AUSTIN, Texas — When you watch the Baylor men's basketball team, you see a lot of really good players. The team is headlined by veteran guards Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell.

You may have noticed the unmistakable look and instant offense provided by Matthew Mayer. He’s the 6'9" sharp-eyed shooter with a sports mullet and untamed facial hair.

“Jackson [Moffatt] was the one who convinced me to get the mullet,” said Mayer. “Then I was just like, some grimy facial hair would go perfectly with my mullet so that’s what I did. Now it’s my brand, so I’m going to keep riding it out.”

Mayer stands out with his look, and with his skills on the court. He’s averaging almost 10 points per game in the NCAA tournament. He could probably score more if the team needed it, but he’s found a way to fit into his role.

“Coach Drew and the coaching staff have done a good job letting me know they want me to be aggressive, but helping me find my spots,” said Mayer.

It’s a role that took him a while to embrace. He admits to coming in as a freshman and jacking up shots.

“It’s a little bit more calculated now,” said Mayer. “I’m never going to stand in the corner and disappear. I just have the mindset of being as aggressive as possible.”

It’s all working out for Mayer and Baylor this season. The Bears have been ranked near the top of the polls all year and have reached the team's first Final Four since 1950. But Mayer admits there were times he thought about transferring when he wasn’t playing much early in his career. 

“It’s crazy how it’s worked out,” said Mayer. “There were a lot of possibilities that could’ve worked out where I did end up transferring but I’m really glad it worked the way it did because I love being on this team.”

That persistence is something his high school coach noticed and is proud to see. 

“He didn’t run from the challenge when it got tough,” said Robert Lucero, Westlake High School's head basketball coach. “He didn’t say ‘I’m going to transfer. I’m going to make it work here.’ So it’s great to see his development on and off the court.”

Mayer went through a lot of development as a player and as a person. It started in high school when he says he was playing basketball for fun and didn’t think he’d play at the college level. Mayer said he wanted to play at Dallas Baptist, a small Division II school. He went to a camp there and the school didn’t offer him a scholarship. He said he was crushed.

A week later, during an open gym, a coach from Boise State was watching him and offered him a scholarship. It was the first of many offers he'd receive and almost instantly the attention started to come to him. At one point, he was rated the top prospect in the state of Texas. It all sounds great, but it was also a pretty overwhelming experience for Mayer. 

“It was crazy. I was not ready for it to be honest,” says Mayer. “All the attention, the publicity that came with it and my junior year, I kind of crumbled. I couldn’t handle the pressure I was putting on myself.”

He felt pressure every time he played to score a lot of points, and he felt the pressure every opponent was putting on him.

“I went from being the number one player to ... I averaged 8.8 points per game and I was supposed to be the guy,” says Mayer​

He admitted it took him a while to get out of that mental struggle and gain confidence on the court. But experience has allowed him to play with confidence.

“That was probably the best experience I’ve ever had growth-wise because it’s prepared me for being here,” said Mayer. “If I hadn’t have gone through that, I definitely wouldn’t be able to be in the Final Four at Baylor.”

Mayer also has experience being on a great team. He played with a lot of talented players at Westlake. His senior year, the starting five for the Chaps was Mayer, Brock Cunningham (Texas), Will Baker (Nevada), Keonte Kennedy (UTEP) and Luke Pluymen (St. Edwards). That team reached the state semifinals. 

“It helped because it wasn’t like I came into Baylor averaging 30 a game,” said Mayer. “I think that was good for me because it didn’t give me unrealistic expectations.”

While he may not have averaged 30 points a game, Mayer can score that many and has a crazy offensive skill-set.

“He's an automatic offense. Coming in hitting threes and pull-ups,” said Lucero. “He’s just so talented and gifted scoring the ball.”

“Matt has always had the craziest skill-set I’ve ever seen,” said Luke Pluymen, his point guard at Westlake. “It’s really cool to know someone when they’re 14 and now they’re 21 and on the biggest stage and he hasn’t changed a bit.”

The super talented scorer at Westlake, who once forgot his jersey to his first game he started on varsity, is now hoping to take Baylor to its first men’s basketball title this weekend.