Cheating pervasive in college athletics


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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.

Reliance on scouts caused by new bylaw


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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 In 2006, the NCAA implemented a new bylaw originally enacted to allow it to exercise greater control over college football recruiting.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 […]

It’s now time to give the Trojans an honor code


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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 […]

Vucevic no longer good but now elite


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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. […]

USC basketball and I are now on the rocks


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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 […]

NCAA’s activism evident in Kiffin case


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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 […]

USC baseball might be turning the corner


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This city is one that’s supposed to have eternal sunshine and always be 75, without a cloud in the sky. But for some reason, Los Angeles decided to take a vacation last week and Seattle came and raided its house while it was gone. But while it was tough to figure out Los Angeles, it […]

USC looking to punch its ticket to the Big Dance


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I pretty much wrote off the USC men’s basketball team a while back, thinking it had two chances at making the NCAA tournament — slim and none. But after defeating UCLA at the Galen Center in early January, I thought this year would be different. A weak conference coupled with the play of midseason transfer […]

Introducing the USC Walk of Fame’s class


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This last weekend, Lakers’ superstar and five-time world champion guard Kobe Bryant became the first athlete to have his legacy cemented alongside the greatest performers in the history of American entertainment at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Bryant’s latest honor, coupled with the noticeable karmic effect the event had on his MVP performance at the […]