USC Announcement

USC issued a news release regarding Mayo's becoming the school's highest draft pick in history. Surprising: USC, Kansas, Florida and Texas are the only schools with a top-16 pick in each of the last two drafts. Not surprising: No mention of Davon Jefferson.

You can read the full release after the jump.

MAYO SELECTED THIRD IN THE 2008 NBA DRAFT

-- For Second Straight Year USC Has A Top 16 Selection, One Of Only Four Schools --

LOS ANGELES – USC guard O.J. Mayo was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the third pick overall at the 2008 NBA Draft held today (June 26) at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. Mayo becomes the eighth USC player taken in the first round of the NBA draft and the highest-drafted Trojan ever, surpassing NBA great Paul Westphal, who was taken with the 10th selection of the 1972 NBA Draft:

• 1968 - Bill Hewitt - 11th (Los Angeles Lakers)
• 1972 - Paul Westphal - 10th (Boston)
• 1975 - John Lambert - 15th (Cleveland)
• 1979 - Cliff Robinson - 11th (New Jersey)
• 1992 - Harold Miner - 12th (Miami)
• 1997 - Rhodrick Rhodes - 24th (Houston)
• 2007 - Nick Young - 16th (Washington)

It marks the first time in school history that a Trojan has been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in consecutive seasons. USC is also one of four schools (the others: Kansas, Florida, Texas) to have at least one player selected in the top 16 of each of the last two NBA drafts.

“O.J. did a great job for us,” said USC head basketball coach Tim Floyd. “We haven’t had a player work as hard as him to get to this point. We are very happy for him and believe he will have an exceptional career in the NBA.”

Mayo led USC in scoring (20.7), steals (51), three-pointers (88) and assists (109), was second in free throw percentage (.803) and third in rebounds (150). He established the USC freshman single-season record for points (684) and three-point baskets. Mayo’s point total was the second most ever in a season by a Trojan and the three-point basket total ranks third all-time at USC. His scoring average of 20.7 is the best ever by a USC freshman and trails only Shareef Abdur-Rahim of California who set the Pac-10 Conference freshman record with an average of 21.1 points per game in 1995-96.

The native of Huntington, W.Va. was named to the All-Pac-10 First Team, Pac-10 All-Freshman Team, NABC District 15 Team and was honorable mention to the All-Pac-10 Defensive team, as well as receiving Wooden Award and Naismith Award consideration. Mayo also was named a Rivals.com and CollegeHoops.net Third Team All-American and a CollegeHoops.net First Team All-Freshman selection. In his one season at USC, Mayo helped lead USC to a tie for third place in the Pac-10 and into the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, where the Trojans fell to Kansas State in the first round.

Comments

[Mash]

DeRozan will be the highest of all time next year when he battles for the No. 1 spot with Blake Griffen, who in my opinion is overrated. Griffen got PUNKED OUT by the Brooklyn baller Taj Gibson who also DESTROYED Tyler Hansbrough two years ago in the sweet 16 shutting him down to 4 pts and 2 rebs!!! If it wasn't for the refs in favor of the all-american "great white hype" nonsense, USC would have won that game like they should've. Gibson conveniently gets fouled out of the game with 3 fouls in the 2nd half that were all BS and ultimately took him out of Hansbrough's way. Any team that drafts Hansbrough next year will be wasting a pick cause will be a joke of an NBA powerforward at 6'8 (which could end up being 6'5 somewhat like Beasely) with the reach of a 6'1 guy. See you in Europe buddy you will never be an NBA star!

[pk-in-the-mesa]

Mash again you amaze me if Taj would of come out this I feel he would of worked his way into the teens.