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One of the big stories of this year's Marquette Madness was the apparent maturation of sophomore guard Todd Mayo, who seemed to be saying all the right things after he was sent away from campus -- or, to use Buzz Williams' colorful turn of phrase, told to "carry his ass home" -- this past summer. According to Mayo, he'd grown closer to his head coach during his exile and had a newfound appreciation for his team and his opportunity, and he sounded eager to get to work in 2012.
Talking a good game is one thing, of course. Putting that into action is another, and if tonight's news is any indication, Mayo is still struggling in that department.
Just four days before Marquette's season opener, the University announced that Mayo has been ruled academically ineligible (and because this will surely be one of the topics of conversation: that's academically ineligible under NCAA standards, not the much ballyhooed improved academic standards that have allegedly been implemented by new Athletic Director Larry Williams). Said Buzz:
Todd understands success in our program requires a sincere commitment to excellence on and off the floor. I'm extremely disappointed he's put himself in this position, but he has the full support of our program as he works to improve.
Mayo's suspension leaves Marquette perilously thin at shooting guard: there's senior transfer Trent Lockett, and Vander Blue, and probably freshman Jamal Ferguson in a pinch, but that's about it.
As of right now, there's no information on how long Mayo's suspension will last, or what he needs to do to get things right. But this is the latest in a concerning trend for the talented two-guard, and you can't help but wonder if it's the last straw.