Rodney Guillory

O.J. Mayo did not accept gifts or money while being recruited by or playing for USC, the player's agent said Wednesday. LaPoe Smith also said the NCAA, Pacific 10 Conference and officials from the school have not attempted to contact Mayo since August, when the former Trojans and current Memphis Grizzlies star became his client. USC on Sunday announced self-imposed sanctions on the Trojans men's basketball program, citing rules violations involving Mayo and Rodney Guillory, a former advisor to the player who the school referred to as a "booster."

The events promoter at the center of the O.J. Mayo scandal ? and the resulting sanctions against USC ? has filed a $25-million lawsuit against the NCAA, which he alleges defamed him in an investigative report issued last spring. Rodney Guillory claims the association's Public Infractions Report mischaracterized his relationship with Mayo, which dated to when the former Trojans basketball star was in seventh grade. "The relationship that Rodney and O.J. had, it was akin to the relationship a student would have with an uncle or a close family friend," Edward Y. Lee, Guillory's attorney, said Friday.

USC announced Sunday it had placed the following sanctions on its basketball program because of rules violations relating to the recruiting of former player O.J. Mayo by school "booster" Rodney Guillory: Vacate all 21 of its victories from the one season Mayo played for the Trojans, in 2007-08. Return an undisclosed amount of money it received from its participation in the 2008 NCAA men's basketball tournament. Will not play in the 2010 Pacific 10 Conference postseason tournament or NCAA tournament.

NCAA sanctions against USC's athletic program: •Public reprimand and censure. •Four years of probation: from June 10, 2010, through June 9, 2014. •Postseason ban for the 2009-10 men's basketball season. (self-imposed) •Postseason ban for the 2010 and 2011 football seasons. •One-year show-cause penalty for assistant football coach Todd McNair (June 10, 2010, to June 9, 2011). •Vacation of all football wins, including football bowl games, from the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

NCAA sanctions against USC's athletic program: •Public reprimand and censure. •Four years of probation: from June 10, 2010, through June 9, 2014. •Postseason ban for the 2009-10 men's basketball season. (self-imposed) •Postseason ban for the 2010 and 2011 football seasons. •One-year show-cause penalty for assistant football coach Todd McNair (June 10, 2010, to June 9, 2011). •Vacation of all football wins, including football bowl games, from the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

After a nearly four-year investigation that expanded from one sport to another and involves some of the most prominent names in its storied sports history, USC finally goes before the NCAA infractions committee Thursday. The 10-member committee convenes to determine whether alleged violations in USC's football and basketball programs took place and, if so, whether they constituted a lack of institutional control. "My understanding is this one might be a pretty long deal," Tom Yeager, a former NCAA infractions committee member, said of the hearing.

The process often starts with the same four words. I got this kid . . . . The phrase might come from a club basketball coach, a shoe company executive, a friend or a relative -- anyone who believes he can parlay his connection to a star player into a handsome payout. How does it happen? In an interview, a prominent agent described how so-called "runners" serve as intermediaries between top prospects and agents hoping to cash in when the player turns pro. The agent, who has represented several NBA players, spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern that his comments might be construed as an admission he had engaged in wrongdoing.

Most of USC's current players were never teammates of O.J. Mayo , the former Trojans guard at the center of allegations that have resulted in the school's imposing sanctions on its basketball program. Junior guard Marcus Simmons is an exception. He wasn't only a teammate, he was Mayo's roommate -- and he says he never saw any evidence that his friend was accepting money, gifts or special favors that would be in violation of NCAA rules. "I didn't notice anything," Simmons said.

Todd McNair could not wait to finish. Tim Floyd cannot wait to start. So it goes for USC, which is scheduled to complete its three-day hearing before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions on Saturday. McNair, the Trojans' running backs coach, appeared relieved late Friday afternoon after enduring two days of grilling from the 10-member committee during the closed-door proceeding in a hotel ballroom. Floyd, who resigned as USC's basketball coach last June, had hoped to appear Friday.

Tim Floyd is gone, denying any wrongdoing. O.J. Mayo is off making millions, denying any wrongdoing. Louis Johnson and Rodney Guillory, so-called advisors and friends of Mayo, are seemingly immune from any accountability. As is USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett, who not only fell asleep at the job, but literally fell asleep at basketball practice. Meanwhile, the kids who did no wrong are left holding the bag. Here's an idea: Instead of taking away the hopes and dreams of the players, how about taking away Mr. Garrett's job?

Todd McNair could not wait to finish. Tim Floyd cannot wait to start. So it goes for USC, which is scheduled to complete its three-day hearing before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions on Saturday. McNair, the Trojans' running backs coach, appeared relieved late Friday afternoon after enduring two days of grilling from the 10-member committee during the closed-door proceeding in a hotel ballroom. Floyd, who resigned as USC's basketball coach last June, had hoped to appear Friday.

After a nearly four-year investigation that expanded from one sport to another and involves some of the most prominent names in its storied sports history, USC finally goes before the NCAA infractions committee Thursday. The 10-member committee convenes to determine whether alleged violations in USC's football and basketball programs took place and, if so, whether they constituted a lack of institutional control. "My understanding is this one might be a pretty long deal," Tom Yeager, a former NCAA infractions committee member, said of the hearing.

Tim Floyd is gone, denying any wrongdoing. O.J. Mayo is off making millions, denying any wrongdoing. Louis Johnson and Rodney Guillory, so-called advisors and friends of Mayo, are seemingly immune from any accountability. As is USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett, who not only fell asleep at the job, but literally fell asleep at basketball practice. Meanwhile, the kids who did no wrong are left holding the bag. Here's an idea: Instead of taking away the hopes and dreams of the players, how about taking away Mr. Garrett's job?

Most of USC's current players were never teammates of O.J. Mayo , the former Trojans guard at the center of allegations that have resulted in the school's imposing sanctions on its basketball program. Junior guard Marcus Simmons is an exception. He wasn't only a teammate, he was Mayo's roommate -- and he says he never saw any evidence that his friend was accepting money, gifts or special favors that would be in violation of NCAA rules. "I didn't notice anything," Simmons said.

O.J. Mayo did not accept gifts or money while being recruited by or playing for USC, the player's agent said Wednesday. LaPoe Smith also said the NCAA, Pacific 10 Conference and officials from the school have not attempted to contact Mayo since August, when the former Trojans and current Memphis Grizzlies star became his client. USC on Sunday announced self-imposed sanctions on the Trojans men's basketball program, citing rules violations involving Mayo and Rodney Guillory, a former advisor to the player who the school referred to as a "booster."

Institutional control, or just common sense? Let's retreat a few years, USC already has the Reggie Bush investigation on the NCAA table, and so you would think Athletic Director Mike Garrett might occasionally visit with basketball coach Tim Floyd . And maybe it goes something like this: Garrett: "Tim, how are you doing?" Floyd: "Who are you?" Garrett: "Heisman Trophy winner. Scored 30 TDs. Oh, almost forgot, school's athletic director, too, and so I better ask how recruiting is going."

Shoulders slumped. Faces were devoid of expression. Silence hung over the Galen Center basketball court Monday, finally broken by the raspy voice of USC Coach Kevin O'Neill, who wanted to discuss defense. His players, most with their arms crossed, stared at him blankly. "This will get easier every day that goes by," O'Neill said later. "It's one of those things. It's hard to deal with, but in the big picture you just have to move forward." Before Sunday, USC, winner of eight consecutive games, including its first two Pacific 10 Conference games, looked like a postseason team.

Slated to play next season for the USC basketball team is freshman Romeo Miller, a.k.a. Lil' Romeo, a rap star and child actor whose talents in those arenas have earned him millions. Miller has legal representation. And while playing for the Trojans, the Beverly Hills High product will continue to rake in bundles of money from his rapping and acting. Think the NCAA will crack down? Think again. On college campuses, the relationships and bank accounts of athletes like O.J.

Shoulders slumped. Faces were devoid of expression. Silence hung over the Galen Center basketball court Monday, finally broken by the raspy voice of USC Coach Kevin O'Neill, who wanted to discuss defense. His players, most with their arms crossed, stared at him blankly. "This will get easier every day that goes by," O'Neill said later. "It's one of those things. It's hard to deal with, but in the big picture you just have to move forward." Before Sunday, USC, winner of eight consecutive games, including its first two Pacific 10 Conference games, looked like a postseason team.

USC announced Sunday it had placed the following sanctions on its basketball program because of rules violations relating to the recruiting of former player O.J. Mayo by school "booster" Rodney Guillory: Vacate all 21 of its victories from the one season Mayo played for the Trojans, in 2007-08. Return an undisclosed amount of money it received from its participation in the 2008 NCAA men's basketball tournament. Will not play in the 2010 Pacific 10 Conference postseason tournament or NCAA tournament.