Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week for Jan. 6, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Monday, January 6, 2025 | 7:33 PM

Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week – Brady Mayo

School: Beaver

Class: Senior

Height: 6-foot-1

Position: Guard

#Earned: The senior guard is coming off a physically taxing 2024 football season in which he helped Beaver to a share of the Class 3A Western Hills Conference title, despite missing some games with a dislocated elbow. Mayo is starting to hit his stride, scoring 24 points on Friday in the Bobcats’ Section 2-4A victory over visiting Hopewell, 65-50. Less than 24 hours later, he helped Beaver hand Class A top-ranked Neighborhood Academy its first loss in a 22-point effort to lead the Bobcats to the close win, 71-70, at the Chuckie Mahoney Classic on Saturday at Burgettstown.

Background: Mayo is second in the WPIAL in scoring behind his good friend and AAU backcourt teammate Rowan Carmichael of Avonworth with 283 points and an average of 23.6 points per game. He also leads the Bobcats in assists and is one of the top rebounders on the team. Mayo was a strong candidate for WPIAL Male Athlete of the Year as a junior when he enjoyed great success for Beaver in football, basketball and baseball. He is not sure if he will play baseball this spring, possibly participating for the Bobcats track and field team in an effort to get bigger and stronger. He has committed to play football at Bucknell University but is keeping his options open that a strong winter may lead to some opportunities in basketball.

What coach says: “He wants to win so bad it elevates those around him,” Beaver first-year coach Jason Bumblis said. “The Neighborhood Academy game was obviously a big matchup for the team and for him. He was adamant about guarding Courtney Wallace and he did a great job on him. Wallace is a phenomenal player, and he got his, but Brady made him hit tough shots, and that’s all you can ask against a player like that. But with the game on the line, down one (point) with 30 seconds left, everybody knew where the ball was going, and Brady was still able to get to the rim and score an and-one to put us ahead. It was just a big-time play from a big-time player.”

“Brady is a tireless worker, and he loves to be coached,” Bumblis said. “We have focused on two main areas this year that we as a staff thought he needed to improve on. And of course he has delivered. Defensively we demanded he become a factor on that side of the ball. It was up and down early, but he has really dialed in and proven to be a plus defender for our team. Offensively, we have tried to get him to slow down at times and play with a little more intention. It has helped him see the floor better and has really helped our offense flow more.”

“It is and it isn’t,” Bumblis said when asked if it was easy to take Mayo’s athletic ability for granted. “Daily, you can’t help but be astounded at how hard he consistently plays. At practice, at games, at shootarounds, he only has one speed and it’s hyper-speed. I have never once had to tell him to go hard. Where is it easy to take it for granted, is when he just gets the ball and goes and creates an easy basket. He makes it look easy at times, and we all are guilty of losing track of the fact that it is not easy at all.”

A look back at the 2023-2024 Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Players of the Week:

Week 12 – Brandin Cummings, Lincoln Park

Week 11 – Nate Brazil, Imani Christian Academy

Week 10 – Derek Errett, Fort Cherry

Week 9 – Josh Pratt, Aliquippa

Week 8 – Bobby Fadden, Mohawk

Week 7 – Jacob Guillen, Aquinas Academy

Week 6 – Michael Plasko, South Fayette

Week 5 – Lorenzo Gardner, Monessen

Week 4 – Joe Roth, Ellwood City

Week 3 – Jay Wrona, Mohawk

Week 2 – Peter Kramer, Hampton

Week 1 – Joey Dopirak, North Allegheny

Tags: Beaver