College Basketball Nation: Leonard Washington
Did Leonard Washington derail his career?
May, 16, 2012
May 16
4:30
PM ET
By
Eamonn Brennan | ESPN.com
You may remember Leonard Washington from his time at USC. More specifically: You may remember Washington* from the time he hit then-Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin in the crown jewels back in 2008. That was a funny episode, particularly because Washington tried to deny what happened after the fact. Then-USC coach Tim Floyd's money quote on the subject: "He's a freshman. He doesn't know that we film everything." Apparently not.
In any case, Washington had come a long way since 2008. He transferred to Wyoming, and in 2012 he starred in his first season under new coach Larry Shyatt, leading the team in scoring (12.9 points) and rebounding (6.9 rebounds) while posting sterling shooting percentages and the 11th-best defensive rebounding rate (27.4 percent, per KenPom) in the country. Wyoming went 21-12 in 2012, its best season in ages; for a while there, the Cowboys even flirted with the NCAA tournament bubble. Washington was a major reason why.
Unfortunately, Washington's individual progress may be coming undone. In early April, Shyatt suspended Washington indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules. Then, two weeks after that suspension, Washington was arrested and charged with battery and criminal entry during which, according to the citation, he admitted entering a house "without permission from the occupants and striking an individual with a closed fist during a fight." He pleaded guilty to both counts Tuesday, receiving fines and suspended jail time as well as up to a year of unsupervised probation.
The mundanities of the arrest are less important (for our purposes, anyway) than what they could do to Washington's career. The forward was already on indefinite suspension when he was arrested; that's no way to get back in your coach's good graces. Making all this worse for Shyatt is how much he needs Washington in 2012-13. The Cowboys are trying to build momentum under their new coach, but losing your best and most productive player -- in addition to the three senior starters that graduated this spring -- makes an already difficult task monumentally so.
It is no exaggeration to say that Shyatt's handling of Washington -- whether he suspends him for the summer, or dismisses him from the team, or sits him down for a stretch in the winter -- could determine the outcome of the fledgling program's season. It's a fine balance to walk, and Washington can only hope his coach is the forgiving type. Shyatt gave Washington his second chance. Does he deserve a third?
*I, for one, will never be able to hear "Leonard Washington" without thinking of the "Chappelle's Show" character. Like all good Dave Chappelle characters, it will stay with me forever.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Matt CilleyThe productive play of Leonard Washington had Wyoming thinking about an NCAA tourney berth in 2012.
AP Photo/Matt CilleyThe productive play of Leonard Washington had Wyoming thinking about an NCAA tourney berth in 2012.Unfortunately, Washington's individual progress may be coming undone. In early April, Shyatt suspended Washington indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules. Then, two weeks after that suspension, Washington was arrested and charged with battery and criminal entry during which, according to the citation, he admitted entering a house "without permission from the occupants and striking an individual with a closed fist during a fight." He pleaded guilty to both counts Tuesday, receiving fines and suspended jail time as well as up to a year of unsupervised probation.
The mundanities of the arrest are less important (for our purposes, anyway) than what they could do to Washington's career. The forward was already on indefinite suspension when he was arrested; that's no way to get back in your coach's good graces. Making all this worse for Shyatt is how much he needs Washington in 2012-13. The Cowboys are trying to build momentum under their new coach, but losing your best and most productive player -- in addition to the three senior starters that graduated this spring -- makes an already difficult task monumentally so.
It is no exaggeration to say that Shyatt's handling of Washington -- whether he suspends him for the summer, or dismisses him from the team, or sits him down for a stretch in the winter -- could determine the outcome of the fledgling program's season. It's a fine balance to walk, and Washington can only hope his coach is the forgiving type. Shyatt gave Washington his second chance. Does he deserve a third?
*I, for one, will never be able to hear "Leonard Washington" without thinking of the "Chappelle's Show" character. Like all good Dave Chappelle characters, it will stay with me forever.
Here's what we learned on Saturday night
January, 22, 2012
Jan 22
1:26
AM ET
By
Eamonn Brennan | ESPN.com
As good as the afternoon was, with exciting upsets and huge road wins over top-five teams, the evening may have matched it in the vital FOPM statistical category. (FOPM stands for freak outs per minute. It's a tempo-adjusted metric, naturally.) Let's lead with what may be the result of the day -- Syracuse's very first loss of the season, at Notre Dame.
Notre Dame 67, No. 1 Syracuse 58
What we learned: Nobody's perfect. OK, yeah, Murray State is still perfect, but you get the drift: Everyone loses eventually. Sooner or later, the Orange were going to have a particularly bad shooting night. Sooner or later, they were going to struggle on the road. Sooner or later, they were going to do these things against a coach and a team that had designed the perfect gameplan to take advantage of this opportunity. As it happens, that coach was Mike Brey. That team was Notre Dame.
Of course, the Fighting Irish don't have a tenth of the talent available to Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. What do the Irish have? The Burn. That's what Brey calls his team's intentionally slow, clock-killing offense, and while it isn't always the preferred strategy in South Bend, it is something the Irish keep in their back pocket when they find themselves facing a bigger, stronger, faster, more skilled, pretty-much-all-around-better opponent.
Indeed, as ESPN's Doris Burke noted late in the game, the Irish played a sort of semi-burn Saturday night. They lulled the Cuse into seven fewer possessions (61) than its average adjusted tempo (68) on the season (including a handful of late heaves when the game was out of reach), but ND was also opportunistic: When it broke SU's press, it didn't always pull out and set up the halfcourt offense. It was a clinic in opportunistic decision-making. (At one point, it ended in a contested fast-break dunk by Jack Cooley. Jack Cooley? Jack Cooley!)
Syracuse, being Syracuse, still managed to force a mess of turnovers. At several points in the second half, as Notre Dame forward Scott Martin struggled time after time to inbound the ball on his own baseline, it appeared the Irish were just a few possessions away from a late collapse. But the Orange's poor shooting (they posted a 40.0 effective field goal percentage) and ND's solid free throw shooting sealed this game in the closing moments.
Burke called it a "masterful" gameplan from Brey and, as usual, she was dead on: Notre Dame knew exactly what it needed to do to take a walk through any door Syracuse left ajar. When the time came, it executed.
Going forward, this loss may knock Syracuse out of the top spot in the rankings, but it shouldn't change the perception of this team much. First of all, the absence of leading rebounder and shot-blocker Fab Melo (due to an unresolved academic issue from the fall semester) was a blow to this team's inherent interior advantage. Second, Syracuse didn't shoot the ball well. Frankly, it didn't play well. Overreact if you like, but it's the opinion of this writer that, well, hey, these games happen.
For Syracuse, it was bound to go this way eventually. When it did, the Irish were ready.
No. 15 Mississippi State 78, Vanderbilt 77 (OT)
What we learned: The Commodores will struggle with capable frontcourts. They struggle late in close games. They struggle on the defensive end. They are, in other words, the same Vanderbilt Commodores we've come to know and love in each of the past three seasons. Their recent improvements created the notion that this team had turned some vague corner, that it was finally ready to assume the top-10, Final Four-worthy preseason expectations foisted upon them.
Instead, on Saturday, we saw the team that led us to doubt that status in the first place. Vandy yielded a 12-point second-half lead, allowed Mississippi State to score 1.14 points per possession and got vastly outrebounded on both ends of the floor. In the end, even with very good chances to win the game -- particularly the final shot in regulation, which ended up being an uncontested four-foot shot for Festus Ezeli (which he missed) -- Vanderbilt just couldn't make the key defensive plays.
In the meantime, Mississippi State deserves credit for a major road win. Forward Arnett Moultrie was brilliant (21 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, one block) and guard Dee Bost was just as good (24 points, five rebounds, four assists and a handful of key second-half shots). Even Renardo Sidney, who struggled for much of the game and suffered an injury in overtime, got in on the act, hitting a monster 3 with 1:22 remaining in the second half.
Three days ago, the Bulldogs went to rival Ole Miss and lost and looked vulnerable -- even downright overrated -- throughout. Their ability to rebound from that loss with a win on the road against a streaking Vanderbilt team, one that had won its past eight games -- including on the road at Alabama -- is to be commended. Surprising stuff, to say the least.
No. 12 UNLV 80, New Mexico 63
What we learned: UNLV is still the Mountain West favorite. Yes, yes, San Diego State certainly has a claim to that distinction, too, especially since its first two conference results -- a two-point home win over the Rebels and an incredibly impressive road win at New Mexico -- were among the most impressive back-to-back performances we've seen from any team in any league this season. New Mexico is no slouch, either. Before Wednesday's loss to SDSU, the Lobos had won 13 in a row. There are three very good teams in the MWC, folks. That much we know.
Then again, I'd say we knew that already. The main takeaway from Saturday night's best late-night matchup -- and this is a good old-fashioned eye-test thing to say, but I'm doing it anyway -- is that UNLV just looks like the best team in this league. The Rebels have few, if any, holes in their attack. They have talented players at every position. Their guards push the pace; their forwards run to the rim; their wings hit 3s with ease. Anthony Marshall, Chace Stanback, Mike Moser, Oscar Bellfield and even reserves like Carlos Lopez and Justin Hawkins -- these players are perfectly suited to Dave Rice's new emphasis on uptempo basketball, and when you watch them play, it shows.
The Mountain West race is going to be fascinating, and we'll hear more from the Lobos -- and, of course, the league-leading Aztecs -- before the season is out. Sure, I'd take UNLV as the favorite. But whatever happens, if two of these three teams are playing, it promises to be very entertaining.
A few more observations from the Saturday evening that was:
Notre Dame 67, No. 1 Syracuse 58
What we learned: Nobody's perfect. OK, yeah, Murray State is still perfect, but you get the drift: Everyone loses eventually. Sooner or later, the Orange were going to have a particularly bad shooting night. Sooner or later, they were going to struggle on the road. Sooner or later, they were going to do these things against a coach and a team that had designed the perfect gameplan to take advantage of this opportunity. As it happens, that coach was Mike Brey. That team was Notre Dame.
Of course, the Fighting Irish don't have a tenth of the talent available to Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. What do the Irish have? The Burn. That's what Brey calls his team's intentionally slow, clock-killing offense, and while it isn't always the preferred strategy in South Bend, it is something the Irish keep in their back pocket when they find themselves facing a bigger, stronger, faster, more skilled, pretty-much-all-around-better opponent.
Indeed, as ESPN's Doris Burke noted late in the game, the Irish played a sort of semi-burn Saturday night. They lulled the Cuse into seven fewer possessions (61) than its average adjusted tempo (68) on the season (including a handful of late heaves when the game was out of reach), but ND was also opportunistic: When it broke SU's press, it didn't always pull out and set up the halfcourt offense. It was a clinic in opportunistic decision-making. (At one point, it ended in a contested fast-break dunk by Jack Cooley. Jack Cooley? Jack Cooley!)
Syracuse, being Syracuse, still managed to force a mess of turnovers. At several points in the second half, as Notre Dame forward Scott Martin struggled time after time to inbound the ball on his own baseline, it appeared the Irish were just a few possessions away from a late collapse. But the Orange's poor shooting (they posted a 40.0 effective field goal percentage) and ND's solid free throw shooting sealed this game in the closing moments.
Burke called it a "masterful" gameplan from Brey and, as usual, she was dead on: Notre Dame knew exactly what it needed to do to take a walk through any door Syracuse left ajar. When the time came, it executed.
Going forward, this loss may knock Syracuse out of the top spot in the rankings, but it shouldn't change the perception of this team much. First of all, the absence of leading rebounder and shot-blocker Fab Melo (due to an unresolved academic issue from the fall semester) was a blow to this team's inherent interior advantage. Second, Syracuse didn't shoot the ball well. Frankly, it didn't play well. Overreact if you like, but it's the opinion of this writer that, well, hey, these games happen.
For Syracuse, it was bound to go this way eventually. When it did, the Irish were ready.
No. 15 Mississippi State 78, Vanderbilt 77 (OT)
What we learned: The Commodores will struggle with capable frontcourts. They struggle late in close games. They struggle on the defensive end. They are, in other words, the same Vanderbilt Commodores we've come to know and love in each of the past three seasons. Their recent improvements created the notion that this team had turned some vague corner, that it was finally ready to assume the top-10, Final Four-worthy preseason expectations foisted upon them.
Instead, on Saturday, we saw the team that led us to doubt that status in the first place. Vandy yielded a 12-point second-half lead, allowed Mississippi State to score 1.14 points per possession and got vastly outrebounded on both ends of the floor. In the end, even with very good chances to win the game -- particularly the final shot in regulation, which ended up being an uncontested four-foot shot for Festus Ezeli (which he missed) -- Vanderbilt just couldn't make the key defensive plays.
In the meantime, Mississippi State deserves credit for a major road win. Forward Arnett Moultrie was brilliant (21 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, one block) and guard Dee Bost was just as good (24 points, five rebounds, four assists and a handful of key second-half shots). Even Renardo Sidney, who struggled for much of the game and suffered an injury in overtime, got in on the act, hitting a monster 3 with 1:22 remaining in the second half.
Three days ago, the Bulldogs went to rival Ole Miss and lost and looked vulnerable -- even downright overrated -- throughout. Their ability to rebound from that loss with a win on the road against a streaking Vanderbilt team, one that had won its past eight games -- including on the road at Alabama -- is to be commended. Surprising stuff, to say the least.
No. 12 UNLV 80, New Mexico 63
What we learned: UNLV is still the Mountain West favorite. Yes, yes, San Diego State certainly has a claim to that distinction, too, especially since its first two conference results -- a two-point home win over the Rebels and an incredibly impressive road win at New Mexico -- were among the most impressive back-to-back performances we've seen from any team in any league this season. New Mexico is no slouch, either. Before Wednesday's loss to SDSU, the Lobos had won 13 in a row. There are three very good teams in the MWC, folks. That much we know.
Then again, I'd say we knew that already. The main takeaway from Saturday night's best late-night matchup -- and this is a good old-fashioned eye-test thing to say, but I'm doing it anyway -- is that UNLV just looks like the best team in this league. The Rebels have few, if any, holes in their attack. They have talented players at every position. Their guards push the pace; their forwards run to the rim; their wings hit 3s with ease. Anthony Marshall, Chace Stanback, Mike Moser, Oscar Bellfield and even reserves like Carlos Lopez and Justin Hawkins -- these players are perfectly suited to Dave Rice's new emphasis on uptempo basketball, and when you watch them play, it shows.
The Mountain West race is going to be fascinating, and we'll hear more from the Lobos -- and, of course, the league-leading Aztecs -- before the season is out. Sure, I'd take UNLV as the favorite. But whatever happens, if two of these three teams are playing, it promises to be very entertaining.
A few more observations from the Saturday evening that was:
- Bad times got worse for Pittsburgh on Saturday night, as the Panthers fell to No. 21 Louisville at home, 73-62. In case you're counting, that's Pitt's eighth straight loss and seventh in a row in Big East play ... for the first time in Pitt hoops history. Ouch. Even worse? According to ESPN Stats and Information, this is the first time Pitt has lost four straight home games since 1999-2000. The loss is also Pitt's ninth this season. Jamie Dixon-coached Pittsburgh teams have never recorded more than nine losses in a regular season. There are myriad issues afflicting the Panthers right now, chief among them defense, but it's hard to see any major improvements coming any time soon. If this wasn't a lost season already, it is now.
- Neither VCU nor Old Dominion are likely to end up with a chance at an at-large bid come March, but their meeting tonight was still full of implications for the CAA title race. Before Saturday, ODU was 6-1 in conference and VCU 5-2, both right there hanging around with George Mason and Drexel in the Colonial standings. In other words, Virginia Commonwealth got a rather massive 61-48 win, handling the lackluster Monarchs rather easily at home. Shaka Smart's team is still rebuilding after last year's miracle NCAA tournament run, but they're not nearly as far down as most would have expected. Keep your eye on the Rams.
- The C-USA race is going to be interesting. Marshall appeared to have the best odds to challenge Memphis' purported superiority, with Southern Miss a notch or two below -- a dark horse at best. After Saturday -- when Southern Miss topped Marshall and tied the Thundering Herd at 4-1 in league play -- it seems clear things aren't quite that simple. There are no remaining unbeaten teams in the league, with UCF at 5-1 and Memphis, Marshall and USM all now residing in second place at 4-1.
- I don't know if we'll call the Pac-12 race "interesting." "Mystifying" feels more appropriate. Either way, consider what went down in the conference Saturday: Cal fell at Washington State (not an unforgiveable loss, given how well Wazzu has played at home, but still) just as the Bears appeared set, thanks to a blowout Stanford loss at Washington, to create some separation between themselves and the rest of the league. Meanwhile UCLA -- which keeps struggling, week after week, to sort things out -- fell on the road at Oregon, which is now 6-2 and tied atop the league standings. Elsewhere, lowly Utah not only didn't lose, but actually blew out Arizona State in Salt Lake City; and Colorado held on for a one-point home win over Arizona. Those Pac-12 power rankings are going to be a bear to write. I can't wait.
- Two results from the West that shouldn't be dismissed. Long Beach State, a team that played perhaps the most grueling nonconference schedule in the country, continues to see the dividends from that gauntlet. On the road Saturday night, LBSU went into the Thunderdome and absolutely obliterated chief rival UC Santa Barbara, 71-48, the talented squad that's beaten the 49ers in the Big West final in each of the past two seasons. And in Laramie, Wyoming beat rival Colorado State -- which had won eight straight -- 70-51 to improve to 16-3. Yes, 16-3. What a job by first-year coach Larry Shyatt. And what a performance by USC transfer Leonard Washington, who set career highs in points (32) and rebounds (14).
- As for the momentum Nebraska created with that dramatic victory over Indiana on Wednesday? Ohio State did not seem to care. Buckeyes 79, Huskers 45. So much for that.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Keith SrakocicPitt lost its ninth game Saturday, matching the highest season loss total of Jamie Dixon's tenure.
AP Photo/Keith SrakocicPitt lost its ninth game Saturday, matching the highest season loss total of Jamie Dixon's tenure.Leonard Washington now a game-changer
December, 13, 2011
12/13/11
3:25
PM ET
By Diamond Leung | ESPN.com
Leonard Washington has always played hard-nosed basketball, but in Wyoming, he has softened his stance on at least one issue.
While with USC, the 6-foot-7 forward not-so-famously declared to the Los Angeles Times at one point that he would "never talk to the media again. I'll pay fines in the NBA if I have to."
It made some sense because at many times during his career as a Trojan, there weren't positive things to discuss. There was the low blow he gave Blake Griffin. There was an academic suspension. There was coach Kevin O'Neill ultimately dismissing him from the team.
At Wyoming, Washington after redshirting last season has not only talked to the media, but also spoken volumes with his play as he leads a defense that has only allowed 49.9 points per game. The junior went through enough coaching changes to have played and practiced under five head coaches, and for Larry Shyatt, he has collected the most rebounds and blocked shots out of all the Cowboys.
Washington's transformation has Shyatt rightfully excited about the future of the program, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
Credit Shyatt for getting the Cowboys off to a 9-1 start, which is tops in the Mountain West. The schedule they've played hasn't been especially challenging, but wins are wins for this program. Consider that after Shyatt's arrival, the team's top two scorers made the decision to transfer.
But the remaining players have bought into what Shyatt is preaching. Guard Luke Martinez is leading the team in scoring averaging 13 points after missing all of last season with a broken elbow. The injury-plagued center Waddell is averaging 10.8 points. Point guard JayDee Luster is playing like a senior and has only committed nine turnovers against a team-best 43 assists.
And then there is Washington, who embodies how Wyoming can change and all of a sudden become a contender in the Mountain West.
While with USC, the 6-foot-7 forward not-so-famously declared to the Los Angeles Times at one point that he would "never talk to the media again. I'll pay fines in the NBA if I have to."
It made some sense because at many times during his career as a Trojan, there weren't positive things to discuss. There was the low blow he gave Blake Griffin. There was an academic suspension. There was coach Kevin O'Neill ultimately dismissing him from the team.
At Wyoming, Washington after redshirting last season has not only talked to the media, but also spoken volumes with his play as he leads a defense that has only allowed 49.9 points per game. The junior went through enough coaching changes to have played and practiced under five head coaches, and for Larry Shyatt, he has collected the most rebounds and blocked shots out of all the Cowboys.
Washington's transformation has Shyatt rightfully excited about the future of the program, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
"I see a guy that's helping change our culture because he's on edge and he’s got a toughness and competiveness about him," he said.
But Washington’s teammates do see the football side of him.
"He's an aggressive player and an emotional player, but I think that’s what makes him such a good player," senior center Adam Waddell said. He can tap into that football mentality and you can definitely see it.
"He's not afraid of contact at all. He gets in there and uses his body, and that sets Leonard apart."
Credit Shyatt for getting the Cowboys off to a 9-1 start, which is tops in the Mountain West. The schedule they've played hasn't been especially challenging, but wins are wins for this program. Consider that after Shyatt's arrival, the team's top two scorers made the decision to transfer.
But the remaining players have bought into what Shyatt is preaching. Guard Luke Martinez is leading the team in scoring averaging 13 points after missing all of last season with a broken elbow. The injury-plagued center Waddell is averaging 10.8 points. Point guard JayDee Luster is playing like a senior and has only committed nine turnovers against a team-best 43 assists.
And then there is Washington, who embodies how Wyoming can change and all of a sudden become a contender in the Mountain West.
Wyoming adds transfer Leonard Washington
July, 30, 2010
7/30/10
8:55
PM ET
By Diamond Leung | ESPN.com
Former USC forward Leonard Washington will transfer to Wyoming, according to coach Heath Schroyer, who was so excited to get the 6-foot-7, 230-pounder into the Cowboys program that he tweeted the news using four exclamation points.
Washington, who has two years of eligibility left, is probably best known for an incident during his freshman season when he was ejected from a game for delivering a low blow to Oklahoma star Blake Griffin.
Washington's sophomore year under new coach Kevin O'Neill went even less swimmingly, as he started the season on academic suspension and ended it with O'Neill dismissing him from the team.
Washington did relish his role as an intimidator and averaged 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds coming off the bench this season.
He brings baggage with him to Wyoming, but the Cowboys have to hope his addition for the future would be one step toward the program reversing its recent downward trend.
Washington, who has two years of eligibility left, is probably best known for an incident during his freshman season when he was ejected from a game for delivering a low blow to Oklahoma star Blake Griffin.
Washington's sophomore year under new coach Kevin O'Neill went even less swimmingly, as he started the season on academic suspension and ended it with O'Neill dismissing him from the team.
Washington did relish his role as an intimidator and averaged 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds coming off the bench this season.
He brings baggage with him to Wyoming, but the Cowboys have to hope his addition for the future would be one step toward the program reversing its recent downward trend.
Academics cause Washington State transfer
June, 8, 2010
6/08/10
3:16
PM ET
By Diamond Leung | ESPN.com
James Watson had quite a life story to tell during his time at Washington State, and unfortunately for the freshman, his basketball career will now be taking a detour because of academics.
Watson, a 6-foot-7 forward who appeared in 29 of the Cougars' 31 games this season, was declared academically ineligible for the fall semester and will transfer to a junior college rather than sit out during that time.
"We wish James nothing but the best," Wazzu coach Ken Bone said in a statement.
Here's the updated list to all the West Coast transfers from this offseason.
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson, Victor Rudd
Boise State: Tyler Young
BYU: Michael Loyd Jr.
Cal: D.J. Seeley , Omondi Amoke (dismissed)
Cal State Bakersfield: Marcus Hall
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly, Mychal Ladd
Gonzaga: Grant Gibbs, G.J. Vilarino
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay, Aleksandar Milovic
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown, Colt Idol
Nevada: London Giles
New Mexico: Nate Garth, Will Brown (dismissed)
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matthew Humphrey, Josh Crittle
Pacific: Royal Edwards, Sterling Carter, Everson Lacerda
Pepperdine: Andy Shannon
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn , Nikola Stojiljkovic
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UC Davis: Julian Welch, Adam Malik
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (dismissed), Davis Rozitis
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Utah State: Anthony DiLoreto (dismissed), Modou Niang, Tyrone White, Jaxon Myaer
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen, James Watson
Weber State: Franklin Session
Watson, a 6-foot-7 forward who appeared in 29 of the Cougars' 31 games this season, was declared academically ineligible for the fall semester and will transfer to a junior college rather than sit out during that time.
"We wish James nothing but the best," Wazzu coach Ken Bone said in a statement.
Here's the updated list to all the West Coast transfers from this offseason.
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson, Victor Rudd
Boise State: Tyler Young
BYU: Michael Loyd Jr.
Cal: D.J. Seeley , Omondi Amoke (dismissed)
Cal State Bakersfield: Marcus Hall
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly, Mychal Ladd
Gonzaga: Grant Gibbs, G.J. Vilarino
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay, Aleksandar Milovic
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown, Colt Idol
Nevada: London Giles
New Mexico: Nate Garth, Will Brown (dismissed)
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matthew Humphrey, Josh Crittle
Pacific: Royal Edwards, Sterling Carter, Everson Lacerda
Pepperdine: Andy Shannon
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn , Nikola Stojiljkovic
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UC Davis: Julian Welch, Adam Malik
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (dismissed), Davis Rozitis
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Utah State: Anthony DiLoreto (dismissed), Modou Niang, Tyrone White, Jaxon Myaer
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen, James Watson
Weber State: Franklin Session
Freshman forward Victor Rudd has received his scholarship release from Arizona State, becoming the fourth player on the team to transfer.
The 6-foot-7 Rudd averaged 6.2 minutes in the 15 games he played. He's the second player in the Sun Devils' recruiting class from only a year ago to depart.
Here are the rest of the players on the West Coast known to be transferring, including a bevy leaving behind the Pac-10:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson, Victor Rudd
Boise State: Tyler Young
BYU: Michael Loyd Jr.
Cal: D.J. Seeley , Omondi Amoke (dismissed)
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly
Gonzaga: Grant Gibbs, G.J. Vilarino
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay, Aleksandar Milovic
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown, Colt Idol
Nevada: London Giles
New Mexico: Nate Garth
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matthew Humphrey
Pacific: Royal Edwards, Sterling Carter, Everson Lacerda
Pepperdine: Andy Shannon
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn , Nikola Stojiljkovic
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UC Davis: Julian Welch, Adam Malik
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Utah State: Anthony DiLoreto (dismissed), Modou Niang, Tyrone White, Jaxon Myaer
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Weber State: Franklin Session
The 6-foot-7 Rudd averaged 6.2 minutes in the 15 games he played. He's the second player in the Sun Devils' recruiting class from only a year ago to depart.
Here are the rest of the players on the West Coast known to be transferring, including a bevy leaving behind the Pac-10:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson, Victor Rudd
Boise State: Tyler Young
BYU: Michael Loyd Jr.
Cal: D.J. Seeley , Omondi Amoke (dismissed)
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly
Gonzaga: Grant Gibbs, G.J. Vilarino
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay, Aleksandar Milovic
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown, Colt Idol
Nevada: London Giles
New Mexico: Nate Garth
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matthew Humphrey
Pacific: Royal Edwards, Sterling Carter, Everson Lacerda
Pepperdine: Andy Shannon
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn , Nikola Stojiljkovic
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UC Davis: Julian Welch, Adam Malik
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Utah State: Anthony DiLoreto (dismissed), Modou Niang, Tyrone White, Jaxon Myaer
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Weber State: Franklin Session
New Mexico loses an unsurprising transfer
May, 7, 2010
5/07/10
5:00
PM ET
By Diamond Leung | ESPN.com
New Mexico has announced that Nate Garth will transfer after the sophomore guard asked for and received his scholarship release Thursday.
Attrition was expected since the Lobos, with Arizona State transfer Demetrius Walker set to arrive, had run out of scholarships. If Darington Hobson were to withdraw from the NBA draft, the Mountain West champs could very well see another player leave the program.
Garth, meanwhile, is expected to transfer closer to home in California.
On with another updated West Coast transfers list:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson
Boise State: Tyler Young
BYU: Michael Loyd Jr.
Cal: D.J. Seeley , Omondi Amoke (dismissed)
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly
Gonzaga: Grant Gibbs
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay, Aleksandar Milovic
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown, Colt Idol
Nevada: London Giles
New Mexico: Nate Garth
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matthew Humphrey
Pepperdine: Andy Shannon
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn , Nikola Stojiljkovic
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UC Davis: Julian Welch, Adam Malik
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Utah State: Anthony DiLoreto (dismissed)
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Weber State: Franklin Session
Attrition was expected since the Lobos, with Arizona State transfer Demetrius Walker set to arrive, had run out of scholarships. If Darington Hobson were to withdraw from the NBA draft, the Mountain West champs could very well see another player leave the program.
Garth, meanwhile, is expected to transfer closer to home in California.
On with another updated West Coast transfers list:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson
Boise State: Tyler Young
BYU: Michael Loyd Jr.
Cal: D.J. Seeley , Omondi Amoke (dismissed)
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly
Gonzaga: Grant Gibbs
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay, Aleksandar Milovic
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown, Colt Idol
Nevada: London Giles
New Mexico: Nate Garth
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matthew Humphrey
Pepperdine: Andy Shannon
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn , Nikola Stojiljkovic
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UC Davis: Julian Welch, Adam Malik
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Utah State: Anthony DiLoreto (dismissed)
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Weber State: Franklin Session
Carlon Brown opted to transfer from Utah after his junior season, and now he's entered the NBA draft while also looking at options on where he might play his senior season.
Brown, a 6-foot-5 guard, led the Utes in scoring with 12.6 points per game and apparently is drawing some NBA interest.
He has reportedly explored Colorado and Kent State as possibilities in the likely scenario that he removes his name from the draft.
On with the rest of the updated West Coast transfers list:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson
BYU: Michael Loyd Jr.
Cal: D.J. Seeley
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay, Aleksandar Milovic
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown, Colt Idol
Nevada: London Giles
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matthew Humphrey
Pepperdine: Andy Shannon
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn , Nikola Stojiljkovic
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Weber State: Franklin Session
Brown, a 6-foot-5 guard, led the Utes in scoring with 12.6 points per game and apparently is drawing some NBA interest.
He has reportedly explored Colorado and Kent State as possibilities in the likely scenario that he removes his name from the draft.
On with the rest of the updated West Coast transfers list:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson
BYU: Michael Loyd Jr.
Cal: D.J. Seeley
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay, Aleksandar Milovic
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown, Colt Idol
Nevada: London Giles
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matthew Humphrey
Pepperdine: Andy Shannon
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn , Nikola Stojiljkovic
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Weber State: Franklin Session
The Pac-10 used to lose players to the NBA, but this offseason, they're simply leaving for other schools.
Freshman forward Clarence Trent Wednesday became the latest player to bolt and find a new home elsewhere, transferring from Washington across town to play for former Huskies assistant Cameron Dollar, now the head coach at Seattle.
Freshman guard Demetrius Walker verbally committed Tuesday to transfer to New Mexico after cutting his stay at Arizona State short and visiting Albuquerque over the weekend.
The 6-foot-5 Trent, who earlier this month also left the football team, and sophomore guard Elston Turner are leaving a Sweet 16 team. Walker nearly got to the NCAA tournament with the Sun Devils, who finished second in the conference's regular season standings.
But they didn't receive as much playing time as they wanted.
"The reality is you have schools that play eight or nine guys," Dollar explained. "Something has to give."
On with the ever-expanding West Coast transfers list:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson
Cal: D.J. Seeley
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matt Humphrey
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Weber State: Franklin Session
Freshman forward Clarence Trent Wednesday became the latest player to bolt and find a new home elsewhere, transferring from Washington across town to play for former Huskies assistant Cameron Dollar, now the head coach at Seattle.
Freshman guard Demetrius Walker verbally committed Tuesday to transfer to New Mexico after cutting his stay at Arizona State short and visiting Albuquerque over the weekend.
The 6-foot-5 Trent, who earlier this month also left the football team, and sophomore guard Elston Turner are leaving a Sweet 16 team. Walker nearly got to the NCAA tournament with the Sun Devils, who finished second in the conference's regular season standings.
But they didn't receive as much playing time as they wanted.
"The reality is you have schools that play eight or nine guys," Dollar explained. "Something has to give."
On with the ever-expanding West Coast transfers list:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson
Cal: D.J. Seeley
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling, Taylor Kelly
Hawaii: Jeremy Lay
Loyola Marymount: Kevin Young
Montana State: Austin Brown
Oregon: Drew Wiley, Matt Humphrey
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Lateef McMullan, Konner Veteto
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Washington: Elston Turner, Clarence Trent
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Weber State: Franklin Session
Source: Demetrius Walker to visit New Mexico
April, 14, 2010
4/14/10
1:25
PM ET
By Diamond Leung | ESPN.com
Freshman Demetrius Walker, who once graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as the nation's best eighth-grade player, has received his scholarship release from Arizona State and is scheduled to visit to New Mexico this weekend, a source close to the situation told me.
A 6-foot-2, 195-pound guard, Walker showed flashes of his scoring ability while averaging 4 points and 10.5 minutes in 23 games for the Sun Devils, but was limited in playing time late in the season.
Walker could be a good fit for New Mexico, as he could sit out a year due to transfer rules while guard Dairese Gary plays his senior season.
Arizona State has also granted releases to sophomore Taylor Rohde and freshman Brandon Thompson.
Here's the latest edition of the West Coast transfers list:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson
Cal: D.J. Seeley
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling
Montana State: Austin Brown
Oregon: Drew Wiley (reportedly)
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Dwight Gordon
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
A 6-foot-2, 195-pound guard, Walker showed flashes of his scoring ability while averaging 4 points and 10.5 minutes in 23 games for the Sun Devils, but was limited in playing time late in the season.
Walker could be a good fit for New Mexico, as he could sit out a year due to transfer rules while guard Dairese Gary plays his senior season.
Arizona State has also granted releases to sophomore Taylor Rohde and freshman Brandon Thompson.
Here's the latest edition of the West Coast transfers list:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Arizona State: Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Brandon Thompson
Cal: D.J. Seeley
Fresno State: Brandon Sperling
Montana State: Austin Brown
Oregon: Drew Wiley (reportedly)
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed), Mike Moser
UC Riverside: Dwight Gordon
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Report: Demetrius Walker to transfer from ASU
April, 2, 2010
4/02/10
4:00
PM ET
By Diamond Leung | ESPN.com
Sports Illustrated had Demetrius Walker on its cover at age 14 and asked the question in a 2005 feature story: "The next LeBron?"
Fast forward to today, and the Arizona Republic is reporting that the freshman guard has asked for his scholarship release at Arizona State after playing sparingly down the stretch for the Sun Devils.
The school has yet to officially announce a release for Walker, who averaged 4 points in the 23 games he played.
He'd end up being one of many players in the West looking to transfer. Here are the others:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Cal: D.J. Seeley
Montana State: Austin Brown
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed)
UC Riverside: Dwight Gordon
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read, Chris Hines (reportedly)
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
Fast forward to today, and the Arizona Republic is reporting that the freshman guard has asked for his scholarship release at Arizona State after playing sparingly down the stretch for the Sun Devils.
The school has yet to officially announce a release for Walker, who averaged 4 points in the 23 games he played.
He'd end up being one of many players in the West looking to transfer. Here are the others:
Arizona: D.J. Shumpert
Cal: D.J. Seeley
Montana State: Austin Brown
San Francisco: Kwame Vaughn
Santa Clara: Troy Alexander
UCLA: J'mison Morgan (dismissed)
UC Riverside: Dwight Gordon
USC: Leonard Washington (reportedly dismissed)
Utah: Carlon Brown, Jordan Cyphers, Matt Read, Chris Hines (reportedly)
Washington State: Xavier Thames, Michael Harthun, Anthony Brown, John Allen
PALO ALTO, Calif. - USC's chaotic week is only halfway over, and fittingly, their game Wednesday night ended in a mad scramble.
Bodies flew, tip-in attempts failed, the buzzer sounded, and the scoreboard read Stanford 54, USC 53.
Nikola Vucevic pulled his jersey over his head in frustration. Leonard Washington sprawled on the court, his face buried in his hands.
On Sunday morning, the Trojan players learned that there would be no postseason. Tonight, in a battle between the teams slotted ninth and 10th in the preseason Pac-10 media poll, USC didn't look very NCAA-tournament-like anyway.
Coach Kevin O'Neill offered no excuses.
"For me, the news (of self-imposed sanctions) had nothing to do with this game," he said. "It's unfathomable to me that we would play like we did in the first half.
"I thought we had a total lack of effort in the first half. We were awful."
The Trojans woke up with 66 seconds left in the game, when they trailed by seven points. Improbably, with 32 seconds to go, they tied the game.
But with 10.6 seconds left and USC looking to force overtime, Washington fouled Jarrett Mann on a reach-in with his team in the double-bonus.
Mann missed the first free throw and made the second.
Mike Gerrity tried a runner to win it, and by the time the scrum under the basket was over, USC's eight-game winning streak had ended.
The good news?
It's hump day.
Bodies flew, tip-in attempts failed, the buzzer sounded, and the scoreboard read Stanford 54, USC 53.
Nikola Vucevic pulled his jersey over his head in frustration. Leonard Washington sprawled on the court, his face buried in his hands.
On Sunday morning, the Trojan players learned that there would be no postseason. Tonight, in a battle between the teams slotted ninth and 10th in the preseason Pac-10 media poll, USC didn't look very NCAA-tournament-like anyway.
Coach Kevin O'Neill offered no excuses.
"For me, the news (of self-imposed sanctions) had nothing to do with this game," he said. "It's unfathomable to me that we would play like we did in the first half.
"I thought we had a total lack of effort in the first half. We were awful."
The Trojans woke up with 66 seconds left in the game, when they trailed by seven points. Improbably, with 32 seconds to go, they tied the game.
But with 10.6 seconds left and USC looking to force overtime, Washington fouled Jarrett Mann on a reach-in with his team in the double-bonus.
Mann missed the first free throw and made the second.
Mike Gerrity tried a runner to win it, and by the time the scrum under the basket was over, USC's eight-game winning streak had ended.
The good news?
It's hump day.
USC bans itself from postseason, citing Mayo violations
January, 3, 2010
1/03/10
3:23
PM ET
By Diamond Leung | ESPN.com
USC has announced self-imposed sanctions that include banning its current 10-4 team from postseason play due to NCAA rules violations the program committed involving one-and-done guard O.J. Mayo.
The timing of the announcement is devastating to a team that has established itself as a legitimate contender for the Pac-10 regular-season title. The Trojans, using a stifling defense and a new point guard, have won eight in a row and could receive national poll recognition on Monday after beating Arizona State last night, 47-37, to complete a home sweep of the Arizona schools.
Coach Kevin O'Neill told ESPN's Kelly Naqi that athletic director Mike Garrett told him of the sanctions after last night's game when the Sun Devils were held to a low of 37 points in a single game for the second time since the 1949-50 season.
O'Neill told Naqi he met with the players this morning who were "stunned, shocked, disappointed."
USC not only is out of the Big Dance, but also won't even get to play in the Pac-10 tournament. It's an especially cruel blow to seniors like Mike Gerrity, Marcus Johnson and Dwight Lewis.
The Trojans will vacate all 21 wins during the 2007-08 season under coach Tim Floyd when Mayo played while ineligible. Also, there will be a reduction of one scholarship for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years as well as limitations in recruiting activities.
Floyd, who was not mentioned in the release, had also been accused of giving money to Guillory in 2007. Floyd resigned in the offseason, and O'Neill has said that an ongoing investigation "has basically taken over our team, since we lost so many players," with recruits backing out of their commitments.
But O'Neill is surprising people with his current team, which dominates on defense. Gerrity has been a revelation since becoming eligible and taking over at point guard. Leonard Washington became academically eligible, and along with transfer Alex Stepheson, the two have been tough in the paint. Also playing inspired basketball are Johnson and Nikola Vucevic.
Like it or not, their season ends March 6.
The timing of the announcement is devastating to a team that has established itself as a legitimate contender for the Pac-10 regular-season title. The Trojans, using a stifling defense and a new point guard, have won eight in a row and could receive national poll recognition on Monday after beating Arizona State last night, 47-37, to complete a home sweep of the Arizona schools.
Coach Kevin O'Neill told ESPN's Kelly Naqi that athletic director Mike Garrett told him of the sanctions after last night's game when the Sun Devils were held to a low of 37 points in a single game for the second time since the 1949-50 season.
O'Neill told Naqi he met with the players this morning who were "stunned, shocked, disappointed."
USC not only is out of the Big Dance, but also won't even get to play in the Pac-10 tournament. It's an especially cruel blow to seniors like Mike Gerrity, Marcus Johnson and Dwight Lewis.
The Trojans will vacate all 21 wins during the 2007-08 season under coach Tim Floyd when Mayo played while ineligible. Also, there will be a reduction of one scholarship for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years as well as limitations in recruiting activities.
"I think the University did the right thing in self-imposing sanctions," O'Neill said in a statement. "I respect and understand the action that was taken. Our players have risen to many challenges already this season and I am proud of what they have accomplished. I am confident that they will rise to this latest challenge.
“As their coach, I will do everything in my power to make our program better on and off the court every day. Our job as a team now is to move forward in a positive manner. We have 16 games left to play this season. I have no doubt that our players will prepare and play well in those games. While it is unfortunate that our players won't have the chance to compete in the postseason, that just makes every game for us now a postseason game.”
According to USC, Mayo became ineligible because of his involvement with Rodney Guillory, who under NCAA rules became a USC booster due to his role in Mayo's recruitment.Floyd, who was not mentioned in the release, had also been accused of giving money to Guillory in 2007. Floyd resigned in the offseason, and O'Neill has said that an ongoing investigation "has basically taken over our team, since we lost so many players," with recruits backing out of their commitments.
But O'Neill is surprising people with his current team, which dominates on defense. Gerrity has been a revelation since becoming eligible and taking over at point guard. Leonard Washington became academically eligible, and along with transfer Alex Stepheson, the two have been tough in the paint. Also playing inspired basketball are Johnson and Nikola Vucevic.
Like it or not, their season ends March 6.
“When we’ve done something wrong, we have an obligation to do something about it and that is exactly what we are doing here,” Garrett said in a statement.
A few weeks ago, in a previous life, I wrote the following about USC:
I hate reading my old writing, so realize how difficult that was for me. Why, yes, I do want a cookie. Thank you.
Anyway, the point is that USC wasn't supposed to be good. It wasn't even supposed to be marginal. USC was a program in distress, a bombed-out and depleted facsimile of what Tim Floyd spent years building and then, if reports of his involvement in the dirty specifics of O.J. Mayo's recruitment are correct, destroying. The Trojans look different. They're being coached by Kevin O'Neill, who by all accounts is not a player's coach, and that's putting it very politely. They have a fraction of the talent left over from last year's team.
And yet, don't look now, but USC might still be OK. Downright good, even. I know, I know. It's weird. But it's true. After all, USC just cruised to an easy win over No. 20 UNLV at the Diamond Head Classic. That would be interesting enough, but it follows the Trojans' 22-point win over Tennessee on Dec. 19. That was guard Mike Gerrity's first game since his transfers from Pepperdine and Charlotte. Gerrity was granted a waiver by the NCAA to play against Tennessee, and the Trojans are mighty thankful for his services. Alongside the return of academically suspect forward Leonard Washington -- also the name of a classic Chappelle's Show character, and that never hurts -- the Trojans have serious basketball people asking seriously: Can USC actually win the Pac-10? Maybe?
Maybe not. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. But the Trojans have cleared at least one hurdle: they're decidedly not awful. Post-apocalyptic landscape this is not.
Like a beautifully rendered post-apocalyptic landscape, you won't be able to help checking in on the Trojans. [...] These are not last year's USC Trojans. The reasons for this are obvious: Tim Floyd resigned his position amidst a Yahoo! Sports report that he had a very dirty hand in O.J. Mayo's recruitment, and Floyd chose not to fight the impending NCAA investigation into USC's entire athletics program. Instead, he fled, leaving his players to transfer and recruits to choose elsewhere. USC, with its brand-new stadium and shiny uniforms and big-program sheen will look an awful lot like D.C. in "Fallout 3." What was here before was beautiful, but the destruction has an attraction of its own.
I hate reading my old writing, so realize how difficult that was for me. Why, yes, I do want a cookie. Thank you.
Anyway, the point is that USC wasn't supposed to be good. It wasn't even supposed to be marginal. USC was a program in distress, a bombed-out and depleted facsimile of what Tim Floyd spent years building and then, if reports of his involvement in the dirty specifics of O.J. Mayo's recruitment are correct, destroying. The Trojans look different. They're being coached by Kevin O'Neill, who by all accounts is not a player's coach, and that's putting it very politely. They have a fraction of the talent left over from last year's team.
And yet, don't look now, but USC might still be OK. Downright good, even. I know, I know. It's weird. But it's true. After all, USC just cruised to an easy win over No. 20 UNLV at the Diamond Head Classic. That would be interesting enough, but it follows the Trojans' 22-point win over Tennessee on Dec. 19. That was guard Mike Gerrity's first game since his transfers from Pepperdine and Charlotte. Gerrity was granted a waiver by the NCAA to play against Tennessee, and the Trojans are mighty thankful for his services. Alongside the return of academically suspect forward Leonard Washington -- also the name of a classic Chappelle's Show character, and that never hurts -- the Trojans have serious basketball people asking seriously: Can USC actually win the Pac-10? Maybe?
Maybe not. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. But the Trojans have cleared at least one hurdle: they're decidedly not awful. Post-apocalyptic landscape this is not.
USC's Washington regains eligibility
December, 23, 2009
12/23/09
4:27
PM ET
By Diamond Leung | ESPN.com
USC forward Leonard Washington was declared eligible today, according to a team source, just in time for a showdown against one-loss Saint Mary's at the Diamond Head Classic, which tips off in about half an hour.
Washington, a sophomore, sat out the first semester due to academic issues, but his grades were posted this morning. He made 13 starts for the Trojans as a freshman.
With point guard Mike Gerrity now eligible as well and leading the team, it's all coming together for the Trojans just in time for the Pac-10 season.
Andy Katz had an in-depth story on USC, with coach Kevin O'Neill talking about his team's prospects. O'Neill also the other day chatted with fans at ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Washington, a sophomore, sat out the first semester due to academic issues, but his grades were posted this morning. He made 13 starts for the Trojans as a freshman.
With point guard Mike Gerrity now eligible as well and leading the team, it's all coming together for the Trojans just in time for the Pac-10 season.
Andy Katz had an in-depth story on USC, with coach Kevin O'Neill talking about his team's prospects. O'Neill also the other day chatted with fans at ESPNLosAngeles.com.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Eamonn Brennan
Brennan joined ESPN.com in 2009 after several years of blogging at Yahoo! and other places around the Internet. The Iowa native lives in Chicago with his roommates, his dog, and a crippling addiction to caffeine.
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