USC announced self-imposed sanctions for its basketball program today because of what the school called, “NCAA rules violations related to O.J. Mayo.” From USC release:
(USC AD Mike Garrett, Tim Floyd, OJ Mayo)
The self-imposed sanctions for the men’s basketball program include a one-year ban on post-season competition following the 2009-2010 regular season, including the Pac-10 Conference basketball tournament; a reduction of one scholarship for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years; a reduction by one of the number of coaches permitted to engage in off-campus recruiting activities during the summer of 2010, and a reduction in the total number of recruiting days by twenty days (from 130 to 110) for the 2010-2011 academic year.
In addition, because of Mayo’s involvement with Rodney Guillory, whom under NCAA rules became a USC booster due to his role in Mayo’s recruitment, USC will vacate all wins during the 2007-2008 regular season, which was when Mayo competed while ineligible. USC will also return to the NCAA the money it received through the Pac-10 Conference for its participation in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament.
Makes you wonder just exactly what Tim Floyd & Co. did during the recruitment and subsequent stay of O.J. Mayo. Also makes clear that whatever happened, it was likely pretty damn serious as these sanctions could end up being only the beginning.
Reporter Lance Pugmire of the LOS ANGELES TIMES on May 13, 2009:
USC basketball Coach Tim Floyd delivered cash to the man who steered O.J. Mayo to the university, according to a former associate of the player and the middleman.
That associate, Louis Johnson, says Floyd met Rodney Guillory outside a stretch of Beverly Hills cafes on Valentine’s Day in 2007, giving him at least $1,000 cash in an envelope — which Johnson has since reported to investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, IRS and the NCAA.
No wonder Floyd was seen at casino after his departure from the school.
Seth Davis has more on Guillory, who apparently is the man behind many of these self-imposed sanctions.
With the Reggie Bush and Joe McKnight investigations still looming, are we potentially looking at entering a dark age of USC sports?
Suggestion: Tim Floyd needs to be banned from coaching as long as USC is banned from postseason play - in what the NCAA will ultimately mete out.
5:45 pm on January 3rd, 2010
The NCAA is going to do exactly jack shit to the USC football program.
8:38 pm on January 3rd, 2010
If you’re a coach it makes you a little leery about going after these high profile five star recruits. In trying to land him, or after landing him, he may blow up your program.
SC got taken to the cleaners by Mayo. He got to use them to showcase his talents, which led to him making millions of dollars, and after only one year. For SC and Floyd all they got was an 11-7 PAC 10 record, and a stinking NCAA first round loss to Kansas St., and now they’ll have to give up those wins, pay back the money, etc.
It reminds me of the Calipari and Marcus Camby episode at UMass. They had both flown the coop to greener pastures when their shenanigans came out. The new coaches and new players got penalized, not the wrong doers. Kind of like a con man needing to skip town before he gets found out. They need to remake the musical “The Music Man” with a modern adaptation. Instead of a con-man/hustler advocating the need for a boy’s band, it’s a sleazy coach advocating the need for a championship program.
10:11 am on January 4th, 2010
I would most affectionatelly and appropriately allow my child to play for Texas Tech before I would allow them to approach the “hallowed gates” of “The Trojans” of southern California.
Integrity far out ways prosperity.
And…….
Humility is the great equalizer.
10:16 am on January 4th, 2010
RoB68 was the previous “Anonymous” poster.
My bad.
11:14 am on January 4th, 2010
It shows you who the legit programs really are.
Mayo, lived in the east next to the Atlantic ocean , and by passed…every single massive basketball program in the country to play at the largest college closest to the pacific Ocean…hmmm.
I guess you go where the money is.
11:15 am on January 4th, 2010
too bad the only people that get screwd are the current USC players
and the fact that USC looks to be the best team in the Pac 10