Mayo staying one more year ... so far
Rhett Bollinger
Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: Sports
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"One more year, one more year," the student section yelled.
It was obvious what the freshman guard was thinking as he heard the chants.
"Make the free throws," Mayo said with a laugh.
But laughter aside, Mayo finally addressed the million-dollar question that was hounding him all year - will he be a one-and-done player or will he return for his sophomore year?
His answer was carefully worded. "So far, I'll be returning," he said with an emphasis on "so far."
And then he quickly qualified his answer when asked if anything could change his decision of whether or not to go pro.
"I don't know," he said. "I think it's kind of selfish to worry about what I'm going to do next year. We had a great win here against Stanford and we're trying to get ready for the Pac-10 Tournament."
So, while Mayo's comments might instill some hope for USC fans that he could return next season, it's far from a sure thing. He's registering for summer classes, but that doesn't mean he has to attend them.
Many factors could change Mayo's mind.
The Trojans' postseason success or failure could play a role in his decision, and if he's projected as a lottery pick in the draft, it will be tough to pass up.
One thing is for sure, however - USC coach Tim Floyd would love to have the versatile scorer back next season.
"Wouldn't that be great if he did?" Floyd said with a smile. "We'll be responsible and do what's right for him. He'll know he'll have an option to come here if he wants to."
Floyd then had nothing but positive things to say about Mayo after the Trojans' final regular season game.
"He's the most misrepresented, mis-portrayed athlete that I've seen coming into college," Floyd said. "He's been very dependable, very accountable, extremely bright, not one ounce of trouble, he's a leader, he's a student with a great GPA, he participates and he's a great talent."
But while Mayo's decision on whether or not to go pro gets the headlines, there are two other Trojans who will have equally difficult decisions to make after the season - freshman forward Davon Jefferson and sophomore forward Taj Gibson.
And while the two players didn't hear any "one more year" chants after the game, their decisions will be just as important to the Trojans, who lack depth at the forward position.
In Mayo's case, USC at least has some players ready at guard; 6-foot-5 shooting guard Demar DeRozan, who is ranked the No. 2 overall prospect by Rivals.com, has already given his commitment.
The Trojans still haven't signed any big men for next season and would likely have to start Keith Wilkinson, RouSean Cromwell, Kasey Cunningham or Mamadou Diarra next season.
Gibson and Jefferson's decisions hinge on the fact that both are old for their class years - Jefferson is 21 and Gibson is turning 23 before the June draft.
NBA teams draft mostly on potential and favor young players, facts that hurt both. Gibson is projected as an early second round pick if he decides to leave and Jefferson has been projected to be picked somewhere from the mid-first round to the second round.
Jefferson hasn't commented on his decision yet this season, but Gibson talked briefly about his after the Stanford game.
When asked if it was his last game at the Galen Center, Gibson replied, "Nah, I wouldn't say that. I'm not worried about anything else besides making the NCAA Tournament."
Similar to Mayo's response, he was simply saying he's not sure yet and there's still plenty of basketball left to be played. It was a fair and honest answer, but Gibson did say he was emotional about the game for different reasons.
"It's always emotional because it's the last game of the season," Gibson said. "You just realize how far you came with these guys from early in the season and the summer - all that work you put in."
Plus Gibson's parents flew out to see him play for just the second time in his career. Gibson was just happy to see his mom for the first time in a year.
"It was so emotional because I hadn't seen her since last year around this time, so when she finally came in I was real emotional these past two games," Gibson said. "She told me she cried."
It was clearly an emotional day for Gibson, but it might be even more emotional for USC fans if Gibson, Jefferson or Mayo decide to enter the NBA Draft after the season.
- To comment on this article, visit www.dailytrojan.com or e-mail Rhett at rhettbollinger@gmail.com.
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