Beckett Park nearly finished
Marshall vs. Valley View
Chaminade Julienne vs. Monroe
Local coaches' reaction to Mayo allegations mixed
One suggests it was an unfair advantage if he was paid; another says it doesn't much matter.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Two years ago, as the Twin Valley South boys basketball team entered a Division III district final against North College Hill, coach Tony Augspurger was lighthearted. He said he hoped one of his players could be "posterized" by the NCH move-in mega-stars O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker so at least they could be in the photo.
"We have one guy who can dunk," Augspurger said at the time, "and only if the moon is right."
Extras
It was indeed a mismatch, as Mayo and Walker combined to make 16-of-19 shots as NCH beat Twin Valley South (which had a 17-5 record) 78-25 on its way to the second of two consecutive D-III state championships.
As Mayo and Walker plowed through the state's Division III schools during their three seasons in Cincinnati, opposing coaches mostly had two reactions: Anger that the transfers were tearing up Ohio or a shrug of the shoulders as nothing-I-can-do acceptance.
With new allegations from a former associate that Mayo accepted tens of thousands of dollars from a prospective agent even while in high school and later at the University of Southern California, local coaches who lost to Mayo's teams in the state tournament had the same reactions this week.
Augspurger, during his TVS planning period, shared the same humor he showed on the March night in 2006.
"We lost by 53," Augspurger said. "If Mayo doesn't play, we lose by 25. It's not like we lost a district title because someone gave O.J. Mayo some money."
In a 2005 district final, West Liberty-Salem, with a 16-7 record, led by a point with 5:51 left in the first half against sophomores Mayo and Walker. NCH then used a 15-4 run to take control and eventually won 62-37 on the way to the first of its two state titles.
West Liberty-Salem was like several teams dismantled by Mayo and Walker — it had one of the most gifted groups in the school's recent history. Even with unusually strong talent, the D-III schools, which ranged from 134 to 226 boys enrolled, were blown out by the West Virginia-born transfers.
"Especially if allegations are true, if indeed he was a professional basketball player, that was an unfair advantage the rest of us couldn't compete with," said Aaron Hollar, the West Liberty-Salem coach. "With that being said, he was going to be that good whether he was getting extra benefits or not."
Mayo's and Walker's presence at North College Hill was a highly publicized version of an issue facing basketball coaches throughout the state, Augspurger and Hollar said. The pair said transfers happen every year in Ohio, some legitimate and some not.
"I never understood the huge hoopla," Augspurger said. "He and Walker moved there to play basketball. Kids do that all the time, they were just better. And, they moved across state lines, so I guess it's a bigger deal than a kid who moves 20 miles down the road to the next district.
"But, he was a heck of a basketball player."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com
