly supplied Mayo with thousands of dollars in cash and gifts. Guillory is reportedly associated with Bill Duffy Associates -- the same agency Rose selected as his representation for the upcoming NBA draft.

Controversy aside, Mayo is an excellent player.

He's a tremendous athlete, a 6'5" scoring guard who has the talent to get to the rim more or less at will, but many observers question his basketball smarts and his willingness to get teammates involved in the game. Of course, Mayo wouldn't be the first supremely talented guard that doubles as a bit of a ball-hog. (He wouldn't even be the first one to play home games in Los Angeles this season… Kobe Bryant, anyone?)

In 33 games with the Trojans, Mayo averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in just under 37 minutes per game.

He is projected as a top ten pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.