OJ Mayo’s High School Musical
One of the world’s top prep players changes jerseys for his final year…
Actually, I’m pretty sure this circus doesn’t include singing and coreographed dancing, but it does seem like a saga worthy of a Disney Channel special, and it will probably become a pretty compelling book one of these days.
Which circus? OJ Mayo’s three-ring high school career. We heard about OJ way back when he was in middle school, and we were the first magazine to cover him, as I wrote something on him for SLAM back in 2002, when he was a seventh grader. (The story I wrote was sort of a protest story about the insane amount of attention being placed on kids that were so young; ironically, when I asked OJ’s coach if I could speak to him for the story I got turned down.) Since then we’ve covered OJ regularly, and he even posed for the cover of our inaugural Punks special issue last year.
As his career and fame have zoomed forward, that circus surrounding him has become more and more insane, to the point where he had reporters dogging him around ABCD camp this summer trying to get a scoop about where he intended to go to college. Perhaps they should have been asking where he intended to go to high school.
After days of rumors and speculation, OJ confirmed today that he’ll be transferring from North College Hill HS in Cincinnati to Huntington HS back in his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia. It shouldn’t be too surprising, considering OJ’s longtime College Hill running mate Bill Walker was declared ineligible earlier this year. By enrolling at Huntington, Mayo will get to play with a few of his AAU buddies, including Patrick Patterson, last year’s West Virginia player of the year.
OJ has a lot of hoops left to play, and he’s already provided a lifetime of headlines. Talk about a tough act to follow…
34 Responses to “OJ Mayo’s High School Musical”
Aug.29 at 12:33 pm
Alex says:
I hate when people call this kid the next LeBron. With all this controversy he’s had to go to I’d say his career has a much higher chance of looking like Maurice Clarrett’s. Sure, he can play I bet, but so could Lenny Cooke..
Aug.29 at 1:33 pm
1ozzy says:
Lamar Odom, Lamar Odom, Lamar Odom, Lamar Odom. . .
Aug.29 at 1:34 pm
Tommy Jackson says:
Lang I’ve went reading your Links without mentioning how long I’ve read them for 5 years now. I remember everything from The Professor to how you guys used to dog hoops.net or whatever it was called, wayyy back in 2001. That was a long time ago. I never thought I’d see OJ Mayo or Pat Patterson’s name mentioned here! How crazy! Huntington, WV has produced some very athletic and talented basketball players in the last 10 years, but none of them ever go anywhere. We’ve had poor direction and leadership at HHS for a long time. I played for the team 99 and 00. I played with OJ and Pat and Bill Walker and even Chris Early at the Huntington YMCA… I played with Daunte Lewis who set the Big East 3 point record with Villanova and Arkel Bruce, who I can assure is better than all these guys (he had a tryout with the Celts despite never even playing HS ball because of the coaching we had and was a member of college national title team in Beckley, WV). That disorganazation and poor coaching that allowed guys like Bruce and Lewis to disappear into oblivion are the REAL reason OJ and Bill left to begin with. Believe me, I know. Now they’re coming back to my hometown and my alma mater to redeem the name of the great Hal Greer! (remember him anyone?) It is so exciting and surreal to see Lang Whitaker mention my hometown newpspaer and high school on the Slam links! This is crazy… finally my town will get some love and have some cred! This is so amazing. Well, anyway Lang I’m a journalism major here at MU (wow what if Mayo and Walker and Patterson come to Marshall! The Herd win a national title?! WHAT! Lang if you want me to correspond for you, I’d love to! I have a lot of other information about the Mayo-Huntington situation if you’d like to hear it. And he isn’t the next LeBron, he’ll be better. You heard it hear first! Actually I have an amazing OJ story to tell you sometime, if you’d like. Okay Lang, hit me up! I’m over here working at Expedia.com not doing anything! lol tom.jackson@serwizsol.com
Aug.29 at 1:45 pm
Tony Williams says:
He’s different than Cooke. He has a great head on his shoulders — despite being pulled in all directions…from handlers, his family, we the media, and so forth. Dude really just wants to play ball and not get “what’s mine” or what’s due to him, as the other two cats [Clarett and Cooke] aimed for. -TW-
Aug.29 at 1:55 pm
Tommy Jackson says:
OJ is nothing like those kids because he’s humble. He comes from a totally different demographic and a different kind of people. Besides that, Lenny Cooke’s game doesn’t hold a candle to his. I saw Lenny Cooke play in the Rucker, lol… OJ Mayo was going to state HIGH SCHOOL playoffs as a 6′3″ starting point guard in SEVENTH grade. As in at the age of 13! Do you understand? 13! I saw the kid dunking a basketball at the YMCA at 15 years old, vertical windmill dunks, just straight up and down. I said, wow that’s pretty impressive, he must’ve gotten like 8 out of 10 of those. The guy standing next to me, Hal an AAU coach here in town says to me, “Yeah, that’s his off hand.” His off hand? Yeah, he’s no Lenny Cooke, fellas. 13!!
Aug.29 at 2:19 pm
Will Lee says:
looks like the average NBA time of a player is going to be shorter. More and more young talents and international players coming to the league, and even if you are durable and good, you will be replaced sooner than before by energetic youths.
Aug.29 at 6:13 pm
loon says:
alex needs 2 stop hatin on oj da man raw bruh aint nobody got nothin on him dats why he’s numba 1 in da country!!!!
Aug.29 at 6:59 pm
DP says:
Derrick Rose will destroy O.J. and that’s the bottome line.
Aug.29 at 9:17 pm
G says:
OJ - hurry up and commit to ‘SC already.
Aug.30 at 8:21 pm
Lindsey Hobson says:
he’s a good player
Aug.31 at 10:46 am
O'Nell says:
These high school players now a days change schools like NBA players change teams…
Aug.31 at 12:21 pm
The Big Lead » blog » OJ Mayo To … West Virginia? Oh, High School. Right. says:
[…] OJ Mayo’s High School Musical (Slam) O.J. Mayo still enrolled at North College Hill High (Charleston Daily Mail) Dunk of the Day (Hoops Addict) […]
Aug.31 at 3:32 pm
Mike says:
So why is OJ transfering again? How is it these high school b-ball phenoms wind up moving from one HS to the next and nobody sees any problem w/ this (think Amare S.) Why would he leave a school where they won a state title and where his supposed best friend goes? No loyality to former teammates and coach? I smell a kid w/ serious issues….
Sep.2 at 3:00 pm
J.L. Layne says:
If O.J. Mayo’s mother did not send him to North College Hill we would not even be talking about him…he would not have made it out of this black hole called Huntington, WV. Tommy Jackson is right about the lack of coaching and opportunity myself and many other kids from this area have had. Back in ‘84 i was nominated for the McDonald’s All-American team, Honorable Mention Street’s and Smith and didnt even make All-State, thank God for AAU. Before me there was a guy by the name of Michael Price who was 6′8″ and just as good as Magic Johnson but more athletic…this black hole of negative people in our community gobbled him up…never made it out of High school….but im sure some “old heads” somewhere across the country heard of him…i remeber the AAU team from Huntington playing a team out of Chicago that featured Isiah Thomas for the national championship…I bet Isiah remebers Micheal Price, Earl Jones, David Wade…i could go one. There is talent all over this small state..ie Jayson Williams, Randy Moss, Pittsogle…there is just no coaching of chances…Kudos to OJ’s mom…thanks for letting him have a chance…and thanks for letting him come home for one year like he wanted….no hidden agendas here…just wanted to graduate with his boys.
Sep.6 at 1:43 pm
Zach says:
You guys need to really get off of this kid. derrick rose is a heck of a player but mayo would kill him. if you wewent to the ohio state ships this year you would have seen just a glimpse of mayo. he is smart and is a kind of tiger woods style guy. he’ll play w/ ya for a little bit and at the end turn on the jets and finish you off for good. and about keeping his head he wasn’t the prospect that went out and shot a guy w/ an airsoft gun. no. that was david lighty. mayo isnt that stupid otherwise he would’ve went to duke or nc. but he knows where and hw to get the pub. ps.nothing against lighty really like him a lot hope he has a great career at osu and beyond. best-a-luck.
Sep.7 at 1:27 pm
Jerry F. says:
Did anyone catch what Tommy Jackson said about him playing ball w/ all these 2007 HHS. boys when he played HHS in 2000. What were they 10 yrs. old then? The better line is and I quote “I played with Daunte Lewis who set the Big East 3 point record with Villanova and Arkel Bruce, who I can assure is better than all these guys” but yet Oj will be better than Lebron. isn’t he one of “all these guys” he mentioned playing ball w/ when they were still little kids at the YMCA. He shouldn’t worry about corresponding for Lang but focus maybe his future w/ his hometown “newpspaer” the herald disgrace which makes typo’s all the time. PS None of the guys he mention are dumb enough to play for Jirsa at Marshall when they could have a shot at a real future one day.
Sep.10 at 11:58 pm
Greg Partington says:
I think its kool that OJ is transferring schools because bill walker cant play at north college. These kids have probaly said to each other at a young age we’ll always play on the same team and both make the nba one day
Sep.13 at 9:19 pm
Lucifer says:
OJ mayo is the best player he is better than lebron… i have played against OJ 4 yrs ago when i was in High school and he was just an 8th grader … he avg over 20 points a game on a high school team he is a star and he is going to be a superstar and hall of famer in the NBA
Sep.29 at 8:27 pm
Donte.F says:
Everybody needs to lay off of Juice. Okay is a real problem! 1st of all his mother didnt send him to NCH his Granddad and Bob Huggins set that up so it would be easier for Huggins to recruit him & Billy Walker. But u wouldnt know that if u didnt kno OJ.2nd He is cut, from a good cloth. He most definately should be compared to LeBron. Not because of playing style, but for their dominance, and for size,strength, potential, and ability to take over any game. Most of the ppl hating must have never seen this kid play. I mean, he’s a kid…but he’s a GROWN ASS MAN! I dont think ppl understand how good this kid is, and how good he’s going to be at the next level and so on. Every year his numbers get higher. Listen Bron recognize game so…. whatever. Do ya Thing Juice I got ya back.
Oct.14 at 12:24 pm
Larry H says:
Hey O.J. is the truth he old school North College Hill High School is like 15 minutes away from me..The team had to play their home games at an arena like gym and they were still always sold out..O.J. and Bill Walker were the best tag-team players that the state of Ohio ever had…not to mention O.J. is at least 19 years old..maybe even 20 I believe…he will truly be missed in the city of Cincinnati
Oct.19 at 9:40 am
cameron moore says:
oj has a unique talent, he’s dominate’n hs players because he’s been play’n hs ball longer than anybody i know, he’s the real deal…next lebron???
Oct.21 at 3:55 am
kingstuffs says:
how tall is this guy
Nov.20 at 11:37 am
matt garza says:
wow this kid is good. he will most definaltly be better than lj. him transfering to west virginia really is gonna help him becacuse he gets to play against his aau guys. i cant wait to see him in collage and the nba
Nov.22 at 5:29 pm
Balla 11 says:
This kid aint got nothin on LeBron, sure hes good but hes just the sweat off LeBron’s ass. He’ll never be as good as LJ and definately won’t ever be as good as MJ. LeBron can’t even hold up to him…
Nov.28 at 2:23 pm
Theo says:
O.J is the reincarnated(did I spell this right)kobe out of high school. Dude is GOOOOOD! But this guy is cocky! I played him one on one to 15 he was talking so much smack I wanted to punch him in the face.I lost but OOOOO Well! I just think a balla out of University Place,Washington named Isaiah Thomas is as good as O.J. (and he is 5 foot 9). He average 32.8 points per game his JR. year and he broke every scoring rceord in the book(of Washington). At the end, all I’m just saying is that O.J. is just one of the great HS B-Ball greats of 2007, there is still Kevin Love,Derrick Rose, Bill Walker, and this kid named Isaiah Thomas out there.
Nov.28 at 2:29 pm
Theo says:
Oh yeah, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS THINKING. O.J. WILL NEVER BE AS GOOD AS LEBRON JAMES! LJ IS 500X BETTER THAN O.J. EVER COULD BE! AND EVERYBODY WHO HAS AGREED WITH ME ARE GOOD PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISAREED ARE DUMB!!!!!!!!!!!
Nov.30 at 9:08 pm
Nikita Wright says:
Look like dis Theo aint nobody up here dumb. OJ is a very good player, u got to give him dat, but way everybody want to comapare him to sum1 y he can’t be his own person and accomplish wat OJ needs to accomplish. OJ has one of the nicest personality that i have ever seen, yea he talks junk to people on dat court (4 da guy who said dat) but dats part of da game, if u play a sport u would kno dat. Y people got to knock him cuz he’s good or he change schools is dat anybody’s business. All he tryna do is make something of hisself, we should be glad 4 him not against him. It’s not his fault dem him otha guys out there dats good not gettin da shine like he is. He could be sellin drugs or somethin but he’s not. OJ is a good guy it’s not bout him bein better than Leron or Micheal Jordan it’s bout him bein hisself and doin da best he can, cuz u neva kno who he’s gonna be better than. Dis my nigga and i can’t just sit here and let people talk bad bout him. 2 me it look like sum people up here hatin cuz he BALLLLLLLLIN…..
Dec.7 at 12:19 pm
OJ Mayo says:
OJ Mayo is the truth, no doubt about it. Can’t wait to see him at USC take the Trojans to the final four and than the NBA a year later.
Jan.24 at 3:29 pm
da truth says:
first off oj went to west virginia huntington high school becasue of the diffuculties with him and his coach so he had to go to huntington, when he moved to WV he had talked to patrick his formmer aau buddy and they basically talked to each other about what school he should go to and patrick told him to just come to huntington, TRUST ME I KNOW THIS FOR SURE, OJ AND I ARE RELATED, HE’S EVEN GOING TO TRY TO GO TO THE NBA AFTER 1 YEAR AT USC, THE REASON HE’S GOING TO USC BECAUSE HE TOLD ME THAT BOB HUGGINS IS FOR HIS SELF AND NOT THE TEAM, WHILE ALSO HE SAID THAT HE FEELS USC IS A COLLEGE WHERE HE CAN WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP AND SO THE TEAM CAN SURROUND AROUND HIM, BUT EVEN THOUGH HES MY COUSIN HE WILL NOT BE BETTER THAN LEBRON FROM EXPERIENCE
Feb.5 at 8:27 pm
mitch says:
isnt Oj just 2 years younger than lebron and mello
Mar.17 at 8:58 pm
Keith says:
First, he starts out in KY,then OH, then WV. Trouble seems to follow him everywhere he goes. Just tonight, watching the WV high school tourney, he dunks then throws the ball into the crowd. The ultimate insult. If he can keep his nose clean and stay out of Compton, theres a chance he might make it to the NBA. Lets hope he doesnt turn into another Len Bias.
Mar.27 at 11:22 am
derrick johnson says:
i am from downtown cincinnati and went with my mentor to see o.j. mayo play my mentor brother team and from what i seen o.j. mayo is the next lebron james.
Mar.27 at 11:24 am
derrick johnson says:
o.j. mayo keep cincinati on the map
May.1 at 11:34 am
SiLKYSHOWTiME says:
0J MAYO iS GO0D BUT YOU CAN N0T COMPARE HiM TO SUPERSTAR LEBRON JAMES BECAUSE LEBRON iS MORE PHYSiCAL THAN 0J HE CAN HANDLE PRESSURE VERY WELL AND iN BiG GAMES HE DOES WHAT iS EXPECTED 0F HiM YOU CAN NOT SAY THAT ABOUT 0J BECAUSE iN THE McDONALD ALL-AMERiCAN GAME WHO HAD A BAD GAME?? THATS RiTE OJ AND WHO MiSSED AN EASY THREE-P0iNTER TO WiN THE GAME?? THATS RiTE OJ SO YOU CAN`T COMPARE HiM T0 LEBRON JAMES. 0J iS GO0D BUT NOT THAT GO0D.