USC's Mayo to Enter NBA Draft

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Southern California guard O.J. Mayo is the latest freshman phenom to be one and done. Mayo declared for the NBA draft Wednesday and will sign with an agent, thereby forfeiting his final three years of eligibility at USC.

The 6-5 Mayo, who was among the top freshmen in the country, averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 33 games. He joined Indiana freshman Eric Gordon and Kansas State sensation Michael Beasley as the only other first-year players to average 20.0 points. Gordon declared for the draft on Monday.

On Wednesday it was Mayo's turn. "I am so thankful for the fans and alumni at USC and around the nation that have been so supportive of me and my teammates throughout the season," Mayo said. "I'd like to express my appreciation to my coaches and teammates for their support in one of the most important decisions I've ever made. I will be entering the 2008 NBA Draft. "I am going to finish the semester here at USC and then focus on preparing for the NBA draft," added Mayo. "Attending USC has been such a great experience for me and has really helped prepare me for my next step in life."

Southern California coach Tim Floyd knew the move was inevitable. "This comes as no surprise," Floyd said. "We are appreciative of everything O.J. did for all of us the year he was with us. We wish him well. I have no doubt that he will be a great professional." Mayo's season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against fellow freshman standout Beasley and Kansas State. Mayo scored 20 points on just 6-of-16 shooting in an 80-67 loss to the Wildcats.

SoCal NCAA Tournament Preview

No. 11 Kansas St (20-11) at No. 6 USC (21-11), 4:10 pm, Thursday, CBS

OMAHA, Nebraska (Ticker) - Two of the nation's elite freshmen will square off Thursday. For one, it likely will be his final game at the collegiate level. Kansas State, led by all-everything forward Michael Beasley, clashes with Southern California and O.J. Mayo in a Midwest Regional first-round game of the NCAA Tournament.

It probably will be the first and only clash between the two first-year phenoms, who both are expected to head to the NBA after this season. Mayo has had superstar status bestowed upon him since the seventh grade, and he did not disappoint in his first season with the Trojans. The 6-5 standout led USC (21-11) in scoring (20.9 ppg), steals (46), 3-pointers (82) and assists (94), helping the sixth-seeded Trojans overcome the loss of their three top guards from last season.

As good as Mayo has been, he still was left looking up literally and figuratively at Beasley, who has put together one of the finest seasons by a freshman in NCAA history for 11th seed K-State (21-11). A scoring machine and powerful rebounder, the 6-11 Beasley averaged 26.5 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. He registered 26 double-doubles, breaking the all-time freshman record of Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony in 2003.

Sophomore center Taj Gibson, the only true inside presence for USC, may draw the defensive assignment against Beasley. But Gibson has fouled out seven times this season and the Trojans can ill-afford to be without him. Beasley has a strong complementary player in redshirt freshman Bill Walker, who averages 15.8 points and was one of the most hyped first-year players entering college in 2006.

Pac-10 Tournament Preview

USC (21-10) vs. No. 2 UCLA (29-3), 6:00 pm

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - All eyes will be on the star freshman when USC faces second-ranked UCLA for the first time ever during the semifinals of the Pac-10 Conference tournament on Friday.

The Bruins' freshman Kevin Love won the Conference Player of the Year award after averaging 17.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game and helping UCLA to its third straight regular season Pac-10 crown. UCLA, which is looking for its second tournament title in the last three years, defeated California in the quarterfinal round, 88-66, on Thursday. Darren Collison had 19 points and five assists to lead the Bruins, who made 14-of-25 shots from the arc. Fourth-seeded USC won at UCLA this season before falling to the Bruins at home on February 17.

The Trojans, led by freshman O.J. Mayo, have won three straight and six of their last seven games. USC defeated Arizona State in the quarterfinals, 59-55, on Thursday. Mayo was smothered by the UCLA defense in the last meeting, scoring a season-low four points on 2-of-8 shooting, while being covered by Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Russell Westbrook. Mayo also had a season-high 10 turnovers. But the freshman has rebounded since that game, averaging 25.7 points per contest, including 23 against the Sun Devils.

The winner of the rubber-match will meet either Stanford and Washington State in the championship game on Saturday.

SoCal NBA Preview

No. 6 UCLA (21-3) at USC (15-8), 7:00 pm

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- UCLA is hungry for revenge against its fiercest rival. The sixth-ranked Bruins look to rebound from just their third loss of the season and get a degree of retribution Sunday when they face Southern California.

The Bruins (21-3, 9-2 Pac-10) hold just a one-half-game lead over No. 6 Stanford in the Pac-10 and didn't help their standing last Sunday when they suffered a dismal 71-61 setback to Washington. Things don't get any easier on Sunday against USC, which handed UCLA a 72-63 home loss during the teams' first meeting this season on January 19. Davon Jefferson scored a career-high 25 points during that game while O.J. Mayo added 16 as the pair of freshmen outdueled UCLA's first-year star Kevin Love, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds against the Trojans.

However, USC (15-8, 6-5) also enters Sunday's showdown with a loss during its last game. Jefferson and Mayo combined for just 27 points and were the only players in double figures as the Trojans were routed, 74-50, against No. 20 Washington State on February 9.

SoCal NCAA Preview

USC (15-7) at No. 17 Washington St (17-5), 12:30 pm

PULLMAN, Washington (Ticker) - No. 17 Washington State looks to salvage the last game of a four-game homestand when it hosts Southern California in a Pac-10 Conference matchup Saturday. After starting 11-0 at home, the Cougars (17-5, 5-5 Pac-10) have dropped three straight home games, including a 67-59 setback to fourth-ranked UCLA on Thursday.

With the skid, Washington State, which was ranked as high as high as fourth in the nation on January 12, has dropped to fifth place in the conference and possibly on its way out of the top 25. Kyle Weaver led the way with 13 points in Thursday's loss and is just two away from becoming the 29th player in Cougars history to score 1,000 for his career.

The Trojans (15-7, 6-4), meanwhile, seem to enjoy playing on the road. USC - which has lost four straight to Washington State - has won four straight games away from home - including a victory at UCLA on January 19. Behind freshman O.J. Mayo, the Trojans won at Washington, 73-59, on Thursday. Mayo had 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting. The freshman guard scored 22 in the first contest between the two teams this season, a 73-58 win for the Cougars, who improved to 14-0 at home at that time.

Floyd Accepts Responsibility for Mayo

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Southern California coach Tim Floyd has taken responsibility for star freshman O.J. Mayo accepting tickets to a Los Angeles Lakers game, according to a published report.

Floyd told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that if anybody should be punished for any potential NCAA violations, it should be him, not Mayo. "My feeling is that if there's a mistake made, it was made by me," Floyd told the newspaper. "If they want to suspend me for a game, suspend me for a game, but not the kid. He did the right thing." Mayo said that Carmelo Anthony of the NBA's Denver Nuggets gave him a pair of complimentary tickets to Monday's game contest against the Lakers.

According to the Times, Mayo received courtside seats with a face value of $230 each. A spokesman for the NCAA told the Times that the organization does not comment on pending investigations. NCAA by-law 16.11.2.2.3 states that student-athletes may not receive "free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics competitions from professional sports organizations, unless such services are also available to the student body in general." Mayo is USC's leading scorer, averaging 19.7 points in 17 games.

USC's Mayo May Have Violated NCAA Rules

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Southern California freshman guard O.J. Mayo have have violated NCAA rules by accepting tickets to a Los Angeles Lakers game. Mayo told the Los Angeles Times that Carmelo Anthony of the NBA's Denver Nuggets gave him a pair of complimentary tickets to Monday's game contest against the Lakers. A spokesman for the NCAA told the Times that the organization does not comment on pending investigations.

USC sports information Tim Tessalone also declined to comment. NCAA by-law 16.11.2.2.3 states that student-athletes may not receive "free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics competitions from professional sports organizations, unless such services are also available to the student body in general." According to the Times, Mayo received courtside seats with a face value of $230 each. Mayo is USC's leading scorer, averaging 19.7 points in 17 games.

So Cal NCAA Capsule

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Davon Jefferson turned out to be the best freshman on the court on this day. In a much-anticipated matchup between O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love, Jefferson scored a season-high 25 points to lead unranked Southern California to a 72-63 victory over No. 4 UCLA on Saturday in a Pac-10 Conference showdown. In a hotly contested game, Jefferson led a 21-6 run over the final 7 1/2 minutes to help end the Bruins' nine-game winning streak.

SoCal NCAA Preview

No. 5 UCLA (13-1) at California (10-2), 3:00 pm, FSNPT
BERKELEY, California (Ticker) -- Fifth-ranked UCLA goes for its second straight road win in the Pac-10 Conference and eighth straight win overall when it visits California on Saturday.

The Bruins (13-1, 1-0 Pac-10) began their quest for a third straight regular season conference title with a 76-67 victory at No. 20 Stanford on Thursday. Josh Shipp had a season-high 21 points in the victory and freshman Kevin Love had 15 and seven rebounds against Stanford's 7-foot Lopez brothers. Love will have to face another test on Saturday when he goes against Cal's Ryan Anderson. The sophomore power forward is among the conference leaders, averaging 21.6 points and 9.3 rebounds. Anderson has posted six double-doubles this season.

The Golden Bears (10-2, 1-0), who have won three straight overall, won their Pac-10 opener as well, defeating Southern California, 92-82, on Thursday. Patrick Christopher, second on the team in scoring at 17.6 points per game, netted 24 to pace the Bears. Last season, UCLA won both regular-season meetings with California by double digits, but the Bruins were surprised by the Bears, 76-69, in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 tournament.



USC (9-4) at No. 20 Stanford (11-2), 5:00 pm, FSNPT
PALO ALTO, California (Ticker) -- No. 20 Stanford and Southern California will each look to avoid an 0-2 start in Pac-10 Conference play when the teams meet at Maples Pavilion on Saturday.

The Cardinal are coming off a 76-67 home loss to No. 5 UCLA on Thursday, while the Trojans dropped a 92-82 decision to California. The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for Stanford, which has not dropped its first two home games in Pac-10 play since the 1983-84 campaign. Anthony Goods scored 20 points in Thursday's loss. The Cardinal are led by the 7-foot Brook Lopez, who has averaged 17.8 points in four games since returning from an academic suspension.

The Trojans' loss on Thursday snapped a three-game winning streak, and USC has lost five straight times in Stanford. Freshman sensation O.J. Mayo scored a season-high 34 points in his conference debut and is averaging 22.3 points this season. The teams split the two regular-season meetings last season before the Trojans won, 83-79, in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 tournament.

SoCal NCAA Hoops Preview

No. 4 Kansas (6-0) at No. 24 USC (6-1), 2:00 pm
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Fourth-ranked Kansas hits the road for the first time this season on Sunday as it faces No. 24 Southern California. Kansas, which has won five of its six games by double digits, has yet to play a game off campus this season. Brandon Rush scored 17 points and Darnell Jackson added 13, leading the Jayhawks to an 87-49 rout of Florida Atlantic on Wednesday. In six games, four different players have led Kansas in scoring. The Trojans have won six straight games since dropping their season opener to Mercer. At 6-1, the Trojans are off to their best start since winning their first eight contests in 2000-01. USC has been led by freshman O.J. Mayo (21.3 ppg) and Davon Jefferson (13.8 ppg). Kansas leads the all-time series, 8-5. The Jayhawks posted a 72-62 win over the Trojans last season.

SoCal NCAA Hoops Preview

Oklahoma (5-1) at No. 24 USC (5-1) , 8:00 pm
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - No. 24 Southern California looks to cement its place in the national rankings when it faces Oklahoma on Thursday. After a season-opening loss to Mercer, USC has responded with five straight wins - including a dominating 70-45 victory over then-No. 18 Southern Illinois on Sunday in the final of the inaugural Anaheim Classic. O.J. Mayo scored just 13 points during the victory after coach Tim Floyd decided not to start his talented freshman for the first time this season. Instead, another sensational freshman, Davon Jefferson, led the Trojans with 20 points and five rebounds. Mayo was still named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and has lived up to the hype this season, leading USC with 21.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. USC cannot look past a strong Oklahoma team which suffered its only loss this season against No. 3 Memphis on November 15. The Sooners have won back-to-back games since the setback with the last a 74-42 triumph over Morehead State on November 21.

SoCal NCAA Football Preview

UCLA (6-5) at No. 8 USC (9-2), 1:30 pm, ABC
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Southern California has a score to settle with UCLA. The eighth-ranked Trojans will be out to avenge last season's loss to the Bruins on Saturday when the cross-town rivals meet for the 77th time. Last season, UCLA upset USC, 13-9, ending the Trojans' seven-game winning streak in the series and knocking them out of national championship contention. UCLA trailed at the intermission, 9-7, but blanked the high-powered Trojans in the second half. The Bruins snapped USC's NCAA record streak of 63 straight games with at least 20 points.

A year later, there are no national title implications on the line. But with a victory, USC (9-2, 6-2 Pac-10) will clinch an unprecedented sixth straight Pac-10 Conference title and play in the Rose Bowl for the 32nd time. If UCLA upsets the Trojans again, Arizona State can clinch the Pac-10 crown and the Rose Bowl berth with a win over Arizona. Even with five losses, UCLA (6-5, 5-3 Pac-10) is still in the Pac-10 race. The Bruins need a victory over USC and an Arizona win over Arizona State to claim the Pac-10 title.

Despite the two losses, USC has regained its swagger and took out some frustrations last week against Arizona State. In perhaps his best performance of the season, a healthy John David Booty passed for 375 yards and four touchdowns in the Trojans' 44-24 victory over the Sun Devils. UCLA has experienced a strange, up-and-down season. After starting 4-1, the Bruins suffered a 20-6 loss to then-winless Notre Dame on October 6. UCLA rebounded to beat California two weeks later, but then dropped its next three games. The Bruins ended that slide with a 16-0 victory over Oregon last week. UCLA, which has been plagued by inconsistent quarterback play throughout the season, recorded four turnovers and five sacks to become bowl eligible. Ben Olson, who began the season as the Bruins' starter before a knee injury sidelined him against Notre Dame, could get the start against the Trojans. Olson started the second half last week and went 4-of-10 for 64 yards and an interception.

SoCal NCAA Hoops Preview

Yale (1-2) at No. 1 UCLA (5-0), 7:30 pm
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The last time UCLA played Yale, the Bruins were on their way to a 30-0 season and a national championship. The top-ranked Bruins hope that karma is the same this season as they host the Bulldogs on Friday night. Guided by coach John Wooden, UCLA defeated Yale during the 1963-64 season en route to its first national title and undefeated season. The 96-65 victory on December 26, 1963 was the only meeting between the two schools. The undefeated Bruins survived their first scare on Tuesday, when they rallied from a five-point deficit with two minutes remaining to defeat No. 11 Michigan State, 68-63. UCLA is led by freshman center Kevin Love, who leads the team with 20.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Yale has lost its last two contests, including a 72-61 setback to Stanford on Tuesday.

USD & USC Continue Playing in Tournament
O.J. Mayo and Taj Gibson scored 20 points each and USC held off scrappy USD 60-50 in a first-round game of the new Anaheim Classic on Thursday night. Mayo scored seven straight points in a game-ending 11-6 run that helped the Trojans (3-1) advance to Friday's game against Miami of Ohio, which beat South Alabama 64-59. USD (2-3) will play South Alabama in a 7:00 p.m. game.