June 2007 Archives

Linebacker Josh Tatum is transferring from USC. His top choice is Miami.
The reasons for transferring appear murky and we'll address them later.

We hear defensive end-tight end Gerald Washington thinks his injured knee might not heal enough to play this season. Washington redshirted last year with a badly bruised knee.

A year ago, I said the incoming recruiting class had several question marks academically regarding the NCAA Clearinghouse and one recruit did not get accepted. It's still relatively early but I'm prepared to say this class is in much better shape and some players that were question marks in the spring appear as though they will make it academically.
That doesn't mean everything is settled, but it's an illustration that things are better than a year ago.

Reggie Bush and Peyton Manning are filming a promo here today for NBC that will be televised before the NFL's season opener between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis on Sept. 6.

Well, it's my favorite day of the week, when I try to figure out why no one cares about anything but Mitch Mustain and Mark Sanchez. At this rate, I figure I'll be sick of Mustain before the first day of training camp. At least it took almost two years to get sick of Matt Leinart.
Now on to the answers!

The Nordic country and USC produced exactly the same number of first-round picks in the NBA draft. But Finnish guard Petteri Koponen probably played in an arena last season where the soft-serve ice cream worked.
But we digress. Things clearly did not work out as planned for former USC guard Gabe Pruitt. Before the draft, the feeling was Pruitt needed to be picked in the first to justify his decision to leave school early. Only time will tell whether Pruitt made the right decision, but it looks like the off-the-record whispers from some NBA teams about Pruitt being a little soft in workouts contributed to his situation.

We hear defensive lineman Chris Barrett has an agent and is trying to sign with a Canadian Football League team. If not, Barrett will be attending classes at USC although he is ineligible to play for the Trojans.

Tailback Allen Bradford said he is still going through rehab but feels like his nagging hip pointer will be OK for training camp. The injury's prevented Bradford from doing some exercises this summer but he said it's making progress.

Peyton Manning mentioned that his brother, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, was impressed with former USC wide receiver Steve Smith in offseason workouts.
``Eli's said big things about Steve Smith,'' Manning said.

It's easy to talk about recruits everyone already offered a scholarship but last week's camp at USC did feature at least one player who raised his stock immeasurably with his actual camp performance. Drew McAllister, a safety from Monte Vista High School in Danville, Calif., opened USC's eyes enough to probably earn a scholarship offer.
He already caught Cal's attention by winning the fastest man contest at the Bears' camp. Officially, only Cal and Oregon State currently offered him a scholarship but expect the Trojans to be in the mix too now.

Lots of rumors always on draft day. One has the Charlotte Bobcats taking Nick Young with the eighth pick.
Gabe Pruitt is scheduled to be in New York today for the NBA draft. Assistant coach Gib Arnold interviewed for the New Mexico State job but will not get it, sources said. It could go to former USC assistant coach Marvin Menzies.

You expect an NFL veteran like Peyton Manning to look bigger and stronger than his college counterparts.
But what struck some well-known onlookers Tuesday was how skinny Mitch Mustain looked compared to John David Booty. And Aaron Corp looked even thinner.

Linebacker Brian Cushing said his knee and hamstring are 100 percent and he will be able to go full speed in training camp.

We hear freshman defensive tackle DaJohn Harris is already certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse and officially eligible.

Tailback Joe McKnight admitted he got homesick when he went home last week but said is OK now and never reconsidered his college choice.
``I got a little homesick but I was the only freshman out here at the time,'' McKnight said. ``I don't think I'll go back home for a while now. I'm not going to (transfer). I'm happy here.''

It might be a good idea to go back and check past Open Forums, so we won't be asked if Steve Sarkisian will emulate Norm Chow's offense for the fifth straight week. Also, neither Mitch Mustain nor Mark Sanchez transferred this week, though I did get nervous when Sanchez was not watching Peyton Manning's workout.

USC football players don’t normally work out on Tuesdays but after learning Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning needed someone to practice with, a large group of Trojans eagerly showed up at Cromwell Field.
``You dream about stuff like this,’’ said USC quarterback John David Booty, who threw with the Indianapolis Colts quarterback for about 90 minutes.

A rare treat right now as Peyton Manning is throwing to USC tailbacks and wide receivers at an informal workout. Manning and John David Booty are taking turns throwing passes.

A couple weeks ago during a USC football camp, participants ran 40-yard dashes. As it happened, people at the camp phoned UCLA because they thought it was an NCAA violation.
It turned out to be legal because you can run 40s if you teach drills on it too. But nothing happens without a reaction.

Safety D'Anton Lynn of Celina, Texas, visited UCLA and USC last week and informed the schools he narrowed his choices to the Trojans, Bruins and Penn State.

Freshman tailback Joe McKnight returned to USC after going home last week to spend a few days with his family before summer school started.

One of the first classes new USC quarterback Mitch Mustain took was ballet.

ESPNU, another network nobody watches, will stage yet another high-school all-star game on Jan. 5 in Florida. This will no doubt be an attempt to convince recruits to make their college announcement during the game.
Here's who accepted invitations to play so far.

See if you can spot all the Trojans on the Bednarik Award Watch List.

USC quarterback John David Booty is on the Maxwell Award Watch List. Here's the entire list:

Gabe Pruitt worked out for the San Antonio Spurs and is scheduled to work out for the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz this week.

Maybe you don't like your seats at the Coliseum these days but at least you have one. In this 1947 photo, workers pick up trash after a football game when the stadium featured bleachers.

Freshman tailback Broderick Green is scheduled to fly to Los Angeles this morning in time to attend summer school and workouts.

We hear tailback Allen Bradford's still feeling some discomfort from the hip flexor that caused him to miss the last part of spring practice.

There's been a bit of a backlash from USC fans to basketball coach Tim Floyd offering a scholarship to an eighth-grader and getting a commitment last week. But how many of these same people would complain if Pete Carroll got an eighth-grade quarterback to commit?
Who would be protesting if Jimmy Clausen (already well known while in junior high) committed to USC in eighth grade?

A highly touted recruit that attended the just-concluded USC football camp actually performed much poorer than expected and showed a questionable work ethic. Overall, he didn't quite match the hype.

USC concluded its two-day camp for some of the nation's best players, notably cornerback Patrick Johnson of Pompano Beach, Fla., who lived up to his billing as perhaps the No. 1 corner in the nation. Johnson committed to Miami but said he was also considering USC.
``This is the type of place I want to be,'' Johnson said. ``It's Miami and USC.''

We're more confident that one player will earn the necessary grades this summer to remain eligible after hearing he is enrolled in a jazz dance class.

Lodrick Stewart worked out for his hometown Seattle SuperSonics, which should conclude his workouts before the NBA draft.

Well, what a relief. It took only one question to get back to the subject of Mitch Mustain. Thanks a lot everybody!
On to the answers:

With a lot of talented recruits on campus, it's a good chance to figure out just how good some out-of-state players are. One of those is D'Anton Lynn, a safety from Celina, Texas.
We hear linebacker Lynn Fatoa, a once-hot prospect from Utah, is not attending and will most likely attend another school.

Freshman tailback Joe McKnight is expected to go home to Louisiana to spend a few days with his family before summer school starts next week.

Today is the start of the Rising Stars camp at USC (as opposed to the Sinking Stars) and we hear it could be when offensive tackle Tyron Smith of Rancho Verde High officially commits to the Trojans.
Speaking of offensive line recruits, it sounds like offensive tackle Kyle Long,, the son of former Raiders defensive lineman Howie Long, will go to Florida State.

Gabe Pruitt works out for the Houston Rockets tomorrow while Lodrick Stewart works out for the Sacramento Kings.

Here's that Pac-10 TV schedule you've all been waiting for:

Here's Matt Leinart after signing with talent agency CSMG after he fired CAA because he was jealous of the endorsements garnered by former teammate Reggie Bush. CSMG also represents Dwayne Wade and Donovan McNabb.
''Once the Cardinals reach the level of success we're shooting for, I am certain the folks at CSMG will help me be seen as valuable part of the community and great role models like Dwyane and Donovan,'' Leinart said.
I wonder if Dwayne or Donovan charged the public $20 to attend a birthday party, fired their agent and talent agency within a year of turning pro and indirectly embroiled a former teammate/roommate in an NCAA investigation involving their luxury penthouse apartment?

We hearfrom NCAA sources the Reggie Bush investigation hit a dead end recently. That doesn't mean it's over but the NCAA needs to find some fresh sources for things to progress, or someone without legal woes willing to cooperate.

In our Saturday item ``Memo To Pete Carroll,'' we predicted that we knew Carroll well enough to predict he would have figured out a way to avoid getting busted like Raiders coach Lane Kiffin for holding practices that were too physical. Remember, Kiffin got turned into to the players' union by his own players, forcing him to cancel the last week of practices.
``You're right, I would have,'' Carroll said. ``I'd have gone straight to the player or players and talked to them first.''

Like last week, one or two questions per person please. And maybe we can avoid asking if Mark Sanchez or Mitch Mustain will transfer for one week.

USC coach Pete Carroll said tailback Hershel Dennis received a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA today.

New USC tight end Jordan Cameron said he spoke to UCLA and Michigan before deciding to play for USC.
The former BYU basketball player said he will try to play both sports, if possible.

USC's basketball game with Florida might be off, but the Trojans and Tennessee agreed to a home-and-home series beginning in 2008.

Justin Wyatt and John Walker will be playing in the World Bowl for Hamburg on Saturday against Frankfurt. Wyatt (Arizona Cardinals) finished the season fourth on his team in tackles (30) and also added four passes defensed and one sack for the second ranked defense in NFL Europa. Walker (Houston Texans) added 25 tackles and led the team with seven passes defensed.
Punter Tom Malone finished the season for Berlin with a 39.4 avg on 39 punts with a long of 55.

Plans for a basketball game between USC and Florida next season were scrapped because a suitable date could not be found by Fox Sports, which wanted to televise the game, according to USC officials. Another road block occurred when Gators coach Billy Donovan quit and returned, which delayed discussions further.

We hear Raiders coach Lane Kiffin got turned in by his own players for running practices without pads that were designed for when players wore pads and for doing drills like one-on-one pass rushes, which are a no-no this time of year.
We also hear the Raiders offense is getting dominated by the defense in the practices that were allowed.

We hear it's possible all but two of the incoming freshman class could begin summer classes next week. Of course, that also means almost all the freshman can start workouts too.

The Bay Area ignores college sports as well as almost any part of the country, which might explain how the Cal-Stanford game on Dec. 1 will be televised on the dreaded Versus. Can you imagine USC-UCLA or Oregon-Oregon State, etc., putting up with that arrangement?
Since the game is at Stanford, there are only 50,000 seats available to begin with. The alumni better make sure they have satellite TV or a good cable system.

Former USC guard Gabe Pruitt works out with the Golden State Warriors today. This time of the year, it's possible to hear a wide range of opinions on players like Pruitt.
For example, there seems to be a consensus he will crack the top 20 in the draft but we also hear the Phoenix Suns thought he was ``soft'' in his workout.

Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers are part of an updated watch list for the Nagurski Award.

USC freshman guard Marcus Simmons might not hit many outside shot this season but after watching him frustrate O.J. Mayo in pickup games, he might be the Trojans' most intense player as a defensive stopper. He'll be especially valuable in Pac-10 road games, such as places as Arizona, where he'll be able to get in the face of the opponents' top scorer.

Talk about a dream day. Evan Smith, a 6-7 forward from Calabasas High School, was just happy to participate in USC coach Tim Floyd's basketball camp but ended up playing in a pickup game late Saturday night as a teammate of Trojans guard O.J. Mayo and against rapper Master P.
``I had no idea,'' Smith said. ``It was great. I couldn't believe it.''
Smith not only held his own in the games, he was one of the better players, hitting several 3-point shots and rarely making a mistake. He will only be a junior next season but opened a lot of eyes.
``It was ridiculous how quick everyone was,'' Smith said.

Forward Leonard Washington showed up at USC today and demonstrated why Coach Tim Floyd got him to commit last year with an impressive performance at Floyd's basketball camp.
Washington could not sign a letter of intent because of academic issues and should end up at junior college or prep school.
Washington still wants to come to USC this year but an insider described his chances of qualifying as the same as "one of us flying to the moon."

Last week, Pete Carroll flew to Oakland to watch the Raiders practice and raved about how similar the workouts resembled his own USC practices.
Now comes word the Raiders canceled the final week of their offseason training after the NFL players' union complained about the intensity of practices.
``The union has complained about the high level of intensity, player aggressiveness and fast pace of our practices,'' Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said.
Maybe Carroll will think twice before he talks to the next NFL team about the difference between coaching NFL and college players. Then again, knowing Carroll as well as I do, he's already figured out a way to solve this problem if he ever needs to.

We hear star freshman tailback Joe McKnight weighed in at 188 pounds, which is eight pounds more than his playing weight his senior year in high school.

Incoming freshman wide receiver Ronald Johnson is expected to arrive in time for the second summer session, which begins June 26.

I don't know what's worse, answering all these questions or listening to Petros Papadakis say, ``Mitch Moose-stain.''

If seeing Petros Papadakis was not enough last night, I will be on tonight at 5:25 p.m. on 570-AM.

Quarterback Mitch Mustain will now wear 16, his number at Arkansas.

Tailback Joe McKnight's groin injury is expected to sideline him for one-to-two weeks.

You might think it's impossible for Petros Papadakis to be speechless, but the loquacious talk-show host was at a complete loss for words tonight as he unknowingly walked into his surprise 30th birthday party.
Luminaries like Sam "Bam" Cunningham, Matt "Money" Smith and others without a nickname joined Papadakis.

We hear USC basketball coach Tim Floyd would like Jordan Cameron to play basketball for the Trojans. Cameron, who was a 6-6 forward on the BYU basketball team last season, accepted a football scholarship to USC this week. He is expected to play tight end.
Two summers ago, Floyd considered offering Cameron a scholarship at his basketball camp before Cameron committed to BYU.

Let's see if we can limit things to a couple questions per person. Thanks.

Freshman tailback Joe McKnight, the most anticipated recruit, already suffered a groin injury at USC while doing leg squats. He's the second player to get hurt doing squats in a week, following wide receiver Jamere Holland's pulled hamstring.

So what did O.J. Mayo do his first night on campus as he waits to start summer school? Play basketball of course.
``I've been up since 4 a.m. Eastern time, so I'm pretty tired,'' Mayo said. But he still played until around 10 p.m.
Mayo played on a team featuring his (very, very raw) future teammate, forward Davon Jefferson, and Arizona State-bound guard James Harden. Mayo and Harden are considered among the top 10 players in the nation for the Class of 2007.

Here's our appearance this week on Rivals Radio. The interview starts about 25 minutes into the show. http://rivalsradio.rivals.com/radiostream.asp?SID=1135&TYPE=WM&sh_key=1169

Former Newbury Park wide receiver Jordan Cameron, who attended BYU last year on a basketball scholarship, accepted a football scholarship today to USC. Cameron (6-6, 230) will redshirt next season and have three seasons of eligibility. He is expected to play tight end.
He is the younger brother of USC basketball player Brynn Cameron.

Nose guard Sedrick Ellis and offensive tackle Sam Baker made the Outland Trophy preseason watch list. Here's the complete list:

After working out for the Sonics, former USC guard Gabe Pruitt is in Detroit today and works out for the Pistons tomorrow. During his Sonics workout, Pruitt worked out with a familiar face, Arizona point guard Mustafa Shakur.

Looks like USC's search for a fullback will continue elsewhere after Derrick Coleman committed to UCLA. That could be good news for Dewitt Stuckey of Lincoln High School in Stockton.
Stuckey, who is also a linebacker, made an unofficial visit to USC and is being considered as a fullback. The Trojans might act sooner than later after Coleman committed before they had a chance to offer a scholarship.

The Big 12 Conference and FSN have reached an agreement to allow Versus to carry selected games involving league squads in 2007.
But at least the Big 12 has better bowl arrangements.

Former USC guard Gabe Pruitt is working out for the Seattle Supersonics today along with Texas A&M point guard Acie Law, Eastern Washington guard Rodney Stuckey and Fresno State forward Dominic McGuire.
Law is a possible top 10 pick while Stuckey might be a top 20 selection. Of course, the Sonics will draft 31st after they take Kevin Durant with the No. 2 pick overall, so there probably isn't a lot of pressure on these guys.

Lots of season-ending injuries and it's only June.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6111047

Apparently tailback Darrell Scott of St. Bonaventure High School showed up Saturday although he did not participate because of a hamstring injury. We hear USC's large contigent of tailbacks remains the biggest hurdle in recruiting Scott.

Wide receiver Jamere Holland said he will be out for a month with a pulled hamstring. Apparently, Holland suffered the injury last Monday doing squats during a football workout and the hamstring tightened up during the sprint relay at the NCAA Championships.
Perhaps next year, sprinters can be excused from lifting weights the week of the NCAA Championships.

Former USC tailback/linebacker Frank Strong is an assistant coach at Muir High School in Pasadena.

Somewhat slim pickings so far at today's skills camp, although junior tight end Morrell Presley of Carson impressed onlookers with his catching skills.

USC coach Pete Carroll spent the day in the Bay Area watching Raider practices under his former assistant coach Lane Kiffin. The workouts bore a remarkable similarity to those at . . . USC.

So far the jury is still out on whether Jamere Holland will be an effective football/track athlete at USC. And as we mention in today's Open Forum answers, sprinter Bryshon Nellum seems unlikely to play football the way his track career's blossomed with several shoe companies mulling pro offers this summer.
So maybe the next possible football-track competitor is tight end Blake Ayles of Orange Lutheran High School. Ayles is one of the state's top discus throwers and will be recruited by USC for both sports. Finally, there might be someone to carry on the football-track tradition.

First baseman-outfielder Lucas Duda was drafted in the seventh round by the Mets, infielder Matt Cusick in the 10th round by the Astros. They are juniors. Senior pitcher Paul Koss by the Dodgers in the 11th.
Duda might already have an agent while Cusick has a big decision ahead. There was bad news for USC yesterday when prep standout and USC commit Mike Stanton got picked in the second round, making his arrival in college unlikely.

Welcome to another week of ``What did I get myself into?''

USC freshman sprinter Ahmad Rashad, the Pac-10 champ in the 100 and 200 meters, just pulled his hamstring in the 200-meters at the NCAA Championships, which is expected to knock him out of the remainder of the meet.

Former USC guard Lodrick Stewart on his workout with the Phoenix Suns.
"I'm proud of myself, I think I could have done better but I still did pretty good."
Next up for Stewart is a workout with the Sacramento Kings.

Wide receiver Jamere Holland pulled his left hamstring yesterday. He also had a pulled hamstring his senior year at Taft.
He'll be out awhile before he can participate in any football workouts.

We hear All-American offensive tackle Sam Baker's lost about 4 percent body fat without dropping any weight this offseason. That increased muscle mass will make him an even better pro prospect.

USC coach Pete Carroll said he is against the idea of an early signing period for college football. Earlier this week, we mentioned the Pac-10 and SEC voted down a measure. Carroll said he favors the current system although he acknowledges recruits are committing earlier than ever.

Today's baseball draft will hurt USC because Chatsworth High School infielder Mike Moustakas, who signed with the Trojans, could be one of the first five players selected. I grew nervous when I interviewed Moustakas a couple months ago and he told me Scott Boras was an advisor.
The bigger mystery is whether outfielder/first baseman Mike Stanton of Notre Dame High School will get drafted high enough to sign instead of playing for USC. Baseball America lists him as the 128th-best prospect.
There's also the question of whether USC infielder Matt Cusick gets drafted high enough to go pro or returns for his senior year.

Time for questions.

Wide receiver Jamere Holland suffered a possible hamstring injury and pulled up during the opening leg of the spring relay at the NCAA championships in Sacramento and dealing a costly blow to the Trojans' team hopes as the team did not finish the race.

Guard Lodrick Stewart works out for the Phoenix Suns, his first workout for an NBA team. Gabe Pruitt, who worked out for the Suns yesterday, meets the 76ers next.

Wide receiver Jamere Holland runs the first leg for the USC sprint relay team today at the NCAA championships in Sacramento. The Trojans are in the same heat as Florida State, which owns the fastest time in the nation.

I wasn't aware that any sporting event was beneath Fox Sports, but apparently the cable network sublicensed the USC-Stanford game to Versus, the cable network no one gets. Actually, I get it but have no idea where it is on my satellite system.
Would the SEC do this? Or put up with it? If bad conference bowl arrangements are not enough, we now have an example of a bad TV deal.

Thanks to Fox Sports, the season-opener at the Coliseum will start at 7:15 p.m. The Oct. 27 game against Oregon kicks off at noon and the Oct. 6 game against Stanford will start at 4 p.m. and be televised on Versus. Or is it Vs. Hope you get that channel.

USC pitching coach Dave Lawn resigned to become the head coach at Servite High School.

A player getting a long look by USC is running back Derrick Coleman of Troy High School. Coleman is a big name in Orange County but some might be surprised how highly USC regards him.
Why? Because he can play fullback or tailback and fullback remains a sore spot for the Trojans. So a two-position back like Coleman might fight into USC's plans.

You think this is the Golden Age of USC football? Well, there was a movie made in 1929 specifically about life as USC football players. The film ``So This Is College'' focused on the social hi-jinx of two football players/fraternity members who unwittingly fall for the same girl on the eve of the big 1928 USC-Stanford game. Luckily, the USC coach convinces the players to focus on the big game instead of romance.
Actual game footage from that USC-Stanford game (a 10-0 Trojans victory) was used in the film and that's future star Robert Montgomery on the right in the SC letterman's sweater.

Former USC guard Gabe Pruitt goes through his individual workout with the Phoenix Suns today. It's an important workout because the Suns have the 24th pick in the draft and might take a guard.

``Pete Carroll said he's the best linebacker that he's seen in seven years.''
-- Brian Butler, the trainer for Kansas high school linebacker Arthur Brown, according to the New York Times News Service.

The Pacific- 10 Conference and SEC voted as majorities against early signing-date proposals for college football. Of course, the way commitments keep coming sooner and sooner, it might not matter.

Sources at Compton High say to forget about defensive lineman Datone Jones changing his mind and coming to USC. There are two ways versions going around for local fans to pick: The first is that Jones is firmly committed to UCLA, where he committed in March. The second is that USC decided Jones didn't quite fit their expectations and is no longer recruiting him.
We report. You decide.

We hear USC coach Pete Carroll made it clear to everyone around Heritage Hall that only he approves jersey numbers, just to avoid another mix-up like the one that mistakenly awarded No. 13 to Mitch Mustain.

That's how long Johnnie Morton lasted tonight before being knocked out by Bernard Ackah and being taken away on a stretcher. He was unconscious for at least two minutes and needed a minute to remove his mouthpiece, according to this website, mmanews.com http://www.mmanews.com/page.php?page=k-1_exc_dynamite_usa_results
Next career move, please.

NBA scouts say guard Gabe Pruit hurt his stock this weekend by not appearing at the league's pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla. Guard Nick Young is participating and reinforced his status as a top 15 selection, scouts said.

With 5 p.m. kickoffs becoming the norm for USC, here's a reminder that night football is no stranger to the Coliseum, with this picture of the Rams-Redskins game in 1946. Maybe some of our readers can remember how long the scoreboard included that big brightly lit clock at the top.
How much more interesting would the Coliseum look today if they brought back features like the clock? (UCLA Library).

Linebacker Kaluka Maiava returns to Los Angeles today, which is probably a good thing with all of the nonsense going on in Hawaii this week.

USC is ranked No. 1 by the Sporting News. It also picks John David Booty and Rey Maualuga as its Pac-10 offensive and defensive players of the year.
Here's the rest of the honors:

USC was ranked No. 1 by Athlon in its preseason issue. Here's the individual honors given to Trojans by the magazine.

Answers. Get your answers.