USC Basketball

You could call this the "Pac-10 Special" edition of the Out of Focus series, with a dash of Summit League play tossed in for good measure.

If you are unfamiliar with the premise of this column, three to five games are highlighted that do not feature ranked teams. The games are usually highly competitive and, in order to be chosen, they must either have an impact on the postseason or a compelling storyline.

The goal is to keep up with some of the leagues and teams that you don't normally get to see on ESPN or other networks, though today's edition features a couple of teams that normally get quite a bit of face time.

Unfortunately for Arizona and USC, their season unfolded in a manner that leaves them both currently unranked.

As usual, I will update the results of the games in the comments section; the last edition's games (Dec. 30) were all true gems if you care to take a look.

Now, on to today's "Out of Focus" games.

3.  North Dakota State (8-4) at Oakland (9-7)

I know you're probably thinking that there's no way this could be a significant game.  Well, the truth is that someone has to win the Summit League, and these are two of the three conference teams with winning records (IUPUI at 8-5 is the other).

All three of those teams are roughly equal, and each has shown flashes of solid play throughout the early part of the season. 

Though North Dakota St. has lost to Idaho, the other three losses were a 112-111 shootout with Stephen F. Austin, a 14-point loss to Minnesota in November, and most recently, a hard-fought 61-57 loss to Pac-10 power USC. Despite a lack of quality wins, don't expect the Bison to roll over easily.

Oakland has played a very difficult out-of-conference schedule, including three Big Ten teams, Syracuse, Horizon preseason favorite Cleveland State, and Kansas State. They were able to notch a significant win over a non-conference opponent when they took out Oregon 82-79 in the Maui Invitational. The Golden Grizzlies have hung tough with nearly all of these opponents.

The winner of this game gets a leg up in the race to represent the Summit League in March.

Prediction:  Oakland 68, North Dakota State 65

2.  USC (9-3) at Oregon (6-6)

After some early season disappointments (including losses to Seton Hall and Missouri) that have caused USC to tumble from the rankings, the Trojans appear to have righted the ship, winning six of their last seven, with the only loss in that span being to Oklahoma by a single point.

USC will need to dominate their conference schedule if they expect to be a viable NCAA Tourney team come March, and it starts tonight in the conference opener at Oregon. Though it looks like a mismatch on paper, the Ducks have played much better since the aforementioned early season loss to Oakland.

Oregon pounded Alabama in the next game and has faced a difficult schedule, with losses to UNC, Texas, Utah and St. Mary's. The Ducks looked much improved in the loss to St. Mary's, hanging in for the entire game before eventually falling 78-73.

If USC plays sloppy and Oregon's backcourt of Tajuan Porter, Garrett Sim and LeKendric Longmire nails their three-pointers, an upset is a real possibility. Oddly enough, Porter, the Ducks' leading scorer, shoots better from behind the arc (.378) than inside it (.376).

Prediction:  USC 86, Oregon 77

1.  Arizona (9-3) at California (11-2)

Arizona's season has generally been two steps forward and one step back, but a win on the road against upstart California could put them on a much better footing in early positioning for the NCAA Tournament. 

The Wildcats' early one-point losses to UAB and Texas A&M don't look quite as bad right now, as particularly the Aggies look significantly better than advertised in the preseason.

Unlike the rest of the Pac-10, Arizona worked through a solid non-conference schedule and it has already paid dividends, with impressive victories over Gonzaga and Kansas.  The low point of the Wildcats' season thus far has been a 79-64 drubbing at the hands of UNLV, but the Runnin' Rebels are looking like the cream of the crop in a competitive Mountain West Conference.

California has won five consecutive games against weak opponents since an embarrassing 93-66 thrashing delivered by the Missouri Tigers. However, the Golden Bears did score an impressive 18-point victory over the same UNLV team that easily handled Arizona.

No game this early in the season is usually labeled as a "must-win," but this contest is between two teams who are likely to be precariously on the bubble when March rolls around. California is young and was expected to be a year away from contending. The Bears want to show that they are ready this year.

Arizona is out to prove that their equally young team and first-year coach are ready to make a serious play at the postseason as well. A lot is at stake in this conference opener, and the game should be a nail-biter.

Prediction:  Arizona 83, California 82

These games are often worth keeping track of on the radio or the Internet when they're not available on TV!

As always, I welcome your comments on either the games, the predictions, or both. 

Yes, the Trojans lost their first game against a team not from the nether regions of the country.

Yes, the Trojans gave up a 15-point lead to a less-than-stellar Seton Hall team.

And no, their blowout win against Chattanooga proves nothing except that USC can only win against teams with four or more syllables in their name. Three or less syllables, and they are 0-1.

(ESPN should hire me for their broadcast statistics...seeing as though this is the kind of crap they feed us day after day. Honestly, who wants to know the amount of wins Brett Favre has racked up against a west team with an injured left outside linebacker when he’s wearing a jersey with a primary color?)

Yet, there is a shining light for USC Basketball.

The season has not progressed long enough to make a full analysis of how this team will progress. But, there are a few glimmers of promise already showing through the darkness for this Trojan basketball squad.

1. Number Won: For the first time in four years, the Trojans won the first basketball game on their schedule. They couldn’t do it against the Bears, the Gamecocks, or even the Matadors. Too intimidating. Thank the basketball gods for the Anteaters.

Quick quiz: The last team USC defeated before this horrible four-year streak? You got it—the Anteaters.

2. The Taj Mahal: The junior forward Taj Gibson has given the college world hope that some star talent still can resist the lure of the draft for something more pure. Gibson has failed to disappoint his ‘SC faithful, racking up an average of 19 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks per game through his first three games.

This has made up for the volatile performance of Demar DeRozan, which brings me to...

3. The Other Freshman: Trojan fans, meet Leonard Washington. Yes, Demar DeRozan will emerge as the most talented and most important freshman on this team. His explosiveness will dictate opponents’ strategy.

Yet Leon Washington is quietly becoming a model of consistency for the Cardinal and Gold. Averaging only 20 minutes of play, he has scored about nine points and grabbed nearly seven rebounds per game. Factor in his stellar defensive performance against New Mexico, in which he had four steals in only 18 minutes, and you have yourself a solid freshman forward.

Did I mention that the man is 6'7"?

Yes, USC lost an upset early on. But this will be no Jacquizz Rodgers of a loss—the Trojans will recover from this tip-off tragedy, and fulfill the strong expectations that they have for the season.

Article Courtesy of The Prez, An Award Winning Basketball Handicapper Featured on Touthouse.com. If you are Betting on College Basketball Be Sure to Buy The Prez Expert College Basketball Picks.

Heels lose another Tyler

The top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0) will decide Thursday evening if star Tyler Hansbrough will return from his shin problems and make his season debut on Friday night. And the Heels need a big man, because 6-foot-10 freshman Tyler Zeller is done for the year after he underwent wrist surgery on Wednesday.

Zeller suffered multiple fractures in his wrist when he landed on it late in the Tar Heels’ 77-58 win over Kentucky on Tuesday. He had started the first two games in place of Hansbrough and was injured when he missed a breakaway dunk and came down on his hand.

Zeller scored 18 points in the opener against Penn, but he recorded just 2 points against the Wildcats.

UNC has a busy stretch upcoming, starting with a game Friday night at UC Santa Barbara, which could be a mad house with the school expecting its first sellout in nearly a decade. The Heels then play three games in the Maui Invitational beginning Monday. Then they return home to play UNC Asheville before playing a huge game against Michigan State at Ford Field in Detroit in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

No luck for USC

Speaking of the Tar Heels, one of their former top recruits won’t be able to help Southern Cal this year. Alex Stepheson, who transferred to USC from North Carolina this fall for family reasons, was hoping the NCAA would allow him to have immediately eligibility.

That appeal was denied, and he will not be eligible until 2009-10. He averaged 4.3 points and 4.5 rebounds last season with the Tar Heels playing behind Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson.

Stepheson, 6-foot-9, had been practicing with the Trojans, but he didn’t travel with them to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off that began Thursday. He was one of the top recruits in the country at one time but was lured away from his home state of California.

“Alex would have really helped our team this season and would have had a big impact in the Pac-10, but we will have to move beyond this now,” Coach Tim Floyd said in a statement.

Another injury for Ole Miss

Mississippi was regarded by some experts to have the best potential backcourt in the SEC this season, but that depth is lacking big time after a second injury in two weeks.

Junior guard Eniel Polynice is out for the season after knee surgery this week. The 6-foot-5 Polynice averaged 10.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, and was viewed as the Rebels’ best defender. The Rebs will seek a medical redshirt for Polynice.

This news comes less than two weeks after losing another guard, sophomore Trevor Gaskins (an SEC All-Freshman pick last year), for the season because of an ACL tear in his knee. He started eight games last season and played in all 35, averaging 5.9 points.

Zach Graham likely will take Polynice’s starting spot, and he scored a career-high 16 points in Ole Miss’ 89-71 win over South Alabama on Tuesday night.

Mississippi is next in action Friday against Utah.

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When it comes to sports betting, my dad always says, "If it looks too good to be true, it usually is."

What he means is: If a spread looks out of whack, the oddsmakers know something that you don't. That was certainly the case last night as what I thought was a lock—Memphis giving 23 to a horrendous Chattanooga team—turned out to be a loser.

Memphis won the game, but only by 12, as they couldn't pull away from the Mocs in the second half. I blame it on whoever changed my article's photo to an unflattering shot of coach John Calipari looking like he needs a bathroom break. I suppose the Tigers' 17 turnovers and 6-23 shooting from downtown didn't help, though.

But today is a new day, and I'm ready to stick it to the bookies—the stupid, stupid bookies who only made Tennessee a 10.5-point favorite against Middle Tennessee State.

Now I'm sure the Blue Raiders are going to be all fired up over the Vols' visit. But will it make a difference against the No. 13 team in the country? Probably not, since Tennessee beat them by 69 points last year. (Note to potential Editors: That was not a typo. Tennessee really beat them by 69 points. The score was 109-40.)

You can say what you want about Memphis last night, but that game was in Puerto Rico, and I think we all can agree that crazy things happen in Puerto Rico. In Murfreesboro, TN? Not so much. I expect the Vols to roll.

The other team I like tonight is Southern Cal. The Trojans dropped a tough one to Seton Hall last night, but I think they'll bounce back against Chattanooga—the same Chattanooga I bashed in yesterday's article. USC is favored by 12.5.

What was the Over/Under?

Texas Tech beat East Central last night by 52 points. Pretty impressive, especially considering East Central scored 115. That's right, Texas Tech scored a whopping 167 as the schools combined for 282 points. You can read an article about it on Bleacher Report here.

I remember my high school basketball team watched a Coach K video on the fundamentals of man-to-man defense. Guess these two coaches never showed that video to their players.

Michigan and UCLA combined for 107 points last night. East Central, which sounds like a high school, eclipsed that number by itself. Heck, Texas Tech had 90 points in the second half alone.

Today's picks: Tennessee -10.5; 1 unit

                      USC -12.5; 1 unit

Season Record: 2-1 (66 percent), +1.9 units

I love this time of year.

College football is almost in Bowl season, the NFL is in the thick of its season, the NBA has started, and perhaps best of all college basketball is back.

You know its back when you put on ESPN and you see Dick Vitale having an orgasmic seizure as he talks about who he thinks are this year's best teams. Speaking of Dicky V, if you look at college basketball right now there are some amazing "Diaper Dandies" this year. ("Diaper Dandy" is a term coined by Dicky V referring to the best young, talented freshmen.)

This year there is a particularly great group coming out of Southern California.

UCLA had the best recruitment class in the country this year. They welcome some amazing young freshmen, the most touted of whom is Gatorade Player of the Year, Jrue Holiday. This kid is sick.

He is like a young Dwayne Wade. He didn't have to travel far to become a Bruin coming out of Cambell Hall High School in LA. He is joined by fellow McDonald's All-American Malcolm Lee, who is a solid point guard from Riverside.

Ben Howland also got commitments from Jerime Anderson- a guard from Anaheim, CA, who was a top-25 prospect. And I'll give the Bay some love because Drew Gordon from San Jose is going to be huge for the Bruins this year.

But there is a lot of talent from SoCal that didn't go to UCLA.

USC got arguably the best prospect coming out of high school in Demar DeRozan from Compton, CA. DeRozan will go pro at the end of the year, and will be a high-lottery pick. He plays similar to Kevin Durant.

North Carolina got Larry Drew II. He is another really solid point guard from Los Angeles. Arizona signed Jeff Withey from San Diego, who was one of the most highly recruited centers.

Finally, Brandon Jennings who was ranked as the no. one prospect for 2008 by ESPN, is playing in Europe this year. He was going to go to Arizona, but couldn't because of low SAT scores. He also grew up in LA before transferring to Oak Hill Academy to play high school ball.

Clearly there is a ton of flat out "ballers" coming out of So Cal...at least six of this year's freshmen from Southern California will eventually end up in the NBA.

Don't expect the talent to stop. Class of 2010 member Jeremy Tyler, who goes to San Diego High School, is ranked as one of the top prospects on every ranking board and is expected to be No. 1 by the time he is a senior. The kid is a beast and is currently having a documentary made about his recruitment to college.

If you are a fan of college hoops you should keep your eyes on some of the guys I mentioned this season, or you can YouTube them (Do it!).

All that USC Coach Tim Floyd wants is a spot in the tournament: “Get yourself to the NCAA Tournament and make something happen.” Those words, spoken among USC’s numerous National Championship trophies in Heritage Hall, couldn’t be any truer.

In a conference that has contributed the most NCAA tournament teams over the last two seasons, USC is primed to make a run for a top seed.

It won't be easy, though. Standing in Southern California’s way is not only UCLA’s number one recruiting class, but also a Pac-10 full of contenders. Talent is not hard to find in the Pac-10, and ‘SC is at a disadvantage in pure talent recruiting.

Last year, USC placed fourth in the nation’s strongest basketball conference. This year, though, the 18th-ranked Trojans hope to make a run not just for a tournament bid, but the whole conference championship.

Last year, O.J. Mayo led the Trojans to the Pac-10 Semifinals, only to lose by three points. He was disappointing in the NCAA Tournament, failing to bring his team a victory. Fans hoped for another year out of the top wingman—surely Mayo yearned for another shot at the championship. After all, you can only play college ball once.

But what seems to be tough luck for ‘SC fans truly is a blessing in disguise.

Enter DeMar DeRozan. Filling in for the departed Mayo, DeRozan is hailed by teammates as the consummate team player. Spending most of last year watching the Trojans practice and play, he is extremely prepared mentally for ‘SC basketball.

His teammates praise his work ethic and athletic ability. His coach lauds him as more athletic than Mayo and echoes the praise of his teammates.

Not to mention, DeMar brings with him best friend Percy Miller, better known as “Romeo” to the common public. Romeo doesn’t seem to have the skills to start in the Pac-10—and some even doubt his ability to compete at the D-I level—but at least we know the sideline entertainment will improve.

USC’s hope doesn’t end with DeRozan. Several players are just as key to Southern Cal’s success.

Returning big man Taj Gibson is bound to play a big role in the team’s Pac-10 championship hopes, as he attempts to improve on his 10 points and eight rebounds per game. His leadership as a junior will prove essential to keeping the team together and helping DeRozan develop.

Alex Stepheson, a defensive machine who transferred from UNC Chapel Hill, will also play a role.

Two players to especially watch out for are Marcus Simmons and Leonard Washington. Simmons, who missed last season with an injury, was originally considered by Floyd to be a potential starter as a freshman. Washington, who finally arrives at ‘SC after a year of academic ineligibility, provides a strong inside presence for the Trojans.

The Trojans look hopeful to compete in the strong Pac-10 despite strong recruiting by other teams, namely UCLA, thanks to the multitude of returning players.

Their recent exhibition victory against Azuza Pacific showed the potential for a Trojan team concentrated on a full team effort. DeRozan, even while showing complete unselfishness in his game play, managed to score 21 points and grab seven rebounds. Taj Gibson showed his experience with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

If this strong team play continues, the season looks bright for the Southern California Trojan basketball team.

Tonight marks the debut of several highly heralded NBA rookies, including the enigmatic OJ Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies.  Mayo, who left USC under controversial circumstances after one year, has been in the national spotlight since before he even played a minute of high school ball.

Meanwhile, back at USC, 6-5 swingman and walking (flying) highlight reel DeMar DeRozan, another highly touted recruit, seems poised to fill Mayo’s shoes.  He is a big reason USC has been picked to return to the NCAA tournament despite the loss of Mayo and starting forward Davon Jefferson.  Like Mayo, he will almost certainly be a lottery pick after just one year in college.

Most college and high school hoops fans know plenty about these two players.  It’s the five star nationally ranked recruits like Mayo and Derozean that fans cheer (or, sometimes, love to hate.)  It’s the guys who fly under the radar, though, guys who don’t get the ink and the media love, who sometimes make all the difference.

Take Ryan Francis, for example.  “Who’s that?” you might ask.   Ryan Francis was another one year guard for USC.  Like Mayo, Francis was a relentless defender and team leader. Unlike Mayo, the diminutive Francis was not highly recruited when he came out of Glen Oaks High School in Baton Rouge, LA. 

Despite leading his team to a state championship in 2005, his size (he was certainly much shorter than his listed height of 5-11) and high school competition scared many coaches away.

You might wonder why the undersized Francis, who started every game and averaged 7.1 points during his freshman campaign, did not return for his sophomore season.   On May 14, 2006, exactly one month after receiving a team award for always giving 110% effort, Francis was gunned down in a senseless act of random violence.

Had Francis possibly placed himself in a position, through poor choices or shady affiliations, that might have placed himself in harm’s way?  Was he yet another star athlete who had become the victim of his own excesses? 

It turns out Francis’ crime was to visit his mother, Paulette, for Mother’s Day, then hang out with some high school buddies.  A complete stranger, having felt slighted at a party by the driver of the vehicle in which Francis was a passenger, decided to open fire on the vehicle.  Ryan Francis, nineteen years old, was dead.

As we witness the unfolding of another NBA season, is there a lesson we can learn from this tragedy?  I don’t know if anything good can come out of the murder of such an outstanding young man, taken from us before he even had a chance to play more college basketball, to pursue his dreams of coaching, to get married, to do all the things his former teammates will get to do.   What’s the meaning of all this?

I don’t have answers.  All I know is that Ryan’s gone.  And I, like anyone else who ever met him, still miss him.  His soft–spoken “Yes, Sir” demeanor belied his tenacious defense.  When I watch the high priced NBA stars like Mayo strut their stuff tonight, I’ll be thinking of humble, hard–working Ryan. 

RIP Ryan Francis.

Southern California basketball will dance to a different beat literally and figuratively during the madness in March.

Controversial star O.J. Mayo is out. Fabulous freshman DeMar DeRozan is in. Also in is Master P.'s son Romeo Miller, otherwise known as Lil' Romeo.

Miller will probably have the biggest impact of any recruit in the history of the game for a player who might not play a single meaningful minute. Rivals considers Miller only a two star recruit, but offering a scholarship to Miller helped lure top five recruit DeRozan to the school.

Miller and DeRozan are good friends and according to The Wall Street Journal, committed to USC together while driving with Romeo's father, Percy, after a tournament in Arkansas when Coach Tim Floyd offered both a scholarship.

While Miller probably won't contribute much if anything this season, DeRozan could easily have the biggest impact of any of the standout freshmen this year.

He's a 6'6'' swingman who's going to be on the floor to score. The Compton native wasn't recruited for his intangibles. He's expected to fill the void O.J. Mayo left when he bolted for the NBA after just one season in Los Angeles.

Mayo's loss will hurt, but won't hurt quite as much as it may seem.

According to Ken Pomeroy statistics, Mayo finished an incredibly high percentage of the Trojans' plays, but at an inefficient rate. He finished 25th in the country in possession rate at 30.8 percent which means three out of every ten offensive possessions that Mayo was on the floor for ended at the hands of Mayo.

A high possession percentage isn't a bad thing if Mayo is efficient with the ball, but he took 34 percent of his team's shots while on the floor at an effective field goal percentage of 52.4 percent, fifth best on his own team.

If DeRozan can come in and be more effective through higher percentage shots, USC will improve its 52nd ranked offensive efficiency rating.

DeRozan won't have to shoulder the entire scoring load. Junior guards Daniel Hackett and Dwight Lewis will have larger roles in the offense now that Mayo is gone. The two combined for 19.4 points per game in 2008.

In the front court, the Trojans return the PAC-10's third leading rebounder Taj Gibson. The Junior averaged 11 points on 58 percent shooting. He should receive more touches in the post because Gibson is efficient enough with the ball to be a productive member of the offense. But overall for Gibson, defense, not scoring is his forte.

Gibson was selected to the All PAC-10 Defensive First-Team. He's on pace to shatter the school record for blocks in just his junior year. Also, no Trojan has grabbed more rebounds in his first two years in L.A. than Gibson.

Taj Gibson entered USC in 2006 as a four star recruit, but has under performed slightly. If used the right way, the undersized center could become the most dominant big man in a conference lacking a lot of quality forwards.

Gibson is a big part of USC's superb defense. The Trojans ranked 15th in the country in defensive efficiency in 2008 and ranked first in the conference in opponent's field goal percentage. 

Sophomore Kasey Cunningham should fill the final starting spot if he can remain healthy. He's battled through knee injuries during his first two seasons, red-shirting his freshman year and playing just nine games in 2008.

If Cunningham struggles in his starting role, he'll have plenty of players vying for his spot. Highly regarded freshman Leonard Washington finally gained eligibility and can contribute immediately. Senior Keith Wilkinson could also step up with an increase in minutes.

Wings Marcus Simmons and Marcus Johnson will spell Lewis and DeRozan, but Simmons and Johnson have little experience with the Trojans. Simmons spent half of the 2008 on the bench with an ankle sprain. Johnson sat out the entire 2008 season as a transfer from UConn.

Taj Gibson will also have three players to back him up. Seven-footer Mamadou Diarra played just three games last year as a freshmen. He's another solid defender and can also run the floor very well. If he stays healthy, it will allow Coach Floyd to slide Gibson to the four and play Diarra at center.

Also ready to anchor the middle is senior RouSean Cromwell who played in 21 games last year and was on the floor for only eight minutes per game. Freshman Nikola Vucevic, a native of Montenegro could also fill a few minutes in the front court.

Overall, Tim Floyd will be able to run ten to twelve players as opposed to the eight players Floyd was limited to in 2008. Every single one of the players that will be in Floyd's rotation in 2008 are listed at 6'5'' or taller creating one of the largest line-ups in the country.

2008 Season Forecast

The Trojan's non-conference schedule has a few tough dates, but overall it's a pretty easy non-league schedule. USC should lose at most three games in the non-conference slate, and probably will squeak through it with only two losses.

A trip to Norman, Oklahoma for a tip against the Sooners in the Big 12/PAC-10 Hardwood Classic should almost certainly result in a loss.

USC has only a few tough games after that. There is the potential to play Memphis in San Juan during the Puerto Rico Tipoff Tournament.

The PAC-10 is going to have a down year in 2009, so USC should be able to fly through its conference schedule. An 11-7 or 12-6 record in the conference is likely. Overall, the Trojans should finish with 20-23 wins in the regular season.

Best Case Scenario

DeMar DeRozan pans out and the Trojan big men develop into solid players. USC makes the NCAA Tournament and goes to the Sweet 16.

Worst Case Scenario

DeMar DeRozan doesn't live up to the hype and can't handle being the number one option. Despite a gaggle of big men, USC can't find consistency. The Trojans struggle through the conference season, overall winning just 18 or 19 games and sit on the bubble on Selection Sunday.

23. Baylor

24. Syracuse

25. Kentucky

The number three pick in this year’s NBA Draft, O. J. Mayo from USC, collected 15 points and five assists in his Summer League debut in Las Vegas last night. He also had the play of the night, with a spectacular dunk over Hilton Armstrong.

Mayo, who got off to a shaky start, committed eight turnovers but grew stronger as the game went on, and his Memphis Grizzlies defeated the New Orleans Hornets summer squad 88-75.

Memphis head coach, Marc Iavaroni praised Mayo, and Mayo praised teammate Mike Conley, who scored 14 points and had six assists. Darrell Arthur, another first round pick that the Grizzlies acquired on draft day, led all scorers with 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting.

"I was very impressed," Marc Iavaroni said of Mayo. "I'm very pleased with how he played defensively." Iavaroni said that he liked Mayo’s drive and desire to be a great player. "You can sense it."

Mayo claimed his eight turnovers were a case of early jitters. He said that he was surprised by the large crowd. "I didn't expect there to be so many people at a summer league game."

Mayo also said he was glad Mike Conley was there to help him out. The two started playing basketball together when they were ten years-old. Now, ironically, they have been rejoined after a bizarre trade on draft night.

The Grizzlies actually took UCLA’s Kevin Love with the fifth pick after Minnesota had taken Mayo with the third pick. Then, both teams completed a deal late that night, with Mayo, Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric, and Greg Buckner going to Memphis for Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins.

So once again, USC and UCLA are inextricably interlocked. For the rest of their careers, Mayo and Love will be compared, even though they play different positions and different styles. And pundits will forever argue over who is the better player.

Playing collegiate sports is mutually beneficial for both the players and the NCAA. The NCAA gets the better end of it, but it's still a good deal for players of all skill levels.

O.J. Mayo was the example used in Boyce Watkins' article, which contends that the NCAA should compensate its players on top of any scholarships. O.J. Mayo went to one year of school at USC. He was not able to go directly to the NBA. That wasn't the NCAA or USC's fault, that is the NBA rule.

Formerly, high-school players with top-level talent could go directly to the NBA, but that's no longer an option. However, no one forced O.J. Mayo to attend a university. If he didn't feel right about USC and Tim Floyd banking off his star talent, he could have chosen to wait out the required year by practicing his crossover and jump shot in a gym. But why would he want to do that? There are more than three dozen professional basketball leagues worldwide.

He could get paid to play! Right out of high school! Sounds like we've got a viable alternative.

That sucks, though, that he might have to go overseas to get his "fair market value." There isn't as much exposure over there. Nike wouldn't know whether to give him a contract. He wouldn't be playing against the best that he could be.

Maybe he looks great, maybe he stinks it up. How would the NBA have graded him against different competition? Would he still go No. 3 in the draft after playing overseas for a year? Would anyone even know who O.J. Mayo was? 

Therein lies the rub: Mayo's payment at USC was the exposure afforded by major college basketball, ESPN, Los Angeles, the NCAA tournament, etc. Mayo's future earnings will likely be higher because he attended USC. Isn't that why most people go to college?

Mayo and other lottery-type talent are one case. The "guys who are superstars in college but don't have the body type or athleticism to compete in the NBA" could play overseas after college. Paul Shirley carved out a decent career playing basketball professionally, and no one would confuse him with a superstar. 

The other 95 percent of college basketball players? Make sure to get your free diploma!

With all due respect to Watkins, there is a difference between playing collegiate basketball and working in a sweatshop. These kids aren't forced labor. If they need to help support their family, they can take a day job at McDonald's or a hardware store. Nowhere is it written that one who has sports talent must be compensated for it.