Michael Mays was a standout at Tennessee High and King University.
Tim Hayes
Michael Mays is currently playing professional basketball on Spain's southern coast in the province of Huelva.
"It's actually the city Christopher Columbus sailed out of before he discovered America," Mays said.
The former Tennessee High and King University star is faring well in his own personal hoops conquest as the second-year pro is putting up strong numbers for Ciudad de Huelva of the 28-team Segunda FEB League.
Mays is averaging 15.6 points and 1.5 rebounds through the first 13 games of a season that began in early-October.
The 5-foot-10 guard spent last season with a squad in the country of Georgia and was an All-Star in the Georgian Superleague, averaging a team-best 19.2 points per contest for Margveti.
He's stepped up a level in competition this year.
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"This league is different in the fact that it is conducted more professionally and taken more serious as a whole," Mays said. "The scouting and coaching is the highest I've experienced. Also, this league is only allowed one American passport player per team compared to Georgia allowing four, so the style of play is completely Spanish and very tactical."
The son of former Tennessee High football and wrestling coach Michael Mays, Mike Mays enjoys a hard-nosed approach.
"I like how serious they take it," the younger Mays said. "It's the most professional environment I've been a part of yet. They practice us hard and prepare us well. I've definitely improved as a player so far in my time here."
How did he end up in Spain?
"An established pro in my agency used to play in this league early in his career so he had a connection with a coach here," Mays said.
Mays dropped 32 points on Cultural Y Deportiva Leonesa on Dec. 11. He had a 14-point showing in his team's most recent game last week.
"I'm pleased with my performance thus far, having to adjust my game to fit into this style of play," Mays said. "But at the same time still being able to score at a high level."
The ability to be a volume scorer and a tireless work ethic have always been a trademark for Mays, who could fill it up while playing at THS and King.
"In all my years as a coach at the college level, I've never had a student-athlete that worked as hard as Michael Mays," said Jason Gillespie, who coached Mays at King. "He is the epitome of a guy that maximizes what God has blessed him with. It is definitely not shocking to me that he has had success playing professionally."
When not putting up shots, the kid from Northeast Tennessee is also enjoying exploring a different country.
"Nice city with great people and an interesting culture," Mays said.
You will be hard-pressed to find a dude who loves the game as much as the 25-year-old Mays and he is still putting in the work far away from home.
"The biggest thing I've learned as a pro is that it's a process," Mays said. "There's levels to this and you can't skip steps, but if you stack days one by one that's how you give yourself the best chance to take that next step in your career."
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