Zeke Mayo’s reason for suiting up in The Basketball Tournament was as direct as it gets.
After JHX Hoops rolled past Purple Reign, the Kansas State alumni team, 62-55, the former Kansas guard made it clear the money is not the driving force behind his run.
“I love to wear this uniform. Frank is the same; I know these two feel the same,” quoted Mayo following JHX Hoops’ decisive 62-55 win against Purple Reign (Kansas State alumni).
For those following the 2026 TBT, Mayo was pointing to KU standout and current teammate Frank Mason III, along with team coach Sherron Collins and team GM and owner Tyshawn Taylor.
“It's never been about the money. It is a lot of money.
Don't get me wrong for sure. There's a lot of money, but I just love the game of basketball…I am gonna go out there and put everything on the line for this team.”
That mentality has shown up on the floor. Mayo is tied for 10th in TBT scoring at 17.3 points per game, and he delivered one of his biggest nights yet with 25 points in game three last Friday.
His KU stint may have been brief, but it left a mark. Mayo arrived in Lawrence after three seasons at South Dakota State, where he posted averages of 15.5 points, 3 assists and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 45% from the field.
Once he joined the Jayhawks before the 2024-25 season, he stepped in immediately and became a steady presence, putting up 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He was named to the 2025 All-Big 12 Third Team and the All-Big 12 Newcomer Team, and his KU high was 27 points in a 62-61 loss to West Virginia.
Kansas finished 21-14 and fell in the first round to Arkansas, 79-72, but Mayo still ended the year with 495 points, second on the team behind Hunter Dickinson’s 592.
Since then, Mayo has kept moving. He played last season with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ G-League affiliate, and in 36 games with two starts during the 2025-26 regular season he averaged 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 40.4% from the field.
He was also recently added to the Atlanta Hawks’ Summer League roster, where he averaged 7.3 points and 2 assists across five games.
Now Mayo and JHX Hoops are headed into the TBT quarterfinals against the defending champion Aftershocks, the Wichita State alumni team. The Aftershocks are bringing back seven players from their title run, and the single-elimination matchup is set for 8 p.m. CT at Charles Koch Arena.
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Flory Bidungas return gives the game a built-in storyline beyond the usual October showcase. The former Kansas center is back in Lawrence with Louisville, and his presence should make for a revealing early test for a Jayhawks roster still trying to sort itself out before the games count. Kansas will also be using the preseason to get a read on its young pieces, including Darryn Peterson, whose first exhibition was interrupted by cramping and a second-half stint on the bench after an initially unclear injury. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Just Got A Massive Melvin Council Jr. Eligibility Twist
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The timing matters for Kansas because Council already used an NCAA waiver to play a fifth year in 2024, and the latest filing is aimed at opening the door to the 2026-27 season. If he succeeds, it could give Bill Self another chance to keep a veteran guard in the program, but for now the bigger question is whether the courts will buy the argument that his route through college basketball still leaves room for one more season. [Read more 🡒]
Former Jayhawk Carlton Bragg Is Suddenly Part Of KU's TBT Push
Carlton Braggs basketball journey has taken him across a long list of countries, but this summer has brought him back into a Kansas setting in a way few would have predicted. The former Jayhawk is suiting up for JHX Hoops, KUs alumni team in the 2026 TBT, after former teammates invited him to join the roster and give the group another experienced frontcourt piece.
Bragg has already made the most of the opportunity, including a notable showing against Kansas State as the alumni team has pushed deeper into the bracket. JHX Hoops now turns to a quarterfinal matchup with Wichita States AfterShocks on Monday, with the path ahead still very much alive and Bragg suddenly part of a KU run that has given him a fresh stage back in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]