Time to answer some reader questions.

Q: MRSAM said:

Are the beginning of the careers of both George Farmer and Whitney Lewis very similar when you take in account the high rating as a high school prospects, position changes, academic issues, and falling behind on the depth chart? Just as Lewis fell behind Bush and White, Farmer fell behind Lee. Also, there are issues with coaches over position changes. Farmer just as Lewis was supposed to be an instant impact star but struggled. What do you make of the comparison of Whitney Lewis and George Farmer?

A: I find the comparison lacking in one major respect: Farmer did not gain 40 pounds after high school and he has breakaway speed. I’ve heard some comments about his work ethic but he had a good attitude this past season despite watching his Serra teammates get all the publicity and honors. Maybe part of the problem is where the recruiting services ranked him. But he is a talented player and if used properly will contribute next season.

Q: superlaker24 said:

Are you surprised that Steve Sarksian stole Tosh Lupoi from California? What are take of Sarkisian hiring Justin Wilcox, Tosh Lupoi, and other new coaches? He hired the California wide receiver coach and another coach from Tennessee.

A: I’m only surprised in the sense that he felt his only way to attract better recruits was to steal a Cal assistant (or two Cal assistants). Like I said before, what does it say when the Washington coach in his fourth year needs to kick start his program this way? It is a bigger and better program than Cal so he should be ahead of them without needing their assistant coaches. But it will probably pay off. I think Wilcox is a good hire. My question is when did he contact Wilcox? Before or after he fired Nick Holt? My sense is before.

Q: TrojanMan003 said:
Assuming the basketball team does not make a 180 in the next few games, we’ll definitely finish with less than 10 wins and close to last in a terrible PAC-12 conference. Although the team should drastically improve next year with several impact transfers eligible and a healthy Jio Fontan, does KO deserve another season if his team finishes with 6 or 7 total wins? While the program is still recovering from the sanctions, as well as the injury to Jio and departure of Nikola, this entire roster (minus Evan Smith) was recruited by KO. Several of these players appear that they are not D1-level talent and this team seems to have not only regressed, but essentially quit on Sunday night versus UCLA.

A: I think he deserves another season because of injuries and departures. It is true he recruited a lot of these players but he also was forced to sign a lot of guys because there were not a lot of players when he got the job. He had an entire recruiting class disappear (Derrick Williams, Noel Johnson, Lamont Jones, Solomon Hill) and needed bodies. So maybe that’s why some guys did not pan out. But I definitely think he needs to produce next season. With the transfers and incoming players, USC needs to have a good season . . . or else.