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FSU Basketball: Xavier Rathan-Mayes Leaving For 2017 NBA Draft

By Jason Parker

Jan 28, 2017; Syracuse, NY, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (22) drives the ball past Syracuse Orange forward Tyler Lydon (20) during the first half of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2017; Syracuse, NY, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (22) drives the ball past Syracuse Orange forward Tyler Lydon (20) during the first half of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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FSU basketball has lost another player to the next level as Xavier Rathan-Mayes announced Thursday that he is heading to the NBA draft.

Well, it seems as if the dominos are starting to fall the wrong way for the FSU basketball program. After star guard Dwayne Bacon announced on Wednesday that he was heading to the NBA Draft and leaving school after his sophomore season, another teammate has announced he plans on doing the same thing.

Xavier Rathan-Mayes, the redshirt junior guard who went from being a scoring machine to more of a facilitator over the course of his career and was the floor general for much of this past season, as decided he will test the waters of pro basketball and forgo his final season in Tallahassee.

Just like Bacon, XRM posted a message on Seminoles.com thanking fans for their support and the school for all they did:

"When I first arrived at FSU, I set many goals for myself.  I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps while also creating my own identity. Florida State allowed me to do that and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities this amazing University has provided me, both academically and athletically."

Florida State Seminoles Basketball
Florida State Seminoles Basketball /

Florida State Seminoles Basketball

Xavier is the stepson of former FSU basketball star Tharon Mayes, who played parts of two seasons in the NBA during a 10 year pro career after playing for the ‘Noles. He was a four star prospect who went to prep school in West Virginia after moving from his native Canada to play with Andrew Wiggins – another son of a former ‘Nole who chose Kansas for his one year before the NBA.

After redshirting his first year due to NCAA eligibility questions, Rathan-Mayes went for just under 15 points per game in his first season on the court in 2014-15, making national headlines by scoring 30 points in under five minutes during a comeback effort against Miami.

Over his next two seasons, XRM become the team’s point guard – responsible for getting stars like Bacon, Malik Beasley and Jonathan Isaac the ball. Rathan-Mayes excepted this role and led the team in assists while in many cases being the calming force of leadership on the court for the Seminoles.

Rathan-Mayes announced last season he was going to go pro before ultimately returning to fSU basketball since he didn’t hire an agent. Several mock drafts have him going as a potential late pick in the second round.

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