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32 - OJ Mayo

6-4, 200 Shooting Guard
USC Freshman
Birthday
11/05/87 (36.4 yrs)
Hometown
Huntington, WV
High School
Huntington
Team Site Profile
2007 Statistics
Athleticism
9
Size
7
Defense
9
Strength
9
Quickness
9
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
9
NBA Ready
8
Ball Handling
8
Potential
8
Passing
6
Intangibles
7
96 Overall:

NBA Comparison: Ben Gordon

Borko Popic – 6/14/2008

Strengths: Very explosive scorer, able to fill it up in a hurry and in a variety of ways Has the swagger and confidence of a seasoned veteran, and never gets down on himself or allows an opponent or performance rattle him Possesses range well beyond the NBA 3 Some of his height concerns were answered when he measured 64.25 with shoes in Orlando to go along with a 66 wingspan Most impressive of all was his 41 vertical Has an uncanny ability to make difficult shots with defenders draped all over him Crafty ball handler who is very confident dribbling against pressure and trapping defenses Knows how to use his body when getting to the hoop, shielding the ball and making it difficult to contest his drives Has a variety of jerky moves and fakes that create enough separation allowing him to get his shot off against even the top defenders His strong core allows him to shoot fade-aways from deep and still keep good form Both his elevation and stroke are exceptional, combining to make him one of the better shooters this class has to offer When he buckles down defensively, he gives fits to many players He is able to stay in front of quicker point guards as well as athletic wing players Went through an up & down season, but found his touch coming down the stretch and once again regained his spot as a top tier prospect

Weaknesses: Is still somewhat undersized to play off the ball His first step is lacking in explosiveness and he does not have the greatest ability to turn the corner, as a result he rarely blows by defenders and is forced into shooting tough and contested shots too often While he was able to convert on challenged shots in college, those shots will be that much tougher at the next level Because he is forced to finish in a crowd every time he goes to the hoop, he seems to settle for the outside shot because it is less demanding on his body Goes through shooting slumps too frequently He has decent court vision, but lacks a floor general’s mentality, he strictly looks to create for himself and only gives the ball up as a last resort His somewhat selfish approach causes him to force the issue too much, and as he gets into trouble by over-dribbling and completely stagnating the offense Averaged more turnovers (3.5) than assists (3.3) Allegations of receiving illegal benefits from his agent bring back old questions about his character

Aran Smith – 7/9/2006

Strengths: Extremely talented lead guard who routinely makes highlight plays Possesses great all around skills A fierce competitor. Plays the game with a tremendous amount of confidence, desire and intensity The game comes very easily to him. His feel for the game is advanced for a high school level player Strong one on one player with creative drives to the basket Has legitimate lead guard skills, with a yo yo handle, and solid passing ability Has the go-to scoring ability to take over late in games Plays a very physical style and loves to take the ball to the hole Very strong physically, able to overpower most point guards Prone to big scoring outbursts A strong defender who can become a lock down type of defender with his great reflexes and foot speed Shoots well from outside, setting up his dribble drive His first step off the dribble is off the charts

Weaknesses: The biggest progression he can make to his game is becoming a complete point guard … Sometimes attacks the game 1-on-5 and forgets about the team game. Must get better at keeping everyone involved and running a team … He’s 6-4 which is excellent size for a PG, but he lacks the ceiling of someone such as LeBron James because he isn’t able to impose his will physically on bigger players Can be too enamored with shooting the three ball and going to the basket, his mid range game is solid but can improve … Some feel that his development has slowed to an extent towards the end of his high school career … Had an off court incident, fighting with another student, which raised some red flags, but behavior doesn’t seem to be a major issue There’s the fear that the AAU mentality might overwhelm the concept of team basketball for him … He benefits being a year older than most of the players in his class

Notes: Full name is Ovinton J’Anthony Mayo … Has been at the head of his class since Elementary school (since rankings were being put out on his class) … Like LeBron James before him, OJ Mayo became a household name as an underclassman in high school. Decided to transfer back home to play his senior year at Huntington High School along with Patrick Patterson.

YouTube Clip – 5/22/2008

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