Mayo's Payday Came Early

Some of the details are still coming out, but according to a report on ESPN's Outside the Lines, USC guard O.J. Mayo received hundreds of thousands of dollars in improper benefits from people working to hook him up with a certain NBA agent.

Mayo reportedly received:

• Several thousand dollars worth of clothes
• Cell phone service
• An Infiniti QX56 (sticker price: $52,000)
• A flat-screen TV
• and approximately $200,000 in cash

In return, there was an understanding that Mayo would sign with Bill Duffy Associates -- an agency that represents several NBA stars, including Steve Nash and Carmelo Anthony... which casts the controversy from earlier this season, when Mayo landed in hot water for accepting tickets to a Lakers game from Anthony in a whole new light.

The "bag man" in the deal was a Los Angeles event promoter named Rodney Guillory. Guillory ran afoul of NCAA investigators once before, due to a pay off involving USC guard Jeff Trepagnier. As such, it's sort of remarkable that USC and coach Tim Floyd allowed players anywhere near Guillory, but according to the ESPN report, Guillory was sitting in the USC basketball office with members of the coaching staff when Mayo's letter of intent arrived via fax.

If this all sounds familar... it should. This scenario is remarkably similar to the controversy surrounding USC football star Reggie Bush.

Not a good time to be the USC athletic director.