Looks like SuC is trying to weasel out of the Mayogate by pointing the fingers at the NCAA:

When allegations surfaced this year that USC basketball star O.J. Mayo had received improper benefits from a sports agency funneled through close advisors, the university pointed to its own scrutiny of Mayo and said an NCAA "investigation" had deemed him eligible.

Now, with two sources confirming that an NCAA representative met with Mayo and advisor Rodney Guillory for several hours before certifying the player's eligibility for the 2007-08 school year, there is national focus on how that NCAA pre-screening process could affect USC's possible culpability in the Mayo scandal.

USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett and men's basketball Coach Tim Floyd declined to comment, but university officials have privately expressed frustrations about the severity of any looming discipline the NCAA or Pacific 10 Conference may deliver the Trojans in light of the NCAA screening of Mayo.

Get it? SuC officials had no responsibility in signing a tainted athlete, who everyone knew had some baggage before magically showing up at South Central. According to SuC officials they couldn’t have foreseen this scandal even after having pre-existing relationship with shady Guillory.

An area of concern might be Guillory's prior connections to former USC player Jeff Trepagnier and ex-Fresno State star Tito Maddox, who were disciplined for accepting benefits from aspiring Las Vegas agents. It is not known if the NCAA asked Guillory about those ties.

The NCAA could penalize USC for a lack of institutional control in the Mayo case.

What SuC is trying to is to get away with minimum damage out of a scandal that would have brought other programs down. They are pointing their fingers at the NCAA, hoping to get away with minor slap in the wrist

Richard A. Johanningmeier, NCAA associate director of enforcement, participated in the pre-enrollment screening of Mayo and current investigation, said a USC source who was forbidden from speaking on the record about the Mayo case.

"We handle it on a case-by-case basis," Osburn said. "So, our threshold for institutions is: Did they know or should they have known? Do they have the processes in place to catch violations?"

Michael Glazier, a former member of the NCAA enforcement staff who heads a Kansas law firm's collegiate sports practice group, said the NCAA review of an athlete "doesn't alleviate an institution's responsibility to analyze the background of the recruit . . . and to examine any warning signs that may emerge in a diligent, comprehensive manner."

He said that if USC met that responsibility, he thought the NCAA would not impose severe penalties, such as a postseason tournament ban or scholarship limitations. But Glazier added that he thought lesser penalties such as stripping USC of victories and forcing it to return money from the NCAA tournament were "close to automatic."

Getting paid $30,000 to play at SuC and all they are hoping to get away with is just returning money from their “one and done” and forfeit victories from a mediocre 20 win season.

Shameless cheaters.