Posts from the Nba Prospects Category at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

To the shock of no one, O.J. Mayo claims that he is clean and that he has received absolutely no money or goods from anyone seeking to influence him.

Mayo also said he paid his own way when he went shopping and ate with Guillory.

"I understand compliance and I understand the rules," Mayo said. "Any meal, I wouldn't pay for everybody but I would at least pay my end. When I went to go shop every once in a while, [Guillory] might have taken me to the store in his vehicle, but he didn't pay for any clothes for me."
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Mayo said he didn't feel betrayed by Johnson but that he was "mad at the fact that he said I accepted some money. I never have received money from Rodney, Louis, BDA or anything. All I got was a monthly $450 check from USC or I have friends and family that send me money."

It's that last bit, though, that leaves the wiggle room: "...friends and family that send me money." The question becomes, where did they get the money?

Two friends from New York, Shawn James and Kojo Mensah. Both basketball players. James went to Northeastern, Mensah to Siena. When Northeastern Coach Ron Everhart was hired by Duquesne, James followed. Then Mensah decided he wanted to transfer out of Siena. To no one's shock Duquesne was the destination.

Now Shawn James has declared for the NBA Draft and Mensah once more followed. After James hired an agent, Mensah did as well -- the same one. Neither is expected to be drafted, though James has shot-blocking proficiency as a 6'10" inside player that could get him some free agent interest. Mensah, though, is a 6'1" guard that has some talent but not NBA talent.

Duquesne Coach Ron Everhart at tried to be diplomatic about it, but took a veiled shot.

Everhart could only put on a limited happy face. Losing two of the more talented players on his squad hurts. It's hard enough trying to build Duquesne into a consistent team in the A-10. The Dukes may be getting a more players and more talent than they've had in years, but it's still a setback.

Dallas/Ft. Worth television WFAA is reporting that Kansas University forward Darrell Arthur had grades changed while at South Oak Cliff High School.

But transcripts obtained by News 8 raise questions about whether he was actually making the grade in the classroom during his junior season, specifically in math.

His transcripts show he received no grades at all his fall semester. His final grade was changed to a 70 in September of 2005 with no explanation of why.

If in fact Arthur had failed math that fall, he would not have been eligible to play basketball, and many of his team's victories in that championship season might have to be forfeited according to University Interscholastic League standards.

According to the report, math teacher Winford Ashemore notified the principal and basketball coach that Arthur was not only failing miserably, but not even giving an effort to try. When told that Arthur would receive a failing grade, he was abruptly dropped from Ashemore's class and given a grade of 70 ... which was passing.

It is also reported that the principal signed off on another changed grade in the spring of 2003.

In the wake of the USC-O.J. Mayo-BDA-Guillory affair (I'm still trying to figure out a catchy scandal name for this that excludes the use of "-gate."), are the expected condemnations of one-and-dones being the root of this evil. That's bull. There's a lot to dislike about the 1-year NBA restriction that is in effect, including the impact on the programs afterward with the Academic Progress Rate, but the problems began long before the present restrictions on entering the NBA draft.

You might as well blame Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and others. High school players who successfully made the leap over 10 years ago. Arguably, their success encouraged many to look for the talent to whom they could attach when the access and ability to influence would be easier.

Marcus Camby got mixed up with a street agent while at UMass. The problem was always there, it just seems that now it starts earlier.

It seems likely that Rodney Guillory saw himself as a future player. Someone who might become a sort of kingmaker or force in basketball behind-the-scenes. That or someone who figured he could at least make a lot of money glomming onto teenage boys and running as the middleman for agents.

At this rate, he'll be lucky to avoid jail and O.J. Mayo kicking him out of his entourage.

Not only does it seem that he was operating a fake charity as a front, but other people past and future are talking about him. And not in a good way.

There was a former Fresno State and Houston Rockets basketball player, Tito Maddox, who recalls when Guillory came calling as a runner for Ron and Ken Delpit of Franchise Sports.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association is very concerned about allegations that O.J. Mayo had been receiving cash and gifts from a street agent over the past four years. Mayo starred (along with Kansas State's Bill Walker) at Cincinnati's North College Hill High School for three seasons ... bringing home the 2005 and 2006 Division III state championship.

The OHSAA wants to know more about what happened:

(OHSAA assistant commissioner Bob) Goldring said Sunday that he believed NCH would not be penalized, based on an OHSAA bylaw that mandates any eligibility concerns must be brought forward within 42 days following the last day of the state championship in that sport. On Monday, Goldring backed off that statement a bit. He said the OHSAA may revisit whether NCH might have to forfeit any games or championships from the Mayo era.

"In digesting things for a day and talking to other staff members, it is more accurate to say that we cannot answer that (forfeits) question at this point," Goldring told The (Cincinnati) Enquirer via e-mail Monday. "We would have to know the exact details of the findings, have proof that they were indeed true and then determine if any of the bylaws would be applicable."

Just as always, a star player receives some perks under the table and leaves a trail of damage behind. Unlike a college program like USC, it's tough for a high school to monitor all these kinds of activities ... even if they have a guy like Mayo who did have some red flags along with him.

It's all O.J. Mayo, all the time in this corner of Fanhouse today. This is playing out like a cynic's wet dream. It's even better for those who write about college basketball, as it is the down-cycle of news.

High profile one-and-done player getting plenty of extra cash and goodies through his confidant's and advisors who act as conduits for others. Check.

Takes place at a program in a major conference. Check.

Coach and athletic department somehow unable to notice anything amiss the entire time, despite reportedly investigating issues beforehand. Check.

Columns questioning the nature of one-and-dones as contributing to this sort of mess. Check.

Truly cynical (and right now eminently believable) view that this is going on everywhere, it's just that Mayo and his conduit Guillory were either complete amateurs or just didn't care about it getting out there after the season. Check.

O.J. Mayo and his people cannot be happy about all of this.

Lemme ask you a question: Were you honestly shocked to hear that O.J. Mayo has allegedly taken cash and gifts during his high school and college career? I wasn't.

And neither was ESPN.com's Pat Forde who is putting major blame on USC and coach Tim Floyd:

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 find a 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 Mayo confidant Sonny Vaccaro gets muscled out of the scene, somebody's bringing some serious juice to the table.)

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

Forde even throws around the "death penalty" as an option (even he acknowledges it wouldn't happen).

What riles up many people is the fact that Tim Floyd is flat out denying that Mayo couldn't have done these things. The allegations have a guy named Rodney Guillory -- a guy who was linked to former USC player Jeff Trepagnier's troubles -- financing this deal, which means he is still rooted in the program.

What made other people skeptical was the fact that Mayo chose to play at USC in the first place. Why weren't the North Carolinas, UConns, UCLAs, Kansases, etc of the college hoops world going after him? None wanted any part of the red flags that were thrown up. No offense to USC for bringing him in, but how could they not keep an eye on a guy that was treated like a hot potato?

From the moment Derrick Caracter made his bizarrely timed announcement (the eve of the Sweet 16) and questionable decision to turn pro, there was little angst from Louisville Coach Rick Pitino.

With good reason. Caracter has been nothing but a problem since he arrived in Louisville. In his two years there he has been suspended multiple times for disciplinary reasons. He has had a questionable work ethic and desire (to be kind). Despite talent and size that would make NBA scouts drool, the production has never matched.

Well, Caracter made his decision and then had reality slap him in the face -- hard. He has found out how little interest there is in him. That the NBA isn't going to be looking to snatch him up. That at best, he is staring at the NBDL or playing somewhere overseas.

That had Caracter looking to scramble back to Louisville. That's not going to happen.

He hasn't hired an agent, still is attending classes at the University of Louisville and sends coach Rick Pitino text messages almost every day. Advertisement

But Pitino said yesterday that it's in the best interests of both Caracter and the program for the enigmatic 6-foot-9 center to move on.

"My plan is to see him get on to the NBA or get on to Europe and get on with his life," Pitino said. "He has a change of heart right now, but he's had two years to show he wants to be a student, he's had two years to show he wants to be an integral part of college life, and he has not shown that."

This can fairly considered addition by subtraction for Louisville.

In something of a surprise, UConn center Hasheem Thabeet announced he would be returning for his junior year.

"We are happy that Hasheem has made the decision to return for his junior season," said head coach Jim Calhoun. "Hasheem has made as much progress as any player I have coached in my 36 years and if he continues that incredible progress, he will help us take the next step as a team and help himself become one of the best players in college basketball."

The major surprise isn't that Thabeet is coming back to UConn. He's still very raw despite the great progress he made this year. Even though he's thought about it the last two years, he hasn't pulled the trigger.

The bigger surprise is that he didn't even put his name on the draft list to at least test the waters. To go through the draft camps and some workouts for teams to see what they wanted to see from him seems like a smarter move. Especially when he was considered a late lottery pick.

For UConn, this is great news. If point guard A.J. Price makes a complete recovery from his ACL tear, the Huskies will return their entire starting 5 and along with Pitt be the favorites to win the Big East in 2008-09.