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As first reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Michael Hunt, Todd Mayo has been cleared to return to active status with the Marquette men's basketball team and will be in uniform this Saturday against LSU.
Here's what head coach Buzz Williams had to say on the topic:
He is eligible, but I wanted his family to understand exactly where he is with all his academics.
Yep, that's the extent of Buzz's comments.
Now, in uniform doesn't mean he's going to play, as Mayo only returned to practice on Monday. Part of his academic ineligibility was an inability to practice or use team facilities, including the strength and conditioning training available and required of Marquette athletes. We know Mayo made it through preseason workouts and boot camp, but he hasn't been working out in the Al in the last 7 weeks. I'm not saying he's out of shape, but he might not be ready to contribute at a high level yet.
As far as his impact on the team goes once he starts playing, I think it's safe to say that Mayo immediately takes up the 16 minutes a game that Jake Thomas is averaging. Everyone on the team is averaging less than 30 minutes a game, so it's hard to say how Mayo's playing time will affect anyone else. I didn't think it was possible for Buzz to start substituting more frequently than he has been so far this season, but having Mayo around will probably do exactly that.