Travis Mays
Encyclopedia
Travis Cortez Mays is an American former professional basketball
player who was selected by the Sacramento Kings
in the 1st round (14th overall pick) of the 1990 NBA Draft
.
Mays went to Vanguard High School
where he was a scholastic All-America standout, and he then proceeded to play ball and study at University of Texas 1986-1990, where he earned a B.A. in psychology. Mays and teammates Lance Blanks
and Joey Wright
were known as the "BMW The Ultimate Scoring Machine" during the 1989-90 basketball season. That Longhorn team advanced to the Elite Eight
in the 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
.
Travis Mays ranks second in UT men's basketball all-time scoring (2,279 points) and also is second in Southwest Conference all-time scoring. Mays' career scoring average was 18.4 ppg. He scored in double-figures in 100 of 124 career games, and was the only UT men's player in history to score more than 700 points in a season at the end of his Longhorn career; he did that with 743 points as a junior and 772 as a senior. His single season scoring record was subsequently been broken by Kevin Durant. Mays helped lead Texas to the 1990 Final Eight, scoring 24.1 ppg.
During his rookie campaign for the Kings, He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, averaging 14.3 ppg in 64 games during his first pro season. He spent the next two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks
, where he two games into his second season ruptured both tendons in his right ankle and was out for the season, before returning for his final NBA season the next year. Mays had an NBA career scoring average of 11.1 points per game.
Mays' pro career extended to European basketball as he played in Greece, Israel, Turkey and Italy. Highlights of his European career include selection to the European All-Star Game, leading Panionios (Greece) to the European Championship final eight with 27.5 ppg, and First Team All-Star selection (1999–2001) on Italy's Siena squad. He retired as a player in 2001.
Mays spent the 2002-04 seasons (assistant) coaching and scouting for the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars franchise. He also coached AAU boys' basketball for the Tennessee/Alabama "Pump" team in the summer of 2003.
From 2004-07, he served as assistant coach at the University of Texas, joining Jody Conradt
's staff. Mays' primary duties were working with UT's guard play and recruiting.
Since 2007, he is working in the same capacity at the Louisiana State University
women's team.
In his years of recruiting, he was instrumental in signing (among others) Erika Arriaran, Crystal Boyd, Earnesia Williams and Brittainey Raven
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who was selected by the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in the 1st round (14th overall pick) of the 1990 NBA Draft
1990 NBA Draft
The 1990 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1990, in New York City, New York. This draft produced only one perennial All-Star,Gary Payton. Among the 54 picks, Payton is considered by far the best pick of the draft. Payton went on to be considered one of the greatest point guards of all time...
.
Mays went to Vanguard High School
Vanguard High School
Vanguard High School is one of eight high schools in Marion County, Florida. The school serves the northeast area of Ocala, Florida. Vanguard offers the International Baccalaureate program for students, which accepts pupils from outside districts and makes up about 25% of the student population....
where he was a scholastic All-America standout, and he then proceeded to play ball and study at University of Texas 1986-1990, where he earned a B.A. in psychology. Mays and teammates Lance Blanks
Lance Blanks
Lance Blanks is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft. A guard, Blanks played for the Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves in 3 NBA seasons, averaging 2.0 ppg...
and Joey Wright
Joey Wright
Joey Wright is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Gold Coast Blaze.-College career:...
were known as the "BMW The Ultimate Scoring Machine" during the 1989-90 basketball season. That Longhorn team advanced to the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
in the 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1990, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Denver, Colorado...
.
Travis Mays ranks second in UT men's basketball all-time scoring (2,279 points) and also is second in Southwest Conference all-time scoring. Mays' career scoring average was 18.4 ppg. He scored in double-figures in 100 of 124 career games, and was the only UT men's player in history to score more than 700 points in a season at the end of his Longhorn career; he did that with 743 points as a junior and 772 as a senior. His single season scoring record was subsequently been broken by Kevin Durant. Mays helped lead Texas to the 1990 Final Eight, scoring 24.1 ppg.
During his rookie campaign for the Kings, He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, averaging 14.3 ppg in 64 games during his first pro season. He spent the next two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, where he two games into his second season ruptured both tendons in his right ankle and was out for the season, before returning for his final NBA season the next year. Mays had an NBA career scoring average of 11.1 points per game.
Mays' pro career extended to European basketball as he played in Greece, Israel, Turkey and Italy. Highlights of his European career include selection to the European All-Star Game, leading Panionios (Greece) to the European Championship final eight with 27.5 ppg, and First Team All-Star selection (1999–2001) on Italy's Siena squad. He retired as a player in 2001.
Mays spent the 2002-04 seasons (assistant) coaching and scouting for the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars franchise. He also coached AAU boys' basketball for the Tennessee/Alabama "Pump" team in the summer of 2003.
From 2004-07, he served as assistant coach at the University of Texas, joining Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
's staff. Mays' primary duties were working with UT's guard play and recruiting.
Since 2007, he is working in the same capacity at the Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
women's team.
In his years of recruiting, he was instrumental in signing (among others) Erika Arriaran, Crystal Boyd, Earnesia Williams and Brittainey Raven
Brittainey Raven
Brittainey Raven is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. She is a graduate of North Crowley High School and of the University of Texas at Austin. She was drafted as the 33rd overall pick in the 2010 WNBA draft by the Atlanta Dream, the team she most recently played...
.
College achievements
- Mays was an Associated Press Second Team All-American as a senior.
- Against Georgia in the first round of the 1990 tourney, Mays poured in 44 points, which still stands tied for the 11th-best single game scoring effort in NCAA Tournament history.
- He was the first player in SWC history to earn back-to-back Player of the Year honors as a junior and senior (in 1989 and 1990).
- He was inducted into the University of Texas Men's Athletics Hall of Honor in 2002.
As a player
- University of Texas: 1986-90
- Associated Press All-America (second team): 1989-90
- Southwest Conference Player of the Year: 1988-89, 1989–90
- Three-year All-Southwest Conference: 1987-90
- UT Men's Athletics Hall of Honor: 2002
- NBA: Sacramento Kings (First Round Pick): 1990
- NBA: Atlanta Hawks: 1991-93
- European Pro Leagues (Greece, Israel, Turkey and Italy): 1993-2001
- European All-Star Game: 1994, 1995
- First Team All-Star (Italy): 1999-2001
As a coach
- WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars Assistant Coach: 2002-03
- WNBA San Antonio Silver Star Head Scout: 2003-04
- Assistant Coach, University of Texas: 2004-2007
- Assistant Coach, LSU: 2007-
External links
- NBA.com Historical Profile
- Travis Mays - NBA stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
- Basketpedya.com Profile
- Google cache of "Mays shows women the way" @ dailytexanonline.com (an article on Mays' coaching career)