O.J. Mayo reportdley received $30k worth of gifts from associates while attending USC. EDIT:OTL Vid

[i fr3sh i]

this is gonna be alot more frequent unless the NBA makes another age rule change. All those 1 and done players have nothing to lose by taking gifts

 

[kiddin like jason]

Good for him.

 

[doublejs07]

Originally Posted by I FR3SH I

this is gonna be alot more frequent unless the NBA makes another age rule change. All those 1 and done players have nothing to lose by taking gifts

this is the most sense Fresh has made in my time on NT....I gotta co-sign, especially his last sentence

 

[rawsheed]

Yep I agree with Fresh

Make em stay two years and they'll rethink about the consequences of violating NCAA rules

 

[dyyhard]

this is gonna be alot more frequent unless the NBA makes another age rule change. All those 1 and done players have nothing to lose by taking gifts
agreed.




a multi-millionaire holed up in a college dorm room for a year - seems like a punishment to me - what do you expect?

 

[deepinthajeep]

I'm hearing the 2-year rule is almost a done deal. Some close to the college game say it would be a dumb rule.

 

[wildkycat]

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Originally Posted by I FR3SH I

this is gonna be alot more frequent unless the NBA makes another age rule change. All those 1 and done players have nothing to lose by taking gifts

this is the most sense Fresh has made in my time on NT....I gotta co-sign, especially his last sentence

MEyo had nothing to lose, because he didn't win anything.

 

[gunna get it]

Originally Posted by I FR3SH I

this is gonna be alot more frequent unless the NBA makes another age rule change. All those 1 and done players have nothing to lose by taking gifts

Yup. Indeed.

Wasn't there a picture of him going to a Lakers playoff game through the VIP entrance?
yea, at the playoffs, after he had declared for the draft, meaning he's already spending his advance from his agent.
and more than likely, he got them tickets free.

 

[hugebird]

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Originally Posted by I FR3SH I

this is gonna be alot more frequent unless the NBA makes another age rule change. All those 1 and done players have nothing to lose by taking gifts

this is the most sense Fresh has made in my time on NT....I gotta co-sign, especially his last sentence

MEyo had nothing to lose, because he didn't win anything.y a

Obviously, someone didn't watch OJ play this year, because there is no way you would call him, "Meyo".

 

[birdsiview]

There should be no problem with this.

 

[wildkycat]

Originally Posted by hugebird

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Originally Posted by I FR3SH I

this is gonna be alot more frequent unless the NBA makes another age rule change. All those 1 and done players have nothing to lose by taking gifts

this is the most sense Fresh has made in my time on NT....I gotta co-sign, especially his last sentence

MEyo had nothing to lose, because he didn't win anything.y a

Obviously, someone didn't watch OJ play this year, because there is no way you would call him, "Meyo".

well like i said, good thing he didn't win anything, cuz with selfish MEyo accepting gifts, who knows what would've happened. what ifyou're one of his teamates, y'all made the Final Four or won the title, and it gets taken away from you cuz of OJ taking gifts?

and i wasn't talking about his play at all.

Ex-Mayo confidant says he gave USC star gifts including TV, cash

Former USC basketball player O.J. Mayo, a projected lottery pick in this year's NBA draft, received thousands of dollars in cash, clothes and other benefits in apparent violation of NCAA rules while he was still in high school and during his one year in college, a former Mayo associate told ESPN's "Outside the Lines."

Louis Johnson, who was a part of Mayo's inner circle until recently, said Mayo accepted around $30,000 in cash and gifts during the past four years from Rodney Guillory, a 43-year-old Los Angeles event promoter. In addition to cash, the gifts included a flat-screen television for Mayo's dorm room, cell phone service, a hotel room, clothes, meals and airline tickets for Mayo's friends and a relative, according to Johnson, others with knowledge of the gifts and store receipts.

When Mayo was in high school in Ohio and West Virginia, Guillory was receiving monthly payments from the Northern California sports agency Bill Duffy Associates. Johnson said BDA provided Guillory with around $200,000 before Mayo arrived at USC, and that Guillory used most of the money to support his own lifestyle but also gave a portion of it to Mayo.

In exchange for the payments and gifts, Mayo entered into a verbal agreement to allow BDA represent him when he turned pro, Johnson told "Outside the Lines."

Providing athletes with money or other benefits is a violation, according to NCAA rules. In California, it's a misdemeanor for sports agents and their representatives to provide cash or gifts to student-athletes.

Mayo played one season at USC before declaring for the NBA draft in April. He named BDA's Calvin Andrews his agent.

Johnson also said that Duffy's company helped Guillory purchase a $50,000 Infiniti SUV from a Northern California car dealership co-owned by former USC and San Francisco 49ers defensive back Ronnie Lott and his 49ers teammate, Keena Turner.

After Duffy's company quit funding Guillory last year, Johnson says Guillory gave Mayo the flat-screen television, a hotel room and meals -- and paid for it with a credit card that belongs to a nonprofit organization called "The National Organization of Sickle Cell Prevention and Awareness Foundation." The organization has never been registered as a charitable trust with the California Attorney General's Office. Mary E. Brown, president and CEO of the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California, said she had never heard of the foundation for which Guillory charged purchases through.

Johnson provided "Outside the Lines" with receipts and invoices for many of the purchases, including the cell phone service.

[h4]More on Mayo[/h4]​

The story of O.J. Mayo, Louis Johnson and Rodney Guillory is a unique and complex one. ESPN's Kelly Naqi has additional details. Story

Johnson said he believes USC officials were unaware that Guillory was providing cash and other benefits to Mayo. He did say that members of the USC coaching staff had regular contact with Guillory.

Guillory was also involved with former USC basketball player Jeff Trepagnier, who was suspended in 2000 for taking illegal benefits (the NCAA ruled that Guillory had purchased airfare for Trepagnier and Fresno State's Tito Maddox).

Mayo, officials at Bill Duffy Associates and officials at USC all declined to be interviewed by "Outside the Lines."

In a statement, Mayo said: "I am focusing on the process of making my dream come true, which is to play professional basketball. I will not allow these allegations to become a distraction to me and my family. I have been through investigations by the NCAA, the Pac Ten and USC before I attended school and during the time I have been here. I have not engaged in any wrongdoing. If these claims were true I would suspect they would have been discovered by one of these organizations."

Of Guillory, Mayo said in his statement: "Rodney has been a positive influence on me as well as a strong African-American male presence in my life. Recently, my mother had the opportunity to spend time with Rodney as well, and has shared her appreciation for the way he has always treated me like I was family when I was so far away from home. I have nothing but respect for Rodney."

Duffy and Andrews said in a statement: "In the competitive environment of our business, these types of unsubstantiated assertions occur every year, particularly at this time. Our mission will continue to focus on the business of our current and prospective clients and let the record of our hard work, adherence to rules and regulations, and client satisfaction, speak for itself."

USC issued a statement, saying: "The NCAA and the Pac-10 reviewed O.J. Mayo's amateur status before and during his enrollment at USC, and did not identify any amateurism violations. Mayo and USC fully cooperated in these investigations. The University investigated and reported a violation involving Mayo's receipt of tickets to a Denver Nuggets game from his friend Carmelo Anthony. Mayo's eligibility was reinstated after he made a charitable contribution in the amount of the value of the tickets."

Johnson told ESPN he didn't get paid, but hoped to profit once Mayo made it to the NBA. He said he fell out of favor with Mayo because Guillory created a strain in the relationship by misrepresenting things Johnson allegedly said about Mayo and, eventually, sabotaging their relationship.

 

[wildkycat]

i mean, come on, dude can't wait one year?

 

[gingersaintbad]

Originally Posted by SoHi 23

Originally Posted by GingersAintBad

Are you surprised? Mayo will be the next JR Rider having a lot of potential but in the end f'ing it all up. I don't understand why you'd be surprised? He went to college for one year, said F it and will be in the draft this year. Teams will draft him without considering the fact that he is a dirtbag and will in the end mess up his opportunity. Its a cycle of this nonsense with the NBA where "questionable" players are still taken and then in turn they do something to embarass themselves, their teams, and the league.

Are you serious?
Do you even know this kid?

Do you? Are you his brother or friend? Do you know anything other than what you read on NT or see on TV? I doubt it. So you asking me if I am seriousserves no purpose since you defending him is pretty much the same as me going after him, based off of what we've read or heard not what we have seen firsthand.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Y'all thinking that Davon Jefferson, Hackett and Gibson aren't receiving gifts as well...

Single out OJ....

I mean lets be serious.....Dude has been getting attention etc. from agents since he was in like the 7th grade....

You think that +$@$ is easy to turn down???? Esp, if you aren't doing too well monetarily anyways???

I mean, I knew OJ was getting gifts cause I seen a picture of son and he was Gucci'ed down...

This $$@* goes on EVERYWHERE if you have a supreme talent...Esp if you got mean @%% boosters...Like Bama, Kentucky, etc....

Lets see if Lance gets the same scrutiny that OJ gets....I doubt it

 

[gunna get it]

Originally Posted by GingersAintBad

Originally Posted by SoHi 23

Originally Posted by GingersAintBad

Are you surprised? Mayo will be the next JR Rider having a lot of potential but in the end f'ing it all up. I don't understand why you'd be surprised? He went to college for one year, said F it and will be in the draft this year. Teams will draft him without considering the fact that he is a dirtbag and will in the end mess up his opportunity. Its a cycle of this nonsense with the NBA where "questionable" players are still taken and then in turn they do something to embarass themselves, their teams, and the league.

Are you serious?
Do you even know this kid?

Do you? Are you his brother or friend? Do you know anything other than what you read on NT or see on TV? I doubt it. So you asking me if I am serious serves no purpose since you defending him is pretty much the same as me going after him, based off of what we've read or heard not what we have seen first hand.

I see why he questioned you

because he allegedly took gifts and money, he's a dirtbag?

if you were in that situation, Imma go out on a limb and say you would not have shot down every gift and dollar being sent your way.

Dirtbag

 

[bigmike23]

i dont care how much i hate USC. after watching the store this morning did that started *****ing is a #$!@+ for that one. dude was just mad cause he got kickedout of the group and started seen no more money.

 

[dfresh244]

Can anyone even say they're surprised by this...

 

[jordan44]

It's no surprise he was getting things from people. I mean come on he's been in th spotlight since he was the best player as a seventh grader playingon the high school varsity team.

Everyone well I'll back track and say at least 99% of college athletes in all sports not just basketball and football have and will continue to accept freemoney and gifts from boosters "friends of the program" if not the coaches and the school itself. Some athlete students thats what they are, they are no longer student athletes, don't take as much orknow when to say enough is enough.

Some students feel they should get more than just a free education from they school they suit up for. I mean the school gets so much exposure, and tv revenueand all that money rolling in.

Its just funny that this has been a well known thing about OJ and this Louis Johnson decides now to make this public. He admits to being in the fold untilrecently. He wasn't getting his money anymore and wants to now take down the very hands that had been feeding him. Mayo will be in the League and will begetting paid, and this guy will more than likely be forgotten.

 

[recognizaz]

Forde wrote a nice article on how USC should get pounded with punishment from the Pac-10, NCAA and its own admin..

at USC

n a just world, USC basketball would have something in common with SMU football in the near future.
The death penalty.

It's not going to happen, because NCAA bylaws don't work that way. And besides, they're not likely to ever again disband a program for a yearafter the smoking crater it left at SMU.

But USC deserves it. The school has so far escaped facing NCAA prosecution for compelling allegations that star tailback Reggie Bush and his family werelavishly compensated by an aspiring agent while playing for the Trojans. Now comes a devastating, thoroughly documented "Outside The Lines" reportthat goes into stunning detail about the money and gifts star guard O.J. Mayo allegedly received before and during his one seasonat USC.

All directly beneath USC's chronically blind eyes.

You can plead ignorance once -- and even that was almost impossible to believe, in the case of Bush. Plead it twice? Um, no. USC should be crushed by theNCAA, the Pacific-10 and its own administration.

Especially with a player everyone in Hoopsworld strongly suspected was no amateur before he set foot in Los Angeles. You had to search hard to finda soul who didn't think O.J. Mayo had been prostituted for years as his prep legend grew, starting in seventh grade. (Put it this way: When early Mayoconfidant Sonny Vaccaro gets muscled out of the scene, somebody's bringing some serious juice to the table.)

So you take the Bush allegations, add a side of Mayo and ask the question: Has there ever been a more textbook definition of "lack of institutionalcontrol"?

If all the allegations stand up, USC athletic director Mike Garrett and the Inspector Clouseaus who comprise his compliance staff must lose their jobs overthese serial embarrassments, or the school has no credibility whatsoever. When USC's two highest-profile sports both have star players allegedly on thebrazen take from agents, somebody needs to answer for it. A lot of somebodies.

Or USC can take its ignorance and explain it to the NCAA Committee on Infractions, which shouldn't be in much of a mood to listen if the same OTL factsare presented to NCAA investigators as compellingly as they were on national TV and on this Web site Sunday.

[+] Enlarge

Chris Williams/Icon SMI

How could coach Tim Floyd not have known about the cash and flat-screen TV that OTL reported O.J. Mayo received?

According to the OTL investigation, Mayo received thousands of dollars' worth of clothes. A flat-screen TV for his dorm. Hotel rooms for him and hisfriends. And receipts for all of them, provided to ESPN by insider-turned-whistle-blower Louis Johnson (whose stories were remarkably consistent andverifiable, according to those who worked on the piece).

But it gets better: The swag allegedly was financed by a man named Rodney Guillory, who previously had gotten former USC guard Jeff Trepagnier in troublefor accepting agent kickbacks. Not only did that fail to get Guillory banned from campus, he also wound up a fixture within the program. Of course, whowouldn't want a 43-year-old scammer hanging around a college freshman?

According to transcripts from OTL's interviews with Johnson, Guillory was sitting in the USC basketball offices when Mayo's signed letter-of-intentrolled off the fax machine. Johnson also said coach Tim Floyd talked frequently with Guillory about Mayo whenever "issues" arose.

In the wake of this, it's hilarious to listen to Floyd's interview on "Pardon The Interruption" before Mayo started his brief career atUSC. In a previous episode, Michael Wilbon had arched an eyebrow about taking someone with Mayo's red flags into the program. Floyd's response madeMayo sound like a tragically misunderstood Eagle Scout.

According to Floyd, Mayo was raised by a single mother who didn't have the money to pay a big cell phone bill -- which ostensibly is why Guillorydiscouraged Floyd from calling him during his recruitment. Floyd also said the kid "doesn't have anything" materially.

Despite that, the USC coach apparently never got around to wondering how the poor child from Huntington, W.Va., could afford the expensive clothes on hisback or the expensive shoes on his feet. How about the flat-screen TV in his dorm? That never set off an alarm? If the answer is that USC coaches or complianceworkers never set foot in Mayo's dorm room … why the hell not?

When you recruit someone radioactive, you better have everything checked down to the smallest detail. Or else your program turns into Three Mile Island.

Johnson told ESPN that he believes USC did not know about any of the kickbacks Mayo allegedly received. Why?

[h4]More on Mayo[/h4]​

The story of O.J. Mayo, Louis Johnson and Rodney Guillory is a unique and complex one. ESPN's Kelly Naqi has additional details. Story

"I think after the Reggie Bush fiasco that they would have definitely taken steps to prevent this type of thing from happening again," Johnsonsaid.

Except they apparently didn't. Which is astonishing. And damning.

(However, it would not qualify as "repeat violator" status with the NCAA. The school has not been penalized -- or even charged -- in the Bushaffair, and until that happens, USC would not fall under the repeat violator umbrella. That's why it couldn't get the death penalty. But a postseasonban would seem to be both plausible and justifiable.)

You have to assume USC simply didn't want to know. Didn't want to know the extent to which runners already had set their hooks into theirhighest-profile basketball recruit ever. The Trojans knew they were in this deal for one year before Mayo turned pro, and they probably just averted theirgaze, hoping nothing blew up and the victories would pile up.

It's a scenario playing out right now on many other campuses nationwide, guaranteed. Agents and their runners are identifying who can play as early ascollege scouts are, and they're commencing the jockeying for position. And we all know what wins most of those turf wars: money and favors. Most topflightyoung basketball players have at least been offered plenty before college, even if they haven't accepted it.

It's a problem the NCAA desperately needs to get a grip on if college basketball is going to maintain even a hint of a legitimate relationship to highereducation. The sport's repeatedly pilloried reputation took another big hit with this revelation, but perhaps it will spur other Louis Johnsons to tell thetruth about what's going on in college hoops and youth basketball.

And as for USC?

Fight on.

And deny on.

 

[wallyhopp]

cant they penalize the schools in some form?? damn.

 

[berkeley boy]

I honestly have ZERO problems with college athletes receiving "gifts". The schools get assloads of donations to their sports programs on the backs ofthese kids.

 

[dyyhard]

Y'all thinking that Davon Jefferson, Hackett and Gibson aren't receiving gifts as well..


now if Lil Romeo is receiving gifts, then I'm bout to go down to USC to picket the NCAA.

 

[rolla808]

I'm surprised he got caught, how can a sports program be so stupid? I mean I'm not saying that it is okay to pay these athletes but really if yourgonna do it tie up all your loose ends so no one gets caught.

 

[b1lly hoyle]

When Mayo was in high school in Ohio and West Virginia, Guillory was receiving monthly payments from the Northern California sports agency Bill Duffy Associates. Johnson said BDA provided Guillory with around $200,000 before Mayo arrived at USC, and that Guillory used most of the money to support his own lifestyle but also gave a portion of it to Mayo.
Where the problem starts.

Then again -- OJ should be living well. Dude has been making money for others since middle school.

 

[barondavis5]

Originally Posted by Fede DPT

A recruit getting lavish gifts from USC? Blasphemy!