Mayes grew up in Greenville, South Carolina and played basketball at Wade Hampton High School in his hometown. In the fall of 1971, Mayes enrolled at Furman University, also located in Greenville. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules at the time prohibited college freshmen from competing on their schools\' varsity sports teams, so Mayes had to play for the Furman freshman basketball team. When he became eligible during his sophomore season in 1972–73, Mayes ended up playing in 29 games while averaging 15.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. The Paladins finished as the Southern Conference regular season runners-up (to Davidson) but won the Southern Conference Tournament championship. They qualified for the 1973 NCAA Men\'s Division I Basketball Tournament but lost to Syracuse in the first round, 83–82.\n', '

The following season, Mayes was the star on a team that finished 22–9, including 11–1 in conference play, en route to conference regular season and tournament championships. He averaged 17.3 points and 13.0 rebounds on the year, and Furman would once again qualify for the NCAA Tournament. They finished in fourth place in the East Region, losing to Providence, 95–83, to end their season. After the season, Mayes was honored as the Southern Conference Player of the Year.\n', '

As a senior in 1974–75, Mayes led the Paladins to second and third consecutive conference regular season and tournament championships, respectively, as well as a third straight NCAA Tournament berth (they lost in the second round to Boston College). Furman compiled a 22–7 overall record, including a perfect 12–0 conference record. In the 2009 book, ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men\'s Game, the 1974–75 team was named the best in the program\'s history. 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. He averaged 21.1 points and 13.5 rebounds for the year, but he also had a stellar supporting cast. Fessor "Moose" Leonard was a 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) center who averaged 15.5 points per game, and 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Craig Lynch provided a strong defensive presence.\n', '

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