"I am so thankful for the fans and alumni at USC and around the nation that have been so supportive of me and my teammates throughout the season," Mayo said in a statement. "I'd like to express my appreciation to my coaches and teammates for their support in one of the most important decisions I've ever made."
"This comes as no surprise," coach Tim Floyd said in the statement. "We are appreciative of everything O.J. did for all of us the year he was with us. We wish him well. I have no doubt that he will be a great professional."
Well, duh, Coach Floyd. We've been hearing about Mayo so long, you'd think he's 32 years old right now (especially if you've lived in the Cincinnati area ... as I now do). Mayo has always been a lock to enter the NBA once he was eligible, so none of this is surprising.
According to NBADraft.net, Mayo is a top five pick and compared to Stephon Marbury.
The Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday that Kevin Love and Darren Collison have both decided to make themselves available for June's NBA draft. Citing sources close to the players, the newspaper said that Love and Collison told coach Ben Howland of their decisions in separate meetings.
The newspaper reported that the two will hire agents, making them ineligible to return to the Bruins next season.
According to NBADraft.net, Love is projected to go in the back end of the lottery (in the 10-15 range), while Collison is around the #20 slot. Many people, including bloggers here at FanHouse, have speculated about what kind of career Love will have in the NBA. Some feel he could be a long-time starter ... while others feel he'll be a bust.
Interestingly, they have Russell Westbrook at the #9 pick ... and he hasn't declared for the draft. Yet.
UCLA's Kevin Love is the NCAA tournament's most talked about player west of Stephen Curry. With Love projected to be a lottery pick, his NBA future is on many people's minds. Not just the normal if he'll go, but what kind of NBA player will he be once he gets there?
So, we got our top hoops minds together to discuss this.
Charles Rich: I'm not so sure he will translate as well to the NBA. I see him much like Shane Battier -- a great college player and a solid NBA player. Great for team chemistry and smart.
Josh Alper: When I read the negatives about Love for the next level I always think that they're trying to find things that are wrong with him rather than stuff that's right. It's true, he isn't freakishly athletic but he's a fantastic basketball player. He's a strong passer, good shooter, goes 100% every minute of the game and knows how to maximize every one of his skills. That's pretty good.
Even if he did turn out like Battier, what's so awful about that? A guy who makes his teammates better and does it happily while helping his team win. I'll take that over a more talented Zach Randolph-type of player.
Using a 28-7 run to end the first half, the UCLA Bruins are cruising against Western Kentucky. At the break, they lead their Sweet 16 game with the Hilltoppers, 41-20.
It's the classic matchup between a #1 seed and a #12: the bigger and faster team is taking care of business.
UCLA's offense and defense are just so efficient. Offensively, the Bruins are shooting 51%. They are dominating the paint with Kevin Love and James Keefe and pretty much getting whatever shot they want.
Defensively, the Bruins are holding WKU to just 19% shooting (an ugly 6-of-32). The Hilltoppers' star, Courtney Lee, has scored just five points on 2-of-13 shooting. Nearly every attempt by Western Kentucky is challenged and UCLA is constantly pressing in the half court.
Better news for UCLA fans: Josh Shipp has found his stroke. After scoring just six total points in the Bruins first two tournament games, Shipp has eight at the break ... including a three point shot.
This is a mascot named Rental Man dancing at UCLA's opening round NCAA Tournament game against Mississippi Valley State:
Rental Man apparently has no interest in whether music is playing in the arena or whether they're just announcing the scores of other games; he's going to dance to his own beat. And if you're the type of person who likes dancing around like an idiot at a game, it's not a bad gig. According to this job ad, Rental Man makes $60,000 plus access to all the big sporting events, including the Super Bowl.
"Dad's spirits are good," [daughter Nan] Muehlhausen said in a statement. "He is up and joking around with the family. He will probably be in the hospital for a couple of more days before he goes home."
"We appreciate everyone's concern, but we are requesting that people do not call the hospital and do not try to visit Dad at this time," Muehlhausen said.
At his age, a fall is no joke. Falls are one of the leading causes of injuries, hospitalizations and death among the elderly. The 97-year old Wooden was hospitalized a year ago with diverticulitis and is currently walking around with a cane. Still, he is quite active in the UCLA Bruins program.
So it is great news to hear that he should be fine. Every college basketball fan wishes him the very best and a speedy recovery.
Percy Miller, the rapper and actor also known as Romeo or Lil' Romeo, will be playing basketball at USC next year, and he's already appearing on ESPN to talk about his potential as a basketball player:
I have serious doubts about whether Miller is actually good enough to be a Pac-10 player, and I have a feeling that he's going to be on the USC team more because Tim Floyd wants a big name than because he has a big game. But Miller said he had other options, and that he also considered Florida State, LSU and Cal.
He says he ultimately chose the Trojans because, "Me being in the film industry, and them having an amazing film school there."
He also revealed that his favorite player of all time is Nate "Tiny" Archibald, who retired before Miller was born. "Tiny, that's my boy," Miller said. "I wear number seven because of him."
Nowadays, we come across a so-called "the game of the century" seemingly every year (didn't the Patriots have a few of them in the past NFL season?) that it has become cliche. Even the people giving that moniker know it.
However, on January 20, 1968 ... exactly 40 years ago today ... we had the actual thing. #1 UCLA, led by Lew Alcinder, against #2 Houston, with Elvin Hayes in the middle, in Houston's Astrodome in front of 52,629 fans. UCLA was riding a 47-game winning streak (spanning over two-plus seasons) that included a win over Houston in the 1967 Final Four. That was Houston's last defeat heading into this contest.
Not only was this a great game (Hayes hit two free throws to give the Cougars the 71-69 win) but it may have been one of the most important college basketball games ever. This was the first NCAA hoops game to be broadcast nationally in prime time. Up to that point, only postseason games were televised nationally and there was quite a buzz about the non-profit NCAA putting a regular season game out there like this.
In some ways, it birthed "March Madness". Sure, Magic vs Bird helped turn it into the spectacle that it is today, but this game fathered the idea that there could be a madness part of the tournament. People wanted to see games like this. It also put the thought of having basketball games in football/basketball domed stadiums ... something so radical at the time. Because of the success of this game, the Final Four went to the Astrodome in 1971, then the 1982 Final Four went to the Louisiana Superdome. Since 1996, every Final Four has been held in a domed-stadium.
Rivalry games often come down to emotion, and there is no denying that USC just wanted it more against its cross-town counterparts on Saturday afternoon. The Trojans shot over 60 percent from the field and flexed the defensive muscle that UCLA is typically known for in a convincing 72-63 win at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins did have its moments, dominating on the offensive glass and second-chance points, but USC just wasn't going to be denied in this one.
And for the impartial fans like myself, this is nothing but good news. This is one of the best -- if not the best -- basketball town in the country so it's only fitting that is has a true college hoops rivalry. UCLA fans shouldn't be despondent over this loss. (And judging from the TV, the fans were handling it better than those tearful North Carolina fans. But then again, the Bruins lost to a legitimate in the best conference in college basketball. The Heels lost to freaking Maryland.) Maybe this rivalry isn't at the level of the 1970-71 season (when UCLA and USC were the top ranked teams in the country), but this is a start.
USC has been on the cusp this season, losing tough games to ranked teams such as Memphis and Kansas (who should be No. 1, No. 2 next week), but just couldn't seem to get over the hump until Saturday. And it was a talented freshman who pushed the Trojans over the top. No, not O.J. Mayo, the other freshman.
He hasn't played a college game yet for USC. The media in Los Angeles, however, is already asking when he will be leaving.
The heralded freshman guard said Tuesday afternoon when he met with the media at Heritage Hall that he intended to return for a second year of college unless he was guaranteed to become a lottery pick in the NBA draft -- a proposition that for now is considered likely.
"Right now, I plan on staying more than one year unless my situation changes and I have an opportunity to make a living for my family," Mayo said. "Right now, I'm focusing on my education, and I'm hoping next year if I do return -- which I plan on -- I'd like to go into business management and real estate investments."
What do they expect him to say? He's savvy enough to hedge on what he says he will do. Maybe they think that because Mayo is from West Virginia he'll come out and say something right away. The NBA age restriction kept him from turning pro out of high school.
This is a kid who, along with his parents, chose USC in large part because it offered him greater media and national exposure to enhance his profile. Somehow, I don't think the LA sports media will be much of a problem for Mayo.
The charade is over and we've finally reached that day. O.J. Mayo is heading to the NBA Draft. Mayo has announced that he will leave USC after his freshman season and enter the draft.
Just three days after losing to Memphis in the NCAA Tournament semifinals, UCLA's 
UCLA's 
Using a 28-7 run to end the first half, the UCLA Bruins are cruising against Western Kentucky. At the break, they lead their Sweet 16 game with the Hilltoppers, 41-20.
UCLA legend 
Nowadays, we come across a so-called "the game of the century" seemingly every year (didn't the Patriots have a few of them in the past NFL season?) that it has become cliche. Even the people giving that moniker know it.
Rivalry games often come down to emotion, and there is no denying that USC just wanted it more against its cross-town counterparts on Saturday afternoon. The Trojans shot over 60 percent from the field and flexed the defensive muscle that UCLA is typically known for in a convincing 
He hasn't played a college game yet for USC. The media in Los Angeles, however, is already 
