NCAA statement on Mayo
``The allegations of improper benefits received by O.J. Mayo before and during his enrollment at the University of Southern California -- as outlined in ESPN's May 11, 2008, segment of 'Outside the Lines'--are new to the NCAA.
``This information was not available when the NCAA examined Mr. Mayo's academic and amateurism status prior to his collegiate enrollment, and we will review the information in conjunction with the institution and the Pac-10 Conference.''
Can the NCAA find the Trojans guilty of not properly investigating Mayo's past if they did not do so themselves?
Exactly my thought, so much of this transpired before he got to SC and the NCAA themselves said he was clean.
Not to mention, how does any of this, even if we want to bring up Bush as well, benefit USC? These are not boosters convincing him to come to SC or stay at SC, these are agents who are looking after their own profit and trying to get these kids OUT of school. This is far different from the old days of $100 handshakes and jobs that you don't show up for from boosters of a school.
At the same time, I think Coach Floyd needs to take a long look and assess exactly who is hanging around the basketball program and act accordingly.
RAB & Bruce,
Very nicely put. It should also be noted that the bRuin Nation can scream all they want, but Guillory is not to Floyd what Sam Gilbert was to St. John Wooden.
OJ Mayo was not the only college player to ever allegdly receive benefits from an agent, runner or a booster. People forgot that many other players do this stuff, but ESPN focused it report on him because of a traitor who wanted to get back with Mayo tells his side of the story. USC should not be blamed for mistakes that happened befor and during his career at USC, the NCAA should be blamed people forgot they checked on Mayo before he came that they should told USC to remover all agents and runners not on campus, student athletes or any sporting event. What about Beasley, Rose, Durant and the many others, why is it OJ Mayo. Durant had contact with Kobe about Nike allegedly and his mom talked to Boston's GM. I think people are out to tarnish USC and OJ Mayo.
This is just the landscape of collegiate sports unfortunately. I think in Harrick's days things weren't kosher all the time. We did let him go (even after he won us a title) as well as Toledo who didn't have control over the program off the field. If you get caught, you should pay. Nature of the beast.
I don't think SC's program is dirty...it's the outside people that USC is allowing into the inner circle that are making the program dirty. USC needs to wipe themselves clean of Guillory and other reported unsavory characters that they've allowed to be around the program. The more SC lets these guys stick around, the more culpable they seem.
SC needs more of the Nick Youngs, Daniel Hacketts and Taj Gibsons. Now those are character guys.