USC signee O.J. Mayo had 19 points, six rebound and four assists for Huntington (W.Va.), No. 2 n USA TODAY’s Super 25, before fouling out in a 73-66 victory over No. 11, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) in the feature game of the HoopHall Classic at Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium before 3,000.
Mayo drew national attention Friday when he was ejected after receiving two technicals which is suppose to be an automatic 2 game suspension. A complaint was filed that allowed Mayo to play until the hearing scheduled for Feb. 9th.
“I lost my cool that night; I let the emotions get the best of me. I should have made a better choice over a controversial call. For sure I didn’t desrve the second techincal and didn’t bump the referee. It was unintentional contact,” Mayo said of the incident.
Cabell County Judge has granted a temporary injunction allowing OJ Mayo and five other Huntington High School basketball players to play Tuesday in Durham, NC against Artesia, ranked No. 11 in the USA Today Super 25 poll in the Durham HoopHall Classic. Huntington is No. 2 in the Super 25 but is ranked No. 1 in three other polls. Mayo had been suspended for two games after he received two technical fouls during a game in Charleston Friday night.
Huntington High was victorious Friday night, defeating Capital 77-64 to remain undefeated in their quest for a national championship. But that undefeated streak may be in jeopardy.
Huntington star senior and future USC Trojan, O.J. Mayo scored on a breakaway dunk with a little over 5 mniutes left in the game but was issued a technical foul for taunting. Mayo received a second technical, at the other end of the court when he continued to argue with other Capital players. After being ejected, Mayo followed the referee to the scorers table to dispute the call and bumped into the official from behind causing the referee fell to the court before being escorted to the locker room. OJ Mayo finished with 18 points.
According to the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission rule, Mayo would have to miss Huntington’s next two games, which are against nationally ranked Artesia from Lakewood, Calif., at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and Friday against Scott County (Ky.) at the University of Kentucky.
A home video of the event from Mark Perrella can be seen at WOWK-TV.
Next season, USC will play some of the nation’s top teams, due in some part to the signing of O.J. Mayo, one of the nation’s top high school prospect.
Kansas and Oklahoma comes in to the Galen Center from the Big 12. USC will also participate in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in a nationally televised game against a yet to be named major opponent. A three-game eight-team exempt tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center has also been proposed as a made-for-TV event by ESPN in late November which teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, SEC, Mountain West, Conference USA, USC from the Pac-10 and a Big West team.
O.J. Mayo wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted to change a college program and put it on the map. He’s already started and has yet to put on the Trojan cardinal and gold.
O.J. Mayo finished with 27 points and 8 assists, including 5 dunks leading the Huntington Highlanders to a 110-60 victory over the Princeton Tigers (9-4), topping triple digit points again. The Highlanders are now 14-0. Earlier in the day, the team moved into the numer one slot in one national poll as RISE magazine ranked the Highlanders No.1 in the national high school boys basketball rankings.
O.J. Mayo, in 1999, when he was 10-year-old going up for a shot in the championship game of the Jack Butler Memorial YMCA Buddy League tournament in Huntington.
Huntington vs Lexington Catholic featuring OJ Mayo, Patrick Patterson, Chris Early and the rest of the Huntington Highlanders. Video by Matt from ZproductionZ.
Huntington High routed Cabell Midland at Veterans Memorial Field House, 97-55. O.J. Mayo scored a game-high 33 points including six three-pointers and three dunks. The Highlanders ran their undefeated record to 13-0.
USA Basketball announced today the 10 players and coaching staff selected for the 2007 USA Basketball Junior National Select Team that will compete in the 10th annual Nike Hoop Summit on April 7 at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.
Named to the 2007 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Select Team were high school standouts: Jerryd Bayless (St. Mary’s H.S./Phoenix, Az.); Michael Beasley (Notre Dame Prep/Frederick, Md.); Jonny Flynn (Niagara Falls H.S./Niagara Falls, N.Y.); Donte’ Greene (Towson Catholic H.S./Baltimore, Md.); Kevin Love (Lake Oswego H.S./Lake Oswego, Ore.); O.J. Mayo (Huntington H.S./ Huntington, W.Va.); Patrick Patterson (Huntington H.S./ Huntington, W.Va.); Derrick Rose (Simeon Vocational/ Chicago, Ill.); Kyle Singler (South Medford H.S./Medford, Ore.); Nolan Smith (Oak Hill Academy, Va./Upper Marlboro, Md.). The coach and player selections were made by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior Development Committee.
The Nike Hoop Summit is the country’s premiere annual basketball game and the only game featuring America’s top male high school senior players taking on a World Select Team comprised of the world’s top players who are 19-years-old or younger. The 2007 Nike Hoop Summit game will be televised nationally by Fox Sports.
Mayo brings prior USA experience, having played in the 2005 USA Basketball Men’s Youth Development Festival. Carrying the USA Blue team to a 3-1 record and silver medal finish. Despite being one of four high school sophomores selected for the event, Mayo claimed the Festival’s top scoring honors, averaging 27.5 ppg., and ranked tied for third in assists (3.75), tops in steals at 6.0 spg. and secured 6.5 rpg.
Huntington High routed Cabell Midland at Veterans Memorial Field House, 97-55. O.J. Mayo scored a game-high 33 points including six three-pointers and three dunks. The Highlanders ran their undefeated record to 13-0.