The leading scorer of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the 2023-24 college basketball season has announced his intention to try his luck in the 2024 NBA Draft, while still keeping his eligibility to continue his career in the collegiate ranks. Enter Kansas basketball, which may or may not be interested in luring high-scoring guard and incoming senior Zeke Mayo to Lawrence after an early ouster from the Big Dance.
Zeke Mayo reveals big decision after South Dakota State's 2024 March Madness exit
In a statement shared via his social media account on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Mayo laid out his future plans after South Dakota State failed to progress past the first round of the 2024 March Madness due to an 82-65 loss in the first round at the hands of the Iowa State Cyclones.
“First, I want to thank God for giving me the glory to be in the position I'm in today. Without His guidance, none of this would be possible. I would like to thank my family for the constant support on this journey. Your words of wisdom have given me hope and courage to become not only the player, but the man I am. I love you with all my heart, Mayo wrote on the opening paragraph of his statement”
Mayo paced the Jackrabbits in the 2023-24 campaign with averages of 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, while shooting 46.6 percent from the field, 54.1 percent inside the arc, 39.1 percent from the 3-point region, and 82.8 percent from the foul line. Through three seasons with the Jackrabbits, Mayo has put up 15.5 points per contest on 45.0 field goal percentage.
After expressing his gratitude to the coaches and teammates who had been by his side during his time with the Jackrabbits, Mayo closed out his statement by revealing his decision to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft. However, he also still has a door open for a potential return to college as a transferee.
“With that being said, after careful thought and consideration with my family and coaches, I will be declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility with intentions to enter the transfer portal. Please respect my decision as I'm blessed beyond measure to have this opportunity, and thank you again to Jackrabbit Nation and all of my supporter.”
It remains to be seen which path Mayo will choose, but Kansas basketball is a destination that is worth speculation as the next landing spot for the talented scorer. For one, he is quite familiar with the environment in Kansas, considering the fact that he was born and raised there.
Kansas basketball were not on the Zeke Mayo boat
Interestingly enough, he did not get an offer from Kansas basketball when he was still looking for a school to start his college career. Outside of the Jackrabbits, the only schools that made offers to Mayo were the Central Arkansas Bears, Jacksonville Dolphins, North Alabama Lions, Northern Colorado Bears, Northern Kentucky Norse, and
Tulsa Golden Hurricane, none of which operates under a major conference.
But after an excellent stint with the Jackrabbits, whom he also led to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024, Mayo has managed to raise his profile. Notable programs could be looking in his direction, perhaps including Kansas basketball, which also struck out of March Madness following an 89-68 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round.
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