Vince Mayle wanted to be John Wall, Mike Leach is probably happy he isn't

By now you've surely heard the story. Washington State wide receiver Vince Mayle used to play basketball. Back then he was an undersized 6-foot-3 240-pound post player trapped in a guards body. He gave up basketball and returned to football where he became a 6-foot-3 225-pound beast of a receiver. Funny how that works.

Joe Davidson of the Sacramento Bee profiled Mayle, discussing his basketball days and the transformation to football.

"I thought I was going to be the next John Wall," Mayle said of his basketball playing days, via the Sacramento Bee. "At least I gave it a try."

Mayle said football is the right sport for him and it's hard to argue that point. Although he played limited snaps early in the season, he came on strong and finished the season with 42 catches, 539 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. His best game came against Cal when he racked up 113 yards, scored twice and Deone Bucannon'd a defensive back.

While Mayle said he's happy to be back in football, Pac-12 defensive backs probably aren't too thrilled about it. The sky may not literally be the limit, but being the best wide receiver in the Pac-12 next season could be. Mayle will have to work extremely hard over the next eight months to get to that level, but not many can match his combination of size, speed and athleticism. If he continues to harness and utilize those skills, while refining his ability as a wide receiver, there isn't much you can do to cover him. Not even pass interference will save you.

Football:

Hometown Report: Inderkum’s Mayle finds new life on football field - Hometown Report - The Sacramento Bee
Vince Mayle was ready to play basketball for the rest of his life. Then something happened. He met competition. Stiff, athletic, freaky-good competition, at Shasta College, and he realized that 6-foot-3 power players have a short shelf life.

Cougar Calls with Bill Moos recap - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Jan. 13, 2014
The athletic department is excited about the schedule, which features five home games in Pullman. He added that the Cougars like an "A-B-C" schedule in terms of opponent difficulty, and believes that is the case in 2014 with Rutgers being the "A" school, Nevada being the "B" and Portland State being the "C".

Several WSU football recruits arrive early - Spokesman.com - Jan. 13, 2014
Calvin Green and Sean Krepsz were not willing to wait until fall semester before enrolling at Washington State.

Men's Basketball:

WSU Returns to the Road to Face Stanford Wednesday - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State University men’s basketball (8-8, 1-3) will play its fourth of five Pac-12 games away from Pullman as it travels to the Bay Area to take on Stanford (10-5, 1-2), Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m.