USC basketball team escapes more NCAA punishment

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Southern California's men's basketball team escaped any further action by the NCAA on Thursday, five months after the university banned itself from postseason play and vacated its victories during O.J. Mayo's lone season.

The NCAA banned USC's football team from bowl games for two years, took away 30 scholarships and placed the school on four years' probation for improper benefits to Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush.

Second-year basketball coach Kevin O'Neill said he was glad the NCAA didn't impose further punishment on his program.

"I applaud them on realizing self-imposing was our way of saying, 'You know what, we did make some mistakes along the way and what we better do is be vigilant in our efforts,' which we will," he said on campus.

Former coach Tim Floyd, who is now coaching at UTEP, abruptly quit last June, after he was accused of giving $1,000 in cash to Rodney Guillory who helped steer Mayo to USC.

"As Coach has wanted to say publicly for a long time, 'It didn't happen,"' Floyd attorney Jim Darnell said in a statement.

Under Floyd, the Trojans made three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and had three straight 20-win seasons at a school best known for its national championship-caliber football teams.

In January, the school cited Mayo's involvement with Guillory, whom under NCAA rules became a USC booster due to his role in Mayo's recruitment, in meting out the sanctions.

Louis Johnson, a former associate of Mayo and Guillory, has previously alleged Guillory received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a sports agency that he partially funneled to Mayo.

In January, athletic director Mike Garrett said Mayo refused to cooperate in the university's investigation into whether he accepted improper gifts and benefits. Mayo now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.

As part of its self-imposed punishment, USC will return to the NCAA the money it received through the Pac-10 for playing in the 2008 NCAA tournament, when the Trojans lost in the first round.

The Trojans lost one scholarship for last season and one for next season; they lost one coach to off-campus recruiting this summer; and lose 20 recruiting days for next season.

USC also vacated its 21 victories during the 2007-08 season, when Mayo competed while ineligible.

"Mike certainly made the right decision in self-imposing (penalties)," O'Neill said. "We understand that we are on four years' probation, so we've got some situations that we've obviously got to be aware of all the time."

O'Neill and a majority of the current players weren't around when the violations occurred. The Trojans were 16-14, including 8-10 in the Pac-10, in O'Neill's first season.

"We're moving ahead in a positive manner," he said. "I really admire how our players handled the situation this last year and I'm confident going forward after meeting with them today again."

The NCAA report, which followed a four-year investigation, cited numerous improper benefits for Bush and Mayo, who played one season before jumping to the NBA. It condemned the star treatment afforded to Bush and Mayo, saying USC's oversight of its top athletes ran contrary to the fundamental principles of amateur sports.

O'Neill said he empathized with new football coach Lane Kiffin and what the football program now faces.

"My opinion doesn't matter a lot, but I think it's pretty severe, the penalties that we received," he said. "I know Lane will attack this thing as if he's trying to win a national championship. They're going to recruit like they're trying to win a national championship this year and I don't have any doubt they'll move forward and move past this just like we have."

O'Neill is focusing on rebuilding his roster.

"At least we're in a position where we've overcome some of the things by taking the sanctions this past year," he said.

O'Neill said he spoke with all the incoming freshmen who have signed letters of intent.

"Our message to them is simple: we're moving forward, this isn't going to affect you at all. We've got a great institution here," he said.