Basketball and baseball are topics in this segment.

Q: spedjones said:
Scott – I notice UCLA has a few guys playing for the US Basketball Team in London this summer. Has SC ever had a male basketball Olympian?

bazinga said:
spedjones, I won’t make you wait for Scott’s answer: Yes. Elias Ayuso (Puerto Rico 2004) is the one male basketball Olympian on the roster of the most illustrious collegiate collection of Olympians the world has seen to date. http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/usc/genrel/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/usc-all-time-olympians.pdf

Q: SCFTBL1 said:
Could you give three names you would like to see become athletic director when Mike Rae’s caddy leaves?

A: I wouldn’t mind seeing J.K. McKay take the job but he says he is not interested. The in-house candidate is Steve Lopes. If USC went outside, I like Bill Moss, who was at Oregon and is now at Washington State. He hired Mike Leach and is well-respected inside the Pac-12.
Another A.D. with a bright reputation is Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart, who was at Oregon State.

Q: Vatican Blues said:
Since the athletic department doesn’t seem interested in “lowering” academic standards for sports other than football, how in the hell can USC ever compete in baseball ? I know Gillespie won a NC, but he only won one and I don’t see any on the horizon. I don’t think any coach could put USC back on the map these days. Just looking at the last 20 years , only Miami, USC, Rice and Pepperdine have won NC’s in baseball, kinda says a lot for what private schools are up against in sports like baseball.

A: Private schools are always at a disadvantage in sports like track and baseball. That is why the fact Mike Gillespie took USC to the College World Series multiple times and to the national championship twice was so impressive.
As I’ve said, it requires a highly skilled coach with great contacts. But it is possible if you make the right hire.