FSU's Xavier Rathan-Mayes returning for sophomore season
TALLAHASSEE -- Star guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes said Thursday afternoon that he will stay at Florida State.
Rathan-Mayes was named to the All-ACC freshman team and became just the second freshman to lead the Seminoles in scoring (14.9 points per game) in 2014-15.
"Xavier wants to put an end to all of the rumors and speculation about his future as a Seminole," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said in a statement released by the school. "He is very excited to continue his career and is looking forward to being a major part of the talented group of players on our team next season."
Rathan-Mayes also became the first freshman in ACC history to score 30 or more points three times and finished in the top 10 in the ACC in scoring. He scored 35 points against both North Carolina (Jan. 24) and Miami (Feb. 25) and scored 30 points against Clemson in the ACC tournament (March 11).
He picked up the scoring load for FSU (17-16, 8-10 ACC), which lost junior standout guard Aaron Thomas in December. Thomas was dismissed from the Seminoles for a violation of team rules.
A shooting guard during his prep career, Rathan-Mayes made the transition to point guard this past season and responded by scoring in double figures in 14 of FSU's last 16 games. He also averaged 4.6 assists per game.
"I'm looking forward to continuing my education at Florida State," Rathan-Mayes said in a statement. "I love my teammates and am excited to play with our returning guys and our newcomers next season."
Among FSU's returning players are junior guards Devon Bookert and Montay Brandon, sophomore forward Jarquez Smith, freshman forward Phil Cofer, and junior centers Boris Bojanovsky and Michael Ojo.
But FSU has also landed a Scout.com top-15 signing class, which should help a team that missed out on the postseason in 2014-15.
The top prospect of the class is Dwayne Bacon, who scored 12 points for the East in the McDonald's All-American game on Wednesday night. Bacon, a five-star prospect, will be joined by four-star guard Malik Beasley, four-star forward Terance Mann and three-star Jean Marc Christ Koumadje, a 7-foot-3 center.
