Baylor's Matthew Mayer Withdrawing from NBA Draft & Will Transfer
Baylor Bears forward Matthew Mayer enjoyed the honor of being one of 76 prospects invited to the NBA Draft Combine when the list was announced May 11, joining Baylor teammates and projected first-round picks Jeremy Sochan and Kendall Brown.
But after going through the combine process on May 18-20 in Chicago, Mayer has decided he is best suited to continue his college career for another season, he told Adam Zagoria of ZAGSBLOG.
Chris Jones, USA TODAY
Chris Jones, USA TODAY
Chris Jones, USA TODAY
“I’ve decided that I’m coming back to college but don’t know where,” he said.
The 6-9, 225-pound forward from Austin entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal on May 2. He's now intent on leaving Baylor after a four-year career in Waco that saw him play in 126 games with averages of 6.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists on 41.5 percent shooting. The deadline to withdraw from the draft pool is June 1.
Mayer has been courted by teams like Texas Tech, USC, Memphis, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, and national runner-up from this past season, North Carolina. The Tar Heels ended the Bears' chances of repeat national titles in a thrilling overtime game in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in March.
Chris Jones, USA TODAY
Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY
Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY
Mayer averaged 9.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.2 steals on 40.9 percent shooting in 33 games this past season. He had 10 points and three rebounds but fouled out in Baylor's 93-86 loss to UNC.
North Carolina seems to be one of the front-runners for Mayer. A few of the Heel's star players have already openly expressed their desire to join forces with the versatile forward, as North Carolina big man Armando Bacot took to Twitter to convince Mayer to come to Chapel Hill in hilarious fashion.
"@MatthewMayer24 don’t make me come kidnap you bro you know wassup," Bacot tweeted on May 3.
After winning a national title with a dominant Baylor team in 2021, Mayer now has a handful of options in front of him as he enters his final year of collegiate eligibility.
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