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O.J. Mayo Denies He Got Paid At USC On Dan Patrick Show
Published by MoonDog on March 10, 2010
Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo appeared on Wednesday’s Dan Patrick show to discuss the allegations he got paid to play during his one year at USC.
According to a blog post on Dan Patrick’s Web site, Mayo denied he received payments to play for the Trojans.
“It’s a big mess,” Mayo said. “I think I had the wrong type of people around me and maybe they had some things going on that I didn’t know about. Maybe not.”
On January 3, 2010, USC issued self-imposed sanctions on their men’s basketball program related to the recruitment of Mayo.
Included in those sanctions were a one-year ban from postseason involvement, a reduction of one scholarship for two academic years and recruiting restrictions.
Mayo told Patrick that the fallout from the investigation has been difficult. When asked if former USC coach Tim Floyd paid for his services, Mayo said “I almost want to say I wish he did.”
The allegations, partly admitted by USC, surrounded Mayo’s recruitment which included possible payments by Floyd to Rodney Guillory, a friend of Mayo’s.
Guillory reportedly called Floyd to gauge his interest in bringing Mayo to USC. Guillory guaranteed Floyd he would get Mayo to sign with the Trojans and told Floyd that he didn’t have to recruit him, implying the deal was a forgone conclusion.
Patrick asked Mayo why Floyd got fired. “I honestly don’t know,” Mayo said. “I hope it wasn’t over $1,000. I don’t know. There was a lot going on that I didn’t know about that was out of my hands.”
Mayo said he didn’t need any extra incentive to attend USC. “It’s the best babes in the world. Sunny weather. Academically it’s great there,” Mayo said.
Mayo was originally drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the third overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Grizzles in exchange for Kevin Love, whom Memphis had drafted with the fifth overall selection.
Mayo is averaging 17.5 PPG in his second season with Memphis. The Grizzlies have shown dramatic improvement this season, currently in ninth place in the NBA’s Western Conference playoff race with a 33-31 record.
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Tagged with: Basketball, Dan Patrick, Kevin Love, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, NBA Draft, O. J. Mayo, Recruiting, Rodney Guillory, Sanctions, Southern California, Tim Floyd, Trojans, USC, USC Recruting Scandal, Western Conference
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