WSU's Mays, Miami's Mavunga to face off again

Today’s game:

Who: Wright State (3-6) at Miami (2-4)

When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday

TV: ONN

Radio: WBZI-FM (100.3), WBZI-AM (1500)

Top performances by Dayton, Miami and Wright State players’ high school teams during their senior seasons, by winning percentage:

As he settled into a chair inside a quiet room at Miami University’s Millett Hall, RedHawks senior forward Julian Mavunga was told the topic would be the 2008 Indiana Class 4A basketball state championship game.

“Ah,” Mavunga said, plopping down his 6-foot-8, 239-pound, high-scoring frame, “they’re still bitter about that.”

Mavunga was part of an unranked and unheralded Brownsburg High School squad that included future Butler University star and first-round NBA Draft pick Gordon Hayward. With a run through the renowned Indiana state tournament, Brownsburg upset eighth-ranked Marion High School and its star, guard Julius Mays, 40-39 to win the big-school title.

“I hate it,” said Mays, now a Wright State junior. “Thinking about it makes me mad.”

The memories arrived this week as Mays and Mavunga, almost four years removed from the thrilling championship game, prepared to lead their teams into today’s 3:30 p.m. matchup at Millett Hall. It will be the first time since playing in front of a mostly purple crowd of 18,305 at Conseco Fieldhouse (both schools’ primary color is purple) that the former Indiana All-Stars will meet on the court.

Both lead their teams in scoring — Mavunga at 21.5 points per game, Mays at 10.4 — and went to college (Mays first attended North Carolina State before transferring) from high school teams with a combined 46-10 record. They also serve as examples that being part of successful prep teams can prepare players for college pressures.

Dayton, Miami and Wright State rosters are full of examples. Combined, the 42 players (minus UD’s Alex Gavrilovic, who prepped at Florida’s IMG Academy) helped produce a prep record of 877-218 during their senior seasons, winning 80 percent of the 1,095 games.

Mavunga is one of several players from the three colleges with a state championship ring, although it came at Mays’s expense when Hayward shoveled in a loose ball for a layup at the buzzer.

Attitudes of winning, like game memories, last well into college careers, coaches said.

Brownsburg crawled to a 37-36 lead to set up a wild final minute. A potential go-ahead basket by Mays with 1:05 left was negated by a charging call, and Brownsburg’s J.D. Cosby hit 1-of-2 free throws with 24.5 seconds left to push the advantage to 38-36.

Following the free-throw miss rebound, Mays walked the ball up the floor, defended by Hayward, and cut to the left. When he turned to drive on the left side of the lane, he flipped a pass out to teammate Scott Wood (now a North Carolina State junior), who hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 3.5 seconds left. Marion led 39-38.

As Brownsburg prepared to inbound the ball three-quarters of the court away from the basket with 2.1 seconds left, the teams combined to call four straight time outs. The Brownsburg player lofted a pass toward Mavunga on the right block, but a Marion player deflected it.

Mavunga tapped the ball away, and it dropped into the lane. A cutting Hayward picked it up, scooped a shot and watched as the ball seemed to hang on the rim before falling in. Brownsburg won 40-39 with the lowest scoring total by a champion since Milan High School beat Muncie Central 32-30 in the game that inspired the movie “Hoosiers.” Mays led all scorers with 21 points, and Mavunga produced 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Both teams had successful seasons, and Mays and Mavunga moved on to college careers. Miami coach Charlie Coles said a high school team’s overall success can affect whether a college recruits a player.

“If it’s a six-win team, why even look at a kid?” Coles said. “I don’t care how good he is, because something’s wrong there.”

Wright State coach Billy Donlon said players from winning high school teams carry a helpful attitude to the next level.

“They understand the bottom line is the final score, not their individual statistics, including playing time,” Donlon said.

Bragging rights also remain. Last season, Mays was on Wright State’s bench in street clothes sitting out the season as a transfer when the Raiders topped Miami and Mavunga 66-51 at the Nutter Center (Mavunga had 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists).

But afterward, Mavunga had the last word on Mays.

“Even though they lost,” Mays said, “the first thing he said was, ‘We still beat you at state.’ ”