University of Kansas Jayhawks guard Zeke Mayo revealed on social media that he received racist and hateful messages, including some encouraging self-harm, after his performance in Saturday’s 78-73 home loss to No. 10 Texas Tech.
Mayo vows to “do better” after Saturday’s loss to Texas Tech
According to The Associated Press, Mayo shared screenshots of the vile messages on X, formerly Twitter, before deactivating his account on Sunday.
“I 100% deserve all the criticism in the world,” he wrote. “My performance was beyond pitiful today, and has been for a while now. … I can’t be perfect all the time. I’m sorry to our fans and my teammates, I will continue to get better.”
I 100% deserve all the criticism in the world. My performance was beyond pitiful today, and has been for a while now. I work my ass off everyday to be great, but I can’t be perfect all the time. I’m sorry to our fans and my teammates, I will continue to get better. pic.twitter.com/8Th69MbLGr
— Zeke Mayo (@zekexmayo) March 1, 2025
One of the game’s pivotal moments was Mayo’s missed three-pointer in the final seconds. He finished with five points on 1-of-7 shooting in the loss to Texas Tech.
KU’s athletic staff supports Mayo
Coach Bill Self and athletic director Travis Goff released statements supporting Mayo in response to the messages he received online.
“These aren’t Jayhawks. They’re not ours,” Goff wrote on X. “Driven by gambling and hate. They’ve never competed a day in their life. To Zeke and all our guys — the Jayhawk family loves you and will always ride with you through thick and thin.”
‘Any criticism about the team should be directed at me,’ says Self
In a lengthy post on KU’s Instagram account, Self addressed the team’s performance against Texas Tech, identified improvement areas and emphasized that all “criticism” should be directed at him.
“Any criticism about the team should be directed at me. I’m the head coach,” Self said.
View this post on Instagram
This year is Mayo’s first as a Jayhawk after spending three years at South Dakota State. CBS Sports reported that he is the second-leading scorer on the team, with 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Saturday’s loss marked the Jayhawks’ 10th defeat of the season, making it the second straight year the team reached double-digit losses before securing 20 wins.
