At 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall and weighing 225 pounds, Mayes primarily played the power forward position.

[2] Mayes grew up in Greenville, South Carolina and played basketball at Wade Hampton High School in his hometown.

[6] It was led by Mayes, who repeated at the Southern Conference Player of the Year and also honored as a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press.

[7] After Mayes' collegiate career ended, the Milwaukee Bucks selected him as the 22nd overall pick in the 1975 NBA draft.

For the remainder of the season, Mayes was temporarily signed and released by three different teams—the Indiana Pacers, Buffalo Braves and Portland Trail Blazers—and appeared in no more than five games for any of them.

[2] He decided that he would have greater success overseas, and so starting in the 1977–78 basketball season Mayes found himself playing in Italy.