NBA Draft Scouting Report: South Dakota State's Zeke Mayo
Zeke Mayo
Guard | South Dakota State
Height: 6'4” | Weight: 185 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 21.53
William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
Early in his freshman season at South Dakota State, Mayo became a permanent starter but was a highly impactful player even when he was coming off the bench briefly. He earned 2022-23 First Team All-Summit League honors, but has taken yet another leap in the 2023-24 campaign which has NBA teams very interested.
Known for being a great shot maker, Mayo can create for himself and score from all three levels. He's a quality 3-point shooter on high volume, but also has a reliable mid-range game and can finish at the rim. Mayo is an elite free throw shooter as well. He also has upside as a passer with the ability to facilitate the offense and set the table for his teammates, notching a near 20% assist rate over his past two seasons.
The 6-foot-4 guard is a solid positional rebounder and the type of player that has triple-double upside as he typically leads the Jackrabbits in points, rebounds and assists. With that in mind, what's been most impressive about Mayo's play this season has been the increase in efficiency. He's been able to maintain his scoring output on fewer shots due to shooting a higher clip from nearly everywhere on the floor.
Mayo is also a peaky defender who is disruptive on that end and can make plays. Given all of the things he's able to do on the court, it's clear he has the upside to be worth a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Mayo grew up in Lawrence, KS and emerged as one of the best players in the entire state. He followed in the footsteps of his father Reggie, who played basketball at Dodge City (Kansas) Community College as well as Tennessee Tech. Now, he has the chance to make his way to the NBA and be a high impact guard at the highest level.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Potential First-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
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