About a month ago, I wrote a post about USC’s Tim Floyd and how there were rumors circulating that he “bought” OJ Mayo. An investigation by the NCAA ensued and is still underway. Yet, Tim Floyd took matters into his own hands and recently resigned as head coach.

Tim Floyd resigned on Tuesday, perhaps due to speculation about NCAA recruiting violations concerning former player, OJ Mayo.

I know that you are innocent until proven guilty, but when you bow out like this it only makes everyone think that you are guilty. According to Rivals.com, “Floyd didn’t address the allegation in his letter to USC athletic director Mike Garrett, which was obtained by the Clarion-Ledger and also released by USC in a statement.”

In the letter, Floyd said he was resigning due to lack of enthusiasm. I find that hard to believe. He has only been USC’s head coach for four seasons. Maybe he was forced to resign, or maybe he felt that the Yahoo! Sports report about the alleged allegations had tainted his career at USC. Whatever the real reason is doesn’t matter. Floyd’s coaching career will be tainted no matter where he goes.

USC, meanwhile, is now dealing with two separate investigations into the school’s football and basketball programs.

“The University is cooperating fully in the continuing investigation with the NCAA and Pac-10 into all allegations of NCAA and Pac-10 rules violations at USC,” USC vice president Todd Dickey said in a statement Tuesday. “The university, the NCAA and Pac-10 have jointly conducted interviews of approximately 50 witnesses. No conclusions have yet been reached. … At this point, it would be both inappropriate and premature to comment further.”

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with Dickey. Conclusions by the media and the general public have already been reached. And they aren’t good.

Photo: Zuma

And not the kind you spread on a turkey sandwich, either.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Tim Floyd paid a man named Rodney Guillory,who helped deliver O.J. Mayo to the Trojans program.

Tim Floyd is under investigation for reportedly paying someone to bring O.J. Mayo to USC.

This information was given by a former friend of Mayo’s, Louis Johnson, who told NCAA officials (as well as the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office) that Floyd gave at least $1,000 in cash to Guillory so that he could continue to ply Mayo with star treatment and numerous gifts.

Didn’t USC learn anything from the Reggie Bush scandal? The college is already under a three-year investigation for violating NCAA regulations in both the football and men’s basketball programs.

But beyond all of that, I have one important question.  Was O.J. Mayo even worth it?

Image: Newscom

For the 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year award, there wasn’t much suspense. Derrick Rose, the star rookie for the Chicago Bulls and the number one pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, officially was named the winner on Wednesday.

In the season, Rose averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists in 37 minutes per game. He shot 47.5% from the field and 78.8% at the free throw line. He, also was able to stay healthy, playing in 81 of the team’s 82 games.

In the playoffs, Rose has been even better. In his first postseason game of his career, Rose scored 36 points and dished off 11 assists against the defending champion Boston Celtics. The Bulls were able to win that game by a final score of 105-103.

Currently, Rose is preparing for Game 3 of the first round series against the Celtics with the series tied 1-1.

OJ Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies finished second in the 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year voting, followed by Brook Lopez, Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon.

Derrick Rose, 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year (Image: Newscom)

With less than a month left in the regular season, it’s time to start focusing on the awards. For NBA Rookie of the Year there are many worth candidates. Here’s a look at the top five candidates to take home the 2008-09 NBA ROY award:

5. Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers
Once given a starting spot, Gordon took off. Although he doesn’t have great height for the shooting guard position, he’s built like a tank and his strength makes him dangerous anywhere on the court.

4. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Early on, it appeared as if Westbrook could be a bust. But he gradually got better and right now he might be playing better than any rookie in the NBA. Next to Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, Westbrook could become a star.

3. Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets
The best bigman in the 2008-09 rookie class appears to be Lopez of the Nets. He has very good nice and understands the game extremely well. Going forward, he’ll be a double-double machine.

2. OJ Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies
Scouts weren’t convinced Mayo could make a successful jump to the NBA. But after his rookie year, most scouts agree that he has star potential. Mayo can score and his defense is underrated.

1. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
The number one overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft has a great chance of winning the Rookie of the Year. Despite inconsistency and struggles here and there, Rose has likely done enough to win the award.

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls - NBA Rookie of the Year (Image: Newscom)

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose started the season with a lot of exciting performances and a lot of people automatically gave him the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Since then, he’s had some bad outings and his defense has been exposed as non-existent. That said, he’ll still probably win it.

OJ Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies
In college, everyone thought OJ Mayo was a ballhogging moron. But on the NBA level, he has proven that sentiment to be wrong. He’s been a very smart scorer who doesn’t overly force the action. Playing in Memphis hurts his chances.

Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers
Greg Oden was one of the most hyped rookies of the past 20 years coming into this season. But after getting hurt early on and not doing much since getting healthy, Oden still has a lot to prove before he could win the Rookie of the Year award. That said, if he gets on a dominant streak, he still has a chance.

Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
The Heat have made sure that Michael Beasley only gets to play when he’s defending. For that reason, his minutes have been somewhat sporadic. When he plays, Beasley has been pretty darn good. He can score from many spots on the court and can also rebound better than his size would indicate.

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