Hold The Mayo
I get that O.J. Mayo had a strained groin and that turnovers and missed shots are part of the game. But the countless times he was outhustled going back down the court or failed to box out were inexcusable.
Especially when playing your crosstown rival in the biggest game of the season.
Disappointing outcome, but certainly not the UCLA revenge blowout everyone was expecting. I think the talent on the court was pretty even, with UCLA having a huge advantage in depth coming off the bench. FSW was saying 3 or 4 of the Trojans were Iron Men and played the whole game.
The series is tied 1-1, with a tiebreaker possibly to come at Staples Center next month.
These one and done egomaniacs are a waste of time. What will Mayo have done for the program when he leaves after this year? With Jefferson and possibly one other leaving, it's always a rebuilding scenario, and that won't work because USC ain't Duke or NC or ucla for that matter. I wonder if Mayo is even attending class right now, I bet he won't be once he gets nearer the tourney.
Rah Rah..I understood that he has been a good student and is flourshing in the college aspect overall. I hope that I'm right here. Being far from expert however, I still believe that OJ Mayo is not really ready for prime time yet and being as intelligent as he seems to be, he may even acknowledge that realization, at least to himself. There are many nights where he struggles for long periods of time to even find his shot. There are many shots that he still takes that would be unadvisable, and he certainly has not proven that he can actually take over a game at this level yet. I'd be surprised if he went one and done based on this current season. A second season under Tim Floyd's tutilage would seem exceptionally beneficial for this kid imho.
If that kid from UCLA can shut him down then Lord knows what Bruce Bowen, Shawn Marion or Ron Artest would do.
I predict that OJ will come back next year. I honestly don't see him being a top 10 pick in the draft at this point. And, also, from all accounts, he has a great head on his shoulders. If he doesn't rely too much on bad advice, he'll be back. Honestly, he should plan on staying until his junior year, at which point, he would be a well-seasoned, athletic 2 guard ready for the NBA.
I agree. OJ doesn't seem quite ready. He hasn't shown he can take over a game and put the team on his back. Even Nick Young could do that.
Some of OJ's mistakes at the game last nite were avoidable and not based on a groin injury. Not hanging onto the ball multiple trips down court, for instatnce, suggests that he is certainly not ready for the NBA. He barely scored, even with a wide open shot. Needs at least another year, and if he is smart he will take it.
USC doesn't have the bench strength it needs to compete against an elite team when we lose even one starter. Mayo and the other starters are carrying too much of a load when they have to stay on the floor that long. The turnovers were a big factor, but can't be all that surprising with what they're being asked to do. Here's hoping Floyd can get us a little depth next year.
they showed replays of westbrook shadowing mayo repeatedly while saying it was great defense by westbrook, but one commentator mentioned he didnt think mayo was trying his hardest to get open. my question is...WHY ARENT THEY RUNNING PLAYS TO GET MAYO OPEN??? the dude is freakin tired man, give him a break. we run double screens to get josh shipp an open look...if we do that for him, why cant floyd do lots and lots of that for mayo??? weird stuff....