Top Reasons for O.J. Mayo to Go

Yesterday we looked at some reasons why O.J. Mayo should stay at USC for his sophomore year. Most people believe that's a long shot. Here's why ...

Shaun Livingston - O.J. Mayo projects as an oversized NBA point guard. He is expected to turn pro in his first year of eligibility and be a top lottery pick. Livingston's story was identical. USC Coach Tim Floyd even mentioned Livingston when saying it might be "irresponsible" to encourage Mayo to stay in school. Why? Shortly after cashing in, Livingston suffered a horrific injury. Click here to see the video -- but be warned. The clip is of a very graphic and disturbing accident. For those who can't stomach it, we'll approach this another way. Livingston was picked fourth overall in the 2004 NBA draft. Since then, he's missed about half of his games. His worst injury was over a year ago and he is still out of commission. Assuming he makes a "full" comeback, he would still have a lot to prove if any team is going to sign him to a blockbuster contract.

Age - Despite being a freshman, Mayo is well past his 20th birthday, which is not young by NBA standards. Kobe Bryant decided to turn pro at 17. LeBron James was 18. Things have turned out just fine for them. At this point, Mayo's body isn't going to mature a lot more unless he takes on a full-time professional training program.

C.R.E.A.M. - Ima' tell you like Wu told me ... cash rules everything around me. Mayo was raised by a single mom. His dad isn't really in touch and was recently arrested on drug charges. Meanwhile, Mayo is posing on magazine covers with Bentleys and being given NBA tickets worth hundreds of dollars. He's already tasted the good life and knows it's very, very sweet.

Education can wait - It's the wrong message to send to kids, but Mayo knows his education can wait. Even if he stays one more year, he's even less likely to stay for three or four. If his degree really matters, he knows that he can come back later. Athletes have done it before. Even Steven Spielberg took some time off -- a whopping 34 years, earning his degree at age 55. Mayo already has an academic leg up on the world's most famous director, whose application was rejected by USC -- twice!

Hidden Traps - As mentioned before, Mayo accepted tickets to NBA games. He thought it was OK because the gift came from a longtime friend and Coach Tim Floyd said it was fine. Turns out that was an NCAA no-no. As a punishment, his family had to donate the face value of the tickets to charity (remember, single moms are not made of money). There was also a case in high school in which Mayo got arrested while riding in a car with somebody who had drugs. Charges were dropped, but it sullied his reputation for a while. With such a high profile, there's potential for Mayo to fall into similar traps next year -- wasting time and creating headaches. Don't think having celebrity millionaire Lil' Romeo on the team will make things easier.

Mr. Lonely - If Mayo decides to stick around, that doesn't mean Davon Jefferson and Taj Gibson will follow suit. Jefferson had to spend extra time in an academy before coming to USC, and he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would be excited to enroll in summer school. Many think he's going to turn pro. Taj Gibson is already 22 and doesn't have much more growth left on the college level. He could slip into the first round of the NBA draft and would be justified to make the jump. That leaves O.J. without any experienced leadership to help him and will exacerbates USC's lack of bench depth.

Size - If Jefferson and/or Gibson leave, the Trojans are in big trouble -- literally. It's unlikely that both will be back, and USC doesn't have any talented big guys. That means Mayo could spend all of next year taking a pounding on defense and trying to run a bizarre guard-heavy offense. The starting lineup just won't have much balance. That prospect is a little scary.

Zero Obligations - Mayo doesn't owe anything to anybody. USC was extremely lucky to have him and would have been in a lot of trouble if he hadn't come (and brought the likes of Jefferson with him). He entered with one of the best guard classes in many years and outperformed everyone he faced. In a league many consider the nation's toughest, Floyd indicated that he would be happy going 9-9. Mayo led USC to 11-7. He also raised the school's basketball profile. Not too shabby for a freshman.

Photo by Gus Ruelas / AP

Comments

[Ruggedly]

Oregon Blogger thinks USC can beat anyone in the country...

http://properbloggery.com/2008/03/11/pjns-tourney-punchout/

[Mrtravlear]

No question that OJ should turn pro; it would be good though if he put off the good life for a year or two and put those first year or two of earnings in a bank. OJ: please note, the NBA estimates that 60% of the men who play in the NBA are broke five years after they leave the NBA. Set a new model.