The torrential rains of the last few days have not been a coincidence. They are a clear message from the college football gods, who know spring practice begins today: “We’re watching you.” USC is near the midway point of paying for its “sins” — and I use that word loosely, considering all the inconsistent rulings [...]
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Gemelos’ journey a test of strength, character
Sometimes, I just watch in amazement. The so-called basketball IQ, the court instincts and awareness — you just can’t teach basketball players that kind of stuff. Combine that with vision, ball-handling ability and a shooting stroke that is textbook perfect, and you have a package that makes the complete basketball player. I’m not talking about [...]
Read the rest of this article »Unifying the Pac-10 a key sign of progress
It’s that time of year again: Small yet noticeable billboards adorn the L.A. Live plaza, promoting the Pac-10’s annual postseason basketball celebration, which kicks off this afternoon. The difference in this year’s tournament billboard, however, is that images of UCLA’s Tyler Honeycutt and Washington’s Isaiah Thomas are paired with a few unfamiliar characters. Along with [...]
Read the rest of this article »Cheating pervasive in college athletics
When I heard Oregon had paid scout Will Lyles $25,000 for recruiting services, I wasn’t even surprised. Whether within the rules or not, the Oregon situation is a stark reminder that the mechanism of college recruiting is corrupt at multiple levels.
Read the rest of this article »Reliance on scouts caused by new bylaw
In an unsettling era — when arbitrary decisions are often rendered by college athletics’ governing body, unintended consequences tend to emerge. In 2006, the NCAA implemented a new bylaw originally enacted to allow it to exercise greater control over college football recruiting. Specifically, bylaw 13.1.8.9.4 prevents Football Bowl Subdivision coaches from attending any independent football [...]
Read the rest of this article »It’s now time to give the Trojans an honor code
By now, you probably have heard about the sex scandal at Brigham Young University. Basically, forward Brandon Davies was suspended from the basketball team for the rest of the year for having consensual sex with his girlfriend. Now, although this is accepted pretty much anywhere else, BYU has a strict honor code that prohibits this [...]
Read the rest of this article »Vucevic no longer good but now elite
Four years ago, a skinny basketball player from Montenegro decided to take his talents to the United States. After playing three years of high-school basketball in Europe, Nikola Vucevic traveled to the States, hoping to make his way to the NBA and enjoy the same success his parents had when they starred on the hardwood. [...]
Read the rest of this article »USC basketball and I are now on the rocks
There comes a time in every relationship when the obvious question arises: Can I see this lasting? I recently had to face this daunting question and make an inquiry into the depths of my sports-loving soul. My relationship, however, has nothing to do with another human being, but rather the USC men’s basketball team. How [...]
Read the rest of this article »Trojans earning their right to dance
Men’s basketball is showing some promise this season.
Read the rest of this article »NCAA’s activism evident in Kiffin case
In mid-June, USC coach Lane Kiffin will travel to Indianapolis to meet with the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions, faced with charges of a “failure to monitor,” as well a “failure to promote an atmosphere for compliance.” The infamous white visor will be left in Los Angeles. The SoCal cool sunglasses will remain tucked away in [...]
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