[vincesanity82]

ESPN is reporting that a former associate of ex-USC basketball player O.J. Mayo says Mayo violated NCAA rules by accepting $30,000 in cash and gifts from a Los Angeles event promoter before and during his one season playing for the Trojans. The report, which first aired this morning on Outside the Lines, says the gifts Mayo received from a man named Rodney Guillory included cash, a flat-screen TV for Mayo's dorm room, cell phone service, a hotel room, clothes, meals and airline tickets for Mayo's friends and a relative.

Mayo issued the following statement:
"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."

Report: O.J. Mayo Took $30,000 in Cash and Gifts in High School and at USC - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

[Lefty Noob]

Well, if he has indeed already investigated by the school, the Pac-10 and the NCAA, as he claims, I'd have to call BS on these accusations.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Well, if he has indeed already investigated by the school, the Pac-10 and the NCAA, as he claims, I'd have to call BS on these accusations.

Has he, or is this a smokescreen? No I would have to agree, IF he has already been investigated, I would have to call BS as well.

[Bette]

Not so sure its a smoke screen. Rodney Guillory is an event promoter, doesnt deny his relationship with Mayo, but claims to do no wrong. He is associated with the California Sports Agency, Bill Duffy Associates. Guillory says he wants to be Mayo's marketing rep, and thats what got Bush into trouble, a marketing rep. Guillory has been involved in other incidents that got students into trouble.
I believe it is a friend(former)of Mayo's who spilled the beans. Read the information and what Johnson says below. Also note that he says he has receipts. Dont think its over but I also read this goes on all the time and USC wont get into any trouble over it.









Mayo got into some minor trouble with the NCAA earlier this year after he accepted free tickets from Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony to an NBA game. Mayo didn't miss any games but had to contribute $460 — the total value of the two tickets — to a charitable organization.
USC said in a statement that NCAA and Pac-10 officials have looked into Mayo's status "before and during his enrollment at USC, and did not identify any amateurism violations."
Johnson said he doesn't believe USC officials knew Guillory provided cash and other benefits to Mayo. However, he claims some USC coaches had regular contact with Guillory.
Johnson, who claims he didn't get paid, also gave ESPN receipts and invoices for many of the purchases.

The Associated Press: Report: USC guard O.J. Mayo got cash, benefits from promoter

[Lefty Noob]

Yeah, that's the thing... if it was just the player saying this, I'd be a little more skeptical. But the school itself says they checked him before and during his collegiate career and he came back clean. So either he's clean, or they botched the investigation very badly.

[Bette]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Yeah, that's the thing... if it was just the player saying this, I'd be a little more skeptical. But the school itself says they checked him before and during his collegiate career and he came back clean. So either he's clean, or they botched the investigation very badly.

Understand I am not making any accusations here, (I'm too much of a rookie in this college business) but it is suggested that this happens all the times. Note that Johnson claims some USC coaches had contact with Guillory. I think this is just the tip of an extremely ugly looking iceberg. Come on, think about Guillory's reputation. So now he is clean?

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by Bette

Note that Johnson claims some USC coaches had contact with Guillory.

You sure about this? On ESPN yesterday, they made it sound like he said he thought USC had no knowledge of anything that was allegedly going on.

At any rate, Mayo says he was found clear by USC and the NCAA. USC said they found something. If that's not the case, then there are bigger problems than just one guy's activities to deal with here.

[Bette]

Originally Posted by Bette

Mayo got into some minor trouble with the NCAA earlier this year after he accepted free tickets from Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony to an NBA game. Mayo didn't miss any games but had to contribute $460 — the total value of the two tickets — to a charitable organization.
USC said in a statement that NCAA and Pac-10 officials have looked into Mayo's status "before and during his enrollment at USC, and did not identify any amateurism violations."
Johnson said he doesn't believe USC officials knew Guillory provided cash and other benefits to Mayo. However, he claims some USC coaches had regular contact with Guillory.
Johnson, who claims he didn't get paid, also gave ESPN receipts and invoices for many of the purchases.

The Associated Press: Report: USC guard O.J. Mayo got cash, benefits from promoter

I got the above quote right from the link. It comes from AP, but they are quoting ESPN. I wonder how Johnson supposedly got the receipts and invoices for the purchases.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by Bette

I got the above quote right from the link. It comes from AP, but they are quoting ESPN. I wonder how Johnson supposedly got the receipts and invoices for the purchases.

Interesting... thanks for the info. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what investigations uncover.