Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Does Tim Floyd Know What He's Getting Into?

Far be it for me to question Tim Floyd as a college coach right now, especially after the Trojans just dominated the Texas Longhorns and Kevin Durant in ways I didn't think were possible as an SC fan, based on how Oregon just decimated them in the Pac-10 final. Next season, he has a legitimate shot at making the SC-UCLA rivalry competitive in basketball, which is not something those of us who root for the Trojans have expected in recent years. However, as everyone knows, those hopes for next season lie on a recruit who is most likely one-and-done, and already has a propensity for troubling behavior, as well as bizarre ways of being recruited.

I won't cut and paste the first half of the article here; go read it for yourself (if you haven't already) and just read the oddities throughout. O.J. Mayo essentially recruited USC to host him; not the standard way it's done in college basketball. Floyd didn't have to do any work, he just had to say "Yes." Now, Floyd may be one of those Pete Carroll types who just do better in college than the pros, but it's really hard for me to think he's just hoping this doesn't blow up in his face.

(Also interesting: in the article, it says Mayo's second choice outside of USC would have been an historically black college or university. Now, as the Head Chick noted, the schools probably don't do a heck of a lot with their basketball programs, but imagine if say, Howard had actually made a pitch for O.J. -- the guy would bring the ESPN cameras to you.)

Update: Please note that D-Wil has probably just handed me my ass on a plate on this with his interpretation.

2 comments:

twins15 said...

Mayo seems like a punk... I definitely have no problems with the fact that UCLA didn't go after him.

Signal to Noise said...

I wouldn't call him a punk. Read this take on the whole deal and see if he's really a punk or if we got punked on what he really is.