Justin Gant commits, and a few more items...

One BU recruit committed last night, Justin Gant...
I can't argue with certainty why he chose Indiana State and what reasons he used to eliminate the other schools on his list, but I can form an opinion based on what's obvious and known.
But one thing I can say about his announcement is that it does have at least ONE extremely unusual aspect to it...
Here are the threads as were discussed on BradleyFans.com, and there's more info about Justin Gant on BradleyFans than anywhere else in the known universe!!!
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15942
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8547

But think of it... a kid like Gant starts getting recruited and hearing about D-I programs as young as junior high.
The thread we have talking about Justin was started over two years ago....so Justin's recruitment has been really intense with lots of great schools for MORE than a couple years!!
Then just as it is really, really heating up.....and just as we get right into the middle of the single hottest recruiting season....the season that's hotter than all of the other recruiting days in the year put together....
and on top of that we just saw where numerous BIG-TIME schools, like even Justin's in-state & beloved Hoosiers, grow every desperate -- and I mean really desperate to fill those unfilled scholarships and try to land just about any big man who can walk and chew gum at the same time...
Then right THEN........as just about every D-I coach is right there in the gym with him about to start handing out offers....

-->>>> he decides to end all the recruiting stuff and commit....

Seriously - does it make any sense at all?? If he waited a few weeks 'til the end of the super-hot July recruiting period, don't you think Indiana State, of all places, would have been more than willing to hold a ride open for him and it still would have been available??
Don't you think that even if Justin waited until the day before enrolling in college in fall of 2011, that Indiana State would have still found a way to open up a scholarship with a kid of this talent??

Check this out...today alone numerous sources are saying there are over TWO HUNDRED college coaches and recruiters in the same gym that Justin would have been at in Indiana or right across the river - and all would have been holding offers!!
http://twitter.com/jdemling/status/18173491272

Then why commit when he did? Waiting just a day or two more might have brought several MUCH bigger and better offers.
And don't tell me he simply wanted to go to Indiana State so bad that no offer would have made a difference.....it was said just a few days earlier that he was indeed waiting to see if there were better offers. EVERY kid wants bigger and better offers -- ALL OF THEM!!!
PLUS -- if he was so sure he wanted to go to Indiana State, then why even play AAU ball at all this summer - just verbal to the Sycs last spring and start working out at their gyms!!

Nope - there's something else going on.....and here's what I think...and there's evidence...
I think the whole recruitment process is so rigorous, so long, so intense, and hard....not to mention that it is occasionally sleazy and slimy and I suspect the Gant's wouldn't have wanted any part of that stuff....
I think they simply reached a burnout point -- a point where they didn't even want to finish the July evaluation period....

They just wanted to quit the AAU team and be done with it....maybe knowing from things that were said that perhaps the only schools that might be "bigger" and offer in the next coming weeks, were bottom feeders or schools that are going nowhere for years to come...like Indiana, Iowa, etc...

So - looking at his options...and knowing that Bradley has at least two fine players, maybe three, who can play the 4 & 5 that are extremely similar -- that he chose the program he thought was best for HIM.

Check out Indiana State -- They've been hurting for a big man for so long that it's hard to even remember who was their last decent big man!!

--Sure they had Josh Crawford last year - but seriously - Crawford averaged 3.9 pts, 2.7 rebs....his numbers make David Collins look like Tim Duncan!!

--Isiah Martin has been an afterthought for years since a nice frosh campaign and he's wasted much of the last 3 years there under a coach that didn't really appear to want him or play him...

--some made a comparison to Jay Tunnell....but Jay scored more than 270 pts in only one year of his four years at InSU...he was a career 9 ppg scorer.

--then going back further...Mick Yelovich, Jerod Adler, Matt Renn, etc...and that gets us all the way back to the mid-1990's....there's nobody....
Justin can go to Indiana State and have a real crack at being their best big man ever!!

So it's obvious....Justin Gant is gonna probably not only play but start and play full time from the first day of his freshman season at Indiana State...he's that good and they are that empty at that position!!!
....but had he come to BU, he'd have been riding the pine behind guys like Milos, Prosser, Davis, and even MO if and when he gets to BU...

So Justin took the clear and obvious best choice.....nothing better was likely to come along, and he and his family were burned out and not willing, after four years of running the recruiting marathon...

To even wait the two or three weeks longer to the end of the ride and see what came.....just a mere 2-3 weeks more and he'd have finished the nearly-endless marathon of recruitment, but he called it off and pulled the trigger for the Sycamores.
He had to have been exhausted with the long process.
He made a decent pick and will get a lot of playing time.
We kinda felt the same way two years ago about a kid named Tyler Storm....
he called the process off and went to NIU even when someone in his own family told me he would have rather have gone to BU but BU had backed off and wasn't calling any more........so he picked from what he had and he picked for where he thought he could get some PT.
As with every kid....only time will tell if the decision was best for everyone, but there's only one who can make it...and that's Justin - so I wish him well, and I think he'll be a good player for the Sycamores.



Here's a story on a bar brawl involving a few players from Tennessee...and the story quotes the bar owner who clearly defines that the players get special perks and freebies...
BTW - the terms "Tennessee" and "bar brawls" are somewhat redundant...
"10 UT football players were involved in the fight.
They’re on a first-name basis ..and they get VIP status, which means they pay no cover at the door. ...several of the guys started beating up the other customer. I want to guess there was seven to 10 guys beating up this one gentleman."
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/jul/09/vols-football-players-brawl-bar/

It's obvious this stuff goes on all the time and those athletes get freebies and special treatment - which is a violation of NCAA rules.
Anyway, with all the drug busts, DUI's, arrests, gun toting, and players booted that Bruce Pearl has had, you'd think they'd steer the kids away from all these late night bars...yet virtually every kid in that story is underage....and they're at a bar in the middle of the night.....wanna guess what they're doing??



I have a nomination to add to the overrated team of 2009....
http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/mbao_youssoupha00.html

A prep school kid, yet another of the highly touted African big man, Youssoupha Mbao...who was rated as high as #125 nationally...
This Marquette writer said...
"Youssoupha Mbao will get a lot of playing time out of necessity and it will
be interesting to see how they hold up through the rigors of the Big East
season"
http://scouthoops.scout.com/2/916209.html

But in his freshman season at Marquette, it is pretty clear the kid is not only in way over his head, but even had the kid gone D-II he'd have needed a couple redshirt years...
This kid actually made Tijan Jobe, Beas Hamga, and Bawa Muniru all look like Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
...Mbao barely saw the floor even in blowouts...and scored only ONE SINGLE point the entire season, despite playing in 10 games averaging 6 mpg....He did not make a single field goal!!

Now - the kid is transferring to Marshall... I guess they're hoping he'll replace Hassan Whiteside who went pro...
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/breaking/x1972938483/MU-gets-a-7-foot-2-transfer

What's interesting is that a simple search (as always his name is spelled numerous different ways) shows he's played on pro teams
http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/ulebcup/home/on-court/players/showplayer?clubcode=can&pcode=LOR&seasoncode=u2007
http://www.euroleague.net/competition/teams/showteam?seasoncode=u2007&clubcode=CAN
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.solobasket.com/contenidos/ex/promesa/canaria/youssoupha/mbao/jugara/ncaa/marquette/proximos/cursos/c-21263.html&ei=djg3TIeTLZXvnQfQ2qi2Aw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=24&ved=0CHAQ7gEwFw&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522youssoupha%2Bmbao%2522%2Band%2B%2522gran%2Bcanaria%2522%26num%3D100%26hl%3Den

...so how'd he get by without sitting out his first season?? Could it be that going to a BCS school, Marquette made the diff?
In one interview he even said he'd been playing with the pro/club teams since he was 14.



Just for the heck of it since it's such an awesome list.......here's a little recap on a few of the episodes of cheating and player arrests they've had USC, and keep in mind all they ever really get is probation.....NO really serious discipline ever followed any of these violation.....and their cheating basketball program was given a complete pass and whitewash!!

****************************************************************

Pete Carroll was hired as head football coach by USC in 2001.
On August 23, 2001, the NCAA placed USC's athletic department on probation for two years and cut scholarships because tutors wrote papers for three athletes in the late 1990s.

In 2002, the father of USC tailback Justin Fargas invited former USC Heisman Trophy winner, and alleged double-murderer, O. J. Simpson to a team practice (he was found not guilty in his criminal trial but was later found liable in a civil trial). After the practice, Carroll allowed Simpson to come onto the field and meet the players and pose for pictures. Carroll defends himself from criticism by claiming that Simpson wasn't invited.

On July 19, 2003, USC Sophomore OT Winston Justice pleaded no contest to solicitation of a prostitute in Long Beach on June 24. Winston was put on 3 years probation and fined $300 for the offense.

On March 3, 2004, Winston Justice was arrested on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon. On June 15, 2004, Justice pleaded no contest to exhibition of a replica firearm. Justice was sentenced to 60 days of electronic monitoring and three years' probation. Justice was also suspended for two semesters by USC's student affairs committee after his arrest.

In August 2004, USC starting tailback Hershel Dennis was at the center of a police investigation of an alleged sexual assault. According to sources, the incident took place at a party on August 16, and involved a female friend of Dennis. On August 17, Dennis was removed from practice and suspended by Carroll for "disciplinary reasons," including breaking curfew. On December 13, 2004, the LAPD announced it would not press charges.

On January 14, 2005, Tim Floyd was hired as head basketball coach by USC.

In late March 2005, USC starting cornerback Eric Wright was arrested for investigation of sexual assault. Wright was booked on rape charges and bail was set at $100,000 according to the Sheriff's Department. Wright was held out of spring practice, and, in April 2005, the district attorney declined to press charged because of insufficient evidence. Nevertheless, on June 2, 2005, Wright left USC amid possible disciplinary action. On August 25, Wright was suspended by three semesters by USC's student affairs committee, based upon the district attorney's office having found 136 pills of the drug Ecstasy in Wright's room at an apartment he shared with another player.

In early April 2005, USC tight end Dominique Bird fractured his jaw during an alleged altercation with receiver Steve Smith. Bird, Smith and Carroll reportedly refused to comment on the incident, and no disciplinary action was taken.

In August 2005, USC defensive end Frostee Rucker allegedly got into a fight with his girlfriend at a party he was hosting in Los Angeles. In June 2006, Rucker was charged with two misdemeanor counts of spousal battery and two counts of vandalism and was scheduled to be arraigned on August 11, 2006. Despite the incident, Rucker did not face any discipline from USC, and didn't miss a game. In May 2007, Rucker pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and vandalism charges stemming from the 2005 incident. As part of a plea agreement, the prosecutors dropped a charge of spousal battery and Rucker was sentenced to three years of probation. Prior to transferring to USC, in April of 2002, Rucker was charged in Colorado with sexual assault and indecent exposure. Rucker reportedly eventually accepted a one-year deferred sentence on a misdemeanor harassment charge.

On August 13, 2005, 10 veteran USC players were involved in a hazing incident where they shaved the head of freshman quarterback Mark Sanchez. Also, what started out as a water fight between USC players, escalated into an all-out brawl as it spiraled out of control. Reportedly, there was significant damage to the players dorms as players were thrown through walls.

On October 31, 2005, USC tailback LenDale White played a macabre prank by pretending to quit the team and throwing a dummy off a building on Child's Way. Separately, Pete Carroll apologized to Washington State coach Bill Doba for USC players pushing and bumping Doba while trying to get to the locker room during halftime of their game.

On November 2, 2005, USC linebacker Rey Maualuga was arrested for investigation of misdemeanor battery after punching a man at an off-campus Halloween party (twice, without provocation). A witness at the scene reportedly quoted Maualuga as stating "I own the police." Carroll took no disciplinary action, and Maualuga played the following weekend against Stanford. One USC pundit observed at the time that "discipline is Coach Carroll's number one weakness." On November 22, 2005, the city attorney's office declined to file charges. Maualuga was defended at the court hearing by controversial and well-connected USC alumni attorney Carmen "Nooch" Trutanich, who has a long history with USC and previously represented both Wright and Dennis.

On December 21, 2005, USC starting quarterback Matt Leinart had his eligibility temporarily revoked after appearing in a promotional segment on ESPN earlier that month, a violation of an NCAA rule. Leinart was reinstated shortly thereafter. One observer claims the NCAA was just concerned about money.

On January 1, 2006, reporters from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and CBS Sportline reportedly told the USC football team about potential recruiting violations stemming from visits by USC recruits to Papadakis Taverna, a Greek restaurant owned by former USC linebacker John Papadakis. As of July 2007, the investigation by USC compliance officials continued.

On January 21, 2006, USC quarterback Matt Leinart was cited by the Pac-10 for working out with his own coach using school facilities. According to the NCAA, a student athlete cannot utilize the school's facilities to work out with a coach, unless the coach is affiliated with the university.

On April 21, 2006, the family of USC running back Reggie Bush was implicated by numerous separate media reports as having lived in a house purchased by a San Diego-area man with ties to a sports agent and a tribal casino. Both the Pac-10 and the NCAA have launched an investigation into potential NCAA violations in connnection with this matter, which is pending. More recent reports in this fast evolving story are here, here, and here. Yahoo Sports, which is responsible for much of the investigative reporting on this issue, has set up a page dedicated to its eight-month probe here.

On April 26, 2006, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez was arrested for investigation of sexually assaulting a female student earlier that same day. Sanchez was released upon posting $200,000 bail, and was ordered to appear in court on May 17, 2006. Sanchez was also placed on "interim suspension" by USC while the case was pending. On June 2, 2006, the LA District Attorney announced that it would not be bring charges against Sanchez due to insufficient evidence.

On April 30, 2006, it was reported that USC compliance officials were investigating whether an NCAA rule was violated because receiver Dwayne Jarrett failed to pay approximately $10,000 for his half of the rent for an upscale apartment he shared with former quarterback Matt Leinart. USC claims that no rules were violated, though it was initially reported that Jarret may have to sit out a portion of the 2006-07 season. Jarrett ultimately avoided punishment and was the 45th pick in the 2007 NFL draft. After a disappointing season, Jarrett was arrested on March 11, 2008 and charged with driving under the influence.

In August of 2006, USC defensive back Brandon Ting quit the football team after reportedly testing postive for steroid use. His twin brother, Ryan, also a defensive back on the USC football team, quit the team just days later, claiming that he wanted to concentrate on preparing for medical school, and was never tested. Interestingly, Arthur Ting, father of the twins, is a Bay Area orthopedic surgeon who has reportedly appeared as a witness before a grand jury considering possible perjury charges against baseball's Barry Bonds, one of Arthur's clients. This incident finally triggered some real interest by the LA Times.

On August 29, 2006, it was announced that former USC quarterback Matt Leinart would be having a child out of wedlock with USC basketball player Brynn Cameron. While not improper in any meaningful way outside of his personal life, this event begins a long list of embarrassing incidents involving the former USC star (not to mention other USC quarterbacks).

On October 16, 2006, it was announced that then 14-year-old high school freshman Dwayne Polee Jr., who had yet to even play a game at Westchester high, had verbally committed to USC’s basketball team. Though not improper, the early commitment was unconventional, and was repeated in June 2007 when USC announced the verbal commitment of 14-year-old middle school player Ryan Boatright, who, at the time, had not yet even decided upon where he was going to high school. Further eyebrows were raised in June 2007, when USC hired Dwayne Polee Sr., father of Dwayne Polee Jr., as Director of Basketball Operations, amid charges of nepotism.

On December 4, 2006, former USC stand-out, and former Rams rookie, tight end Dominique Byrd was arrested for allegedly hitting a bar patron in the face with a drinking glass. Byrd was charged with second- and third-degree assault and armed criminal action. He was released shortly after posting a $25,000 bond. In early May, 2008, Byrd was scheduled to go to trial in St. Louis Circuit Court on felony charges of assault and armed criminal action stemming from the nightclub scuffle in December 2006. In March 2007, he was charged with DUI in California. In October 2007, he pleaded no contest to the DUI charge and received three years' probation. In May 2008, Byrd was released by the Rams.

In January 2007, a federal investigation into extortion claims by former USC running back Reggie Bush and his family revealed the existence of taped converstations that could confirm Bush took cash and gifts while he was playing football for USC. It was also reported that nearly $280,000 in cash, rent and gifts were allegedly given to Bush and his family. The information came to light following the issuance of grand jury subpoenas to multiple witness by the U.S. District Attorney's office in San Diego. Both the NCAA and Pac-10 continue to investigate. Also, more recent articles suggest that Reggie Bush was involved earlier and more deeply than previously reported in efforts to create the sports marketing agency at the center of the continuing controversy. The investigation has, to date, yielded no definitive proof that USC officials had knowledge of Bush's misconduct, though Bush was nevertheless asked not to attend the Trojans' Rose Bowl matchup against Michigan on New Year's Day.

On February 2, 2007, it was reported that a "stampede of student athletes," including three USC linemen, ex-USC receiver Keary Colbert, and members of the USC women's basketball, volleyball and water polo teams, had improperly attempted to take an academic shortcut around the university's foreign language requirement by signing up for a course at Los Angeles Trade Tech College taught by USC graduate Senora Ross, who promised to give the athletes no lower than a "B." Upon discovering the situation, USC officials disallowed the transfer of credits from Trade Tech.

On February 8, 2007, it was reported that USC football players had created and joined a racist Facebook group as a "joke." The racist Facebook group was called "White Nation," showed a graphic of a swastika and black baby in handcuffs with the caption "arrest black babies before they become criminals." The group was created by USC linebacker Clay Matthews and was joined by teammates David Buehler, Brian Cushing, Dan Deckas and Dallas Sartz. Coach Pete Carroll responded to reports of the incident by saying he had no plans to discipline the players, and USC later announced that none of the players would be punished. According to Carroll, "[i]t's not a controversy, it's a mistake."

On February 9, 2007, USC compliance officials announced they were investigating whether an NCAA violation occurred during the Trojans' pursuit of Louisiana prep star running back Joe McKnight. The investigation followed reports that McKnight had told reporters that USC coach Pete Carroll had set up a conference call so he and high school coach J.T. Curtis could be assured by ex-Trojan running back Reggie Bush that USC would not be punished for a separate NCAA investigation into improper benefits allegedly taken by Bush. Carroll later denied that any call took place, and Curtis said that McKnight misspoke. According to NCAA officials, if USC got Bush's help in recruiting McKnight, it would be considered a "secondary violation" of recruiting rules.

On March 9, 2007, USC basketball recruit O.J. Mayo was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in Huntington, West Virginia. Mayo was one of four young males found in a suspicious vehicle by a Cabell County Sheriff's drug task force unit assigned to serve a search warrant at a house nearby. The charges against Mayo were later dismissed by a magistrate judge, after the driver of the vehicle pleaded guilty to the charge (though Mayo's father subsequently had his own difficulties). The incident followed a controversy in January following Mayo's two (some sources say three) game suspension after receiving two technical fouls in a high school game and coming into contact with an official, as well as prior reports of three suspensions by his high school, the last one following an altercation with a female student.

On April 14, 2007, it was announced that Percy Romeo Miller, also known as Romeo (and formerly Lil' Romeo) had been offered a basketball scholarship to USC. The scholarship offer, to a 5-foot-10 point guard with a bad knee who had never played a full season of high-school basketball, was roundly criticized by national commentators as a thinly veiled attempt by USC to obtain the commitment of Miller's friend, prep star and NBA prospect Demar DeRozan, while ignoring Miller's mediocre at best talent.

In the first week of August, 2007, there were new developments in the NCAA investigation of former USC running back Reggie Bush, when it was reported that audio recordings that allegedly establish an improper financial relationship between Bush and a would-be sports marketing agent were played for NCAA investigators. The tapes were revealed after Lloyd Lake, a partner in failed sports marketing agency New Era Sports enterprise, filed a lawsuit against Bush and his family, seeking to recoup nearly $300,000 in benefits Lake claims he helped provide. Lake's allegations were further detailed in January 2008, with the publication of Don Yaeger's book Tarnished Heisman, which chronicled various allegations swirling around Bush's USC tenure, including claims that Bush received $47,000 out of an overall $291,000 that went to his family from sports marketer Lake. That same month, published reports contained Lake's (unsubstantiated) allegation that USC coaches knew Bush was taking money in violation of NCAA rules.

On August 28, 2007, a contributor to Bruinsnation.com unearthed a report from April 1996 that USC running backs coach Todd McNair was arrested and charged with 81 offenses involving the mistreatment of 22 pit bulls being trained on his property for dogfights while a running back for the Houston Oilers. In light of recent press relating to NFL quarterback Michael Vick, the report unleashed a firestorm, with numerous acts of alleged animal cruelty being uncovered in McNair's past, including multiple misdemeanors convictions (via plea bargain) regarding animal cruelty and failure to license, and "all indications" that McNair was involved in dog flighting. McNair, who was previously implicated in Reggie Bush scandal, having allegedly known about Bush's involvement with the New Era venture before USC national championship game against Texas, faced no discipline from USC.

On September 27, 2007, it was reported that USC sophomore point guard Daniel Hackett would be sidelined at least six weeks after suffering multiple fractures of his jaw when he was struck by the "elbow" of teammate O.J. Mayo during a pickup game. Shortly thereafter, it was reported, based upon several sources, including a member of the basketball team, that Mayo punched Hackett during the game. The player was quoted as saying "Yeah, he punched him," "They changed the story for the media." Despite later denials by Floyd and others, this version of the events was confirmed on multiple occasions.

On November 3, 2007, convicted felon Suge Knight was given a sideline pass to a USC game. Knight joins O.J. Simpson and Snoop Dogg as USC's esteemed guests.
In early November 2007, USC forward Davon Jefferson was suspended for the team's embarrassing season-opening loss to Mercer. Jefferson, who required two years to meet the NCAA's minimum academic requirements and was kicked out of prep school before he joined USC, was also later benched for much of a narrow loss at Stanford and also suspended for a loss to Washington State. After clashing with Floyd, Jefferson did not even inform the school of his decision to turn pro.

On January 21, 2008, USC freshman guard O.J. Mayo was alleged to have violated NCAA rules by accepting complimentary tickets from Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony to a Lakers-Nuggets game at Staples Center. Coach Floyd subsequently took the blame, and Mayo was ultimately required to donate the value of the tickets to charity.

On March 2, 2008, USC defensive tackle Fili Moala was arrested for resisting and obstructing an officer after a melee at a Newport Beach bar was broken up by police. Moala was released after posting $500 bail, and on March 13, the Orange County district attorney's office declined to press charges.

On March 5, 2008, USC recruit Maurice Simmons was arrested for robbery in Compton, after he allegedly pointed a handgun at a man and demanded his belongings. Simmons, a linebacker from Dominguez High School, was initially held at the Los Angeles County jail on $50,000 bail, and then released after posting bail of $85,000. Simmons was arraigned on March 7, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 15, 2008. To date, USC has not indicated whether or not it intends to honor its commitment to Simmons.

On April 1, 2008, USC head coach Pete Carroll, in an attempt to make light of the Trojan's extensive past history of criminality, invited members of the LAPD to play a prank on defensive end Everson Griffen, who was said to have "physically abused a freshman" and was threatened with arrest during a team meeting.
On April 6, 2008, USC sophomore tailback Joe McKnight was held out of the team's scrimmage and it was announced that he would miss the final week of spring workouts because he was academically ineligible to participate. McKnight had dropped a class, leaving him without the 12 units required for eligibility.

On April 27, 2008, the NFL draft ended with USC guard Drew Radovich remaining unselected. Expected by some to be a mid-to-late round pick, Radovich's stock allegedly dropped based upon character concerns.

In late April or early May, 2008, a video was posted on Pete Carroll's website starring his son, Brennan. The video, replete with profanity and questionable behavior, was widely ridiculed, and was allegedly used against USC in recruiting. In mid-May, the video was removed from youtube.com, with Carroll explaining that it was just a "spoof."
On May 2, 2008, the judge in the civil litigation between former USC running back Reggie Bush and Lloyd Lake ordered the parties to appear in June 2008 for their depositions, and denied Bush's attempts to impose a "gag order" to prevent the deposition transcripts from being shared with the NCAA. The judge also set a trial date of March 13, 2009.

On May 4, 2008, former USC tight end Fred Davis failed to attend the final practice of the The Washington Redskins minicamp because he overslept after a late night out. Besides giving a poor first impression, Davis confirmed concerns about his commitment to football dating back to his time at USC. Davis was suspended for two games his freshman year at USC for coming back late from his home in Ohio, and missed the 2005 Orange Bowl.

On May 6, 2008, it was announced that USC's men's basketball team was the only major athletic program in the Southland penalized with scholarship losses as the result of a poor performance in the NCAA's academic progress rate. The Trojans were penalized in part because Lodrick Stewart, Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt stopped attending class after the 2007 season, and because three players transferred within the same season. USC's APR score of 804 was 121 points below the minimum-acceptable mark, and stemmed from various academic problems, including Gabe Pruitt's academic ineligibility for the fall 2006 semester, and his ineligibility again following the spring 2007 semester. USC served the penalty during the 2007-08 season.

On May 13, 2008, ESPN aired an episode of Outside the Lines that contained extensive, well-documented allegations that USC guard O.J. Mayo received improper benefits from a sports agent (BDA Sports) and that agent's runner (Rodney Guillory) both before and during his one season at USC. It was alleged that Guillory received benefits in excess of $200,000, while Mayo received $30,000 in benefits, including cash, clothes, cell phone service, and a flat screen television for his dorm room. USC immediately faced a storm of criticism, with several prominent commentator calling for sanctions, including the so-called "death penalty." The criticism of USC intensified as it was reported that Guillory was given largely unfettered access to Mayo and the athletic department, after a highly unusual recruitment process, despite USC knowing of his involvement with agents, including a prior scandal with USC's Jeff Trepagnier, for many years. The Pac-10 and the NCAA have launched investigations.

Oct. 2009 UCLA forward Nikola Dragovic charged with assault. Nikola was penalized 10 games because he had played professionally