• "We have no idea how long this investigation will continue."
• "No one is more anxious to bring this process to a conclusion than we are."
• "We take these allegations very seriously."
• "What we have to protect is the integrity of the athletic department."

One item not lifted straight from Damage Control 101: "About 50 people" have been interviewed by the NCAA and/or the Pac-10, with USC officials sitting in on every one except a few "from which we were excluded" by the request/demand of certain accusers.

As usual, leave the public speaking to Pete Carroll, who faced the boosters Wednesday without his usual stage partner, disgraced basketball coach Tim Floyd:

"This is me saying nothing," Carroll said ... Then his trademark candor slipped through: "I noticed, no basketball highlights tonight."

I mean, you can't expect the Humanitarian to just say nothing.

• Bruins, however, will wear nothing. Meanwhile, across town, the L.A. Times' Adam Rose was on the ground Wednesday night, inside yet another reason you should have ponied up for out-of-state tuition -- UCLA's traditional Undie Run:

Man, even the obvious nerds in L.A. are kind of cut. Maybe I should stop buying Bud Light for all my meetings ...

• Victory from retroactive defeat. Rubbernecking back to the violation beat: As expected, the NCAA officialized the probation/vacated wins rap against Alabama Thursday, eliciting either shrugs, frustration or minor hand-wringing across the board. (No one says, "Awesome job, NCAA.") Former Tide players may have been "shocked" to have their triumphs wiped from the books, but generally, if the sanctions aren't exactly a good thing, it is clear that they don't affect Alabama's ability to compete going forward.

The Birmingham News' Tide blog details the 21 'Bama wins that are now losses (at least until the inevitable appeal). That same post also provides the quote of the day, in which commenter "Alabama 88" sums up the real headline as far as most Tiders are concerned:

Big deal. No scollies lost..... Bad news for the Barnies. No vacating ANY wins vs. AUA.

Indeed, because Alabama didn't have ANY wins vs. Auburn during the years in question, on the field or in the books. Leave it to Iron Bowl hatreds to respond to news of victory turned to defeat by turning completely unrelated defeats into victory. What a country!

But my favorite reaction to the NCAA's fluffy hammer this week comes from the Boulder Daily Camera's Neill Woelk, who actually references the following scene from the 1971 quasi-classic "Big Jake" as his model for a new era of "frontier justice" by the NCAA:

Contrast Woelk's pent-up vengeance with the slightly more laid-back response to departmental scandal by the Miami Herald's Joseph Goodman, who sums up Florida's legal woes thusly:

You've got to have thugs to win football games.

Generational and geographical gaps, will your wonders never cease?

• Just doing a little field work. I'm sure it's only a coincidence that, just hours after Goodman's column went online, Miami native and Ohio State signee Jamaal Berry, maybe the most celebrated Buckeye in OSU's incoming class, decided to put the theory to test:

Berry, an incoming freshman running back who turned 18 on May 22, was arrested early yesterday in his hometown of Miami, according to court records. He was charged with possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana.

The charge is a third-degree felony, the least serious under Florida law, and is punishable by up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Twenty grams isn't quite Ramonce Taylor territory, but it is a lot. If Berry avoids the more serious penalties, he's still likely to miss the start of OSU's summer quarter (in which freshman usually enroll) and spent his first year, at least, deep inside Jim Tressel's doghouse.

Quickly ... A pair of Washington State freshmen were arrested -- though not yet charged -- on suspicion of stealing a pair of bicycles, as well as the hacksaw they used to cut them free. ... Florida's attorney general's office complains that the NCAA's secrecy in response to a Florida State appeal violates state law. ... Incoming defensive end Justin Chaisson, who had felony charges for allegedly holding a screwdriver to his girlfriend's neck and throwing her in a car reduced to misdemeanors last month, is listed on Oklahoma's pre-camp roster. ... Jake Locker is a quarterback for now, but may sign with the L.A. Angels to secure a future in baseball. ... Meanwhile, Locker's coach nailed the NCAA's recruiting exam (again.) ... Mark Richt clams up. ... Tennessee receiver Gerald Jones goes under the knife. ... Here's a scheduling idea that should trickle up: I-AA powers Appalachian State, McNeese State and Montana have agreed to six-game, home-and-home round robin through 2017. ... And it looks fun, but it's really tough growing up Samoan.

As expected Tim Floyd either deflected or refused to answer any questions about the recent allegations that he passed an envelope of cash to Rodney Guillory securing the commitment of O.J. Mayo.

Floyd appeared Wednesday night along with football Coach Pete Carroll at the Irvine Hyatt Regency, the first stop on a meet-and-greet tour with Trojans supporters across the state over the next couple of weeks.

The free fall that the basketball team is currently experiencing, the specter of an NCAA investigation into the Trojans' basketball and football programs, and rampant speculation that Floyd's job might be on the line was not part of the agenda.

The crowd that filled one of the hotel's ballrooms mustered only one tough question, which was asked of both coaches: There has been this cloud of the NCAA, are we ever going to get out of it?

Carroll quickly answered, saying that when he first got to USC his goal was to build a program where, "everyone was coming after us."

"Be careful what you wish for," Carroll added, also saying that scrutiny was the price "for being on top."

Floyd did not respond to the question.

While it is not surprising that Floyd didn't answer the allegations it still amazes me that Floyd hs not come out to defend himself in any way shape or form. I know what the school policy is but if this is my career and reputation on the line I go into full war mode to protect and defend my name...I mean a vigorus "the allegations are false" is better than nothing and leave it at that. The school could certainly allow Floyd to put out a simple statement that shows at least some level of self defense.

I also found Pete Carroll's stament of being so successful that everyone will come after us. I understand the what he means, you have to be wary of the negative recruiting aspect of the game but he needed to be mindful of leeches that will surround a successful program. It is a delaicate balance, the football program made things open to the masses but with all the well wishers came the scumbags who were looking for a quick payday.

In my own experience out at practice last November the openess was still there but you had to get cleared before they would let you in. That was clearly in response to the many agents and runners that once permiated Heritage Hall around the time that Reggie Bush mess broke.

Obviously this story is far from over and even after the NCAA makes their ruling the repurcussions will reverberate for a while so all we can do is wait and see.

A PROGRAMING NOTE: I hope to publish a story later today that I have been working on for over the past week. I need SBN final approval before posting it. I think you will find it interesting. I went through a lot of hoops in trying to put this together and I learned a lot about just how journalism works. there is a lot more to it than just putting words down on paper. I think you will find it telling and interesting.

You've spoken on ESPN radio about Louis Johnson's allegation that Tim Floyd gave money to Rodney Guillory on Valentine's Day of 2007, and pointed out that it was a travel day for the basketball team. The team's itinerary indicates that practice at USC was in the early afternoon and the plane left a few hours later. With those parameters, a morning meeting seems feasible. Why don't you think it couldn't have happened on a travel day?

Coach Floyd is usually in the office around 6:30 a.m. just watching tape. There were times, especially my junior year (his first year), I'd get a workout in at 6 a.m. and I'd go through Heritage Hall to go to the locker room. I'd see the light on, I'd walk in, and Coach Floyd would be sitting there eating some food and watching tape at 7 in the morning. He was usually always there in the office, especially during the season, especially during Pac-10 play, with Coach [Phil] Johnson just watching film all day long. You never really saw him go anywhere during the daytime.

If [Louis Johnson] said this happened on a Tuesday at 9 o'clock in the evening, then I would have nothing to say. But he's not saying that. He's saying it happened in broad daylight in Beverly Hills, a place where he could be recognized. That's what doesn't make any sense.

Why else do you doubt the accusation?

He's saying it happened in Beverly Hills. If something like that were to go down, why would it be in Beverly Hills, which is right next to UCLA? I've seen Coach Howland walking up and down that street [Rodeo Drive] many, many times during the day. You have UCLA students walking down there all the time. Celebrities walk down that street. Paparazzi's all over the place. They would see Coach Floyd walking around. It would be pretty obvious. If you were going to do something like that, you wouldn't do it in a place where you could be recognized, you'd do it somewhere off the beaten path.

You can read the entire interview by clicking on the below link.

Former USC basketball player shares more on Tim Floyd and O.J. Mayo [LA Times]

The preeminent journalists of our time are on it.

Louis Johnson, a cocaine dealer and disgruntled former-member of O.J. Mayo's handler posse, has sworn testimony that states he saw an envelope of Benjamins in Rodney Guillory's possession that Louis claims that Rodney said he got from Tim Floyd.

Thank you Yahoo Sports. We are all forever indebted to your excellence for bringing this pressing matter to our attention. We can't wait to buy Louis Johnson's book to learn everything about this alleged $1000 exchange.

The NCAA has combined its investigations of Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo -- former football and basketball stars -- into a single probe of the Trojans' athletic program, the Los Angeles Times reported.

What does this mean?

If you're a bigger fan of USC football than basketball, it should feel worrisome.

The individuals who allegedly gave Bush cash and gifts and a rent-free home for his parents were anonymous outsiders, two men trying to become sports agents. Unless the NCAA is going to pull a rabbit out of its investigative hat, all reported connections or interactions with these men and the Trojans football program were scant and tenuous.

In other words, it didn't completely strain credulity that the coaching staff claimed ignorance.

The Mayo case had a different feel. Basketball coach Tim Floyd and his staff knew Rodney Guillory, a Los Angeles events promoter who allegedly was receiving monthly payments from the Northern California sports agency Bill Duffy Associates. They knew of the close relationship between Guillory and Mayo. They knew Mayo was a risky player to bring into the program.

By connecting the two cases, the NCAA appears to be now reviewing these investigations as systemic problems within USC's athletic department.

Yes, we're talking about the dreaded "lack of institutional control."

Or as ESPN's Pat Forde wrote in May when "Outside the Lines" broke the Mayo story: "So you take the Bush allegations, add a side of Mayo and ask the question: Has there ever been a more textbook definition of 'lack of institutional control'?'"

Which means potential penalties could include scholarship cuts, post-season bans, victories erased from the record book, etc., -- all the big ones.

USC officials would be quick to point out -- if anyone would talk specifically about these investigations at this point, which, of course, they won't -- that these are not accusations of pay-for-play.

These agents, the USC argument would go, are rogues working against the interests of the athletic program. Not only that, it's a misdemeanor in the state for sports agents and their representatives to provide cash or gifts to student-athletes.

The athletic department will throw up its collective hands and say completely monitoring the private lives of its athletes in a big city like LA is nearly impossible.

And it may hope that the lesser violation of "failure to monitor" comes out when the NCAA finishes its investigation.

He's sitting out games, having already missing USC's opener.

He's waiting to find out if he can play in the Trojans' second home game tonight.

And he's wishing he can board a red-eye flight that will take the team to Puerto Rico for a weekend tournament.

Stepheson is an impressive forward who transferred to USC after two seasons at North Carolina. Most players have to sit out one year, but the NCAA grants exceptions under certain circumstances. Stepheson applied for a transfer waiver, reportedly after an illness in the family caused him to come home to the LA area. But with the season already underway, he still doesn't know if he'll be eligible to play.

The Stepheson ripple runs deep. Coach Tim Floyd never divulges his starting lineup, but you can interpret his assessment of Stepheson yourself. "We feel like he's a guy that can have an impact, not only on our team but in the league."

Basketball analysts agree. ESPN's Andy Katz thinks his addition would make USC a Pac-10 title favorite, alongside UCLA and Arizona State.

In the meantime, the Trojans are spending valuable practice time on schemes that they might not be able to run.

"We're trying to prepare with both scenarios in mind," said Floyd. "We've done a lot of work with him as a part of the group that would be out there, and a lot of work without him in that group.... We really had to think in terms of two offensive systems, which has been somewhat of a distraction. If he wasn't as talented as he is, it wouldn't be worth doing. But he is, and we're trying to prepare ourselves the best we can in the event that we get good news."

It also wouldn't be worth doing if Stepheson's case were a long-shot. Based on NCAA precedent, there's reason for the Trojans to be optimistic. And that can make the waiting game frustrating.

Last year, the NCAA granted 55 transfer waivers and denied 34. Tyler Smith, who transferred from Iowa to Tennessee just before his father passed away from cancer, was one of six approved in men's basketball, out of 10 requests. This season, the NCAA had nine requests in men's basketball by the start of November -- approving four and denying one. That leaves four in progress, including Stepheson.

According to college sport's governing body, one of the common reasons they grant a transfer waiver is documented illness to a member of student-athlete’s family "that results in the need for the student-athlete to transfer." No need to overanalyze that. In tough times, his family needs him. He needs them. And as a lifelong athlete, he still needs basketball. Teammates are usually like a second family, and Stepheson has joined a team that certainly knows how to deal with life's hardest knocks. Two years ago, they lost point guard Ryan Francis in a tragic shooting. He would have been a senior this season.

The NCAA obviously can't issue a free pass to anybody who wants to jump ship and skip the normally required redshirt year. A few months ago, they denied the waiver of Colin Peek, an Alabama football transfer who left Georgia Tech because their new coach doesn't typically use his position (tight end). The NCAA won't comment on specific cases, but a representative said that type of reasoning falls outside the scope of a transfer waiver. There were reports that Peek would seek a "hardship" waiver (typically granted by conferences, not the NCAA, for severe injury or illness), but ultimately he found himself on this season's Tide scout team.

Though some might sympathize with Peek, who couldn't sympathize with Stepheson? His situation is serious enough that he missed missed playing time last season at UNC in order to travel home, including the Tar Heels' conference opener against 19th-ranked Clemson. Then he ditched the No. 1 team in America -- where he might have been a starter for part of the year. All-world Tyler Hansbrough is hurt, and guess who was a top candidate to fill in -- or at least get more playing time? Katz added that one thing is clear: "The Tar Heels definitely could have used Alex Stepheson back."

Even though he could be having an influence on Tobacco Road, it's difficult to imagine that UNC would oppose the transfer waiver; the school  reportedly wouldn't appeal if it goes through. But the school is  caught up in the protracted NCAA process. The Tar Heels were sent paperwork on the case last week, and have up to 10 days to respond.

North Carolina declined to publicly comment on the matter until the NCAA announces its decision, but an initial feel-good press release about the transfer quoted Coach Roy Williams as saying, "Being closer to home he will be able to provide the necessary support and help his family needs at this time. He is a wonderful kid."

Anybody with Internet access (including the NCAA) could have known this was coming three months ago, but sources indicate the full waiver request was filed with them only in October. The Stepheson family was asked to provide additional documentation just two weeks ago, and North Carolina still may not have finished all of its paperwork.

"I think they've been pretty responsive on the NCAA end," said Floyd. "I think it takes time to present your case."

Whether it's something on its end or not, the NCAA's wheels-of-justice have a reputation for turning very slowly. There are plenty of examples with USC alone, including two ongoing investigations about extra benefits allegedly received by Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo.

In 2004, the NCAA waited just two days before USC's football team kicked off its season to announce that wide receiver Mike Williams was ineligible after losing a reinstatement appeal. The organization claimed that it "responded within 24 hours of receiving the final information," though the situation had been under public scrutiny for several months and all parties appeared cooperative.

At least Williams found out before his team boarded the plane. It's looking less and less likely that the NCAA will be able to do the same for Stepheson.

-- Adam Rose
Photo by Bob Donnan/US Presswire

For further reading:

• Check out this roundtable discussion about waivers on Rivals.com.
• ESPN's Andy Katz goes into detail about Stepheson's family, basketball strengths and what he would mean to the Trojans.

He is not getting the Grizzlies much in the way of wins, but he is just a rookie. The last 5 games he is averaging close to 39 minutes, 26 pts, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds on shooting 50% from the field and 48% from three.

The USC one-and-doner just turned 21 years old last Wednesday and looks to have a really bright future in the NBA.

Free TrojanWire T-shirt to the first person to guess who O.J. is sizing up (in the picture above) and how he is related to USC. Send your answers to scoop@trojanwire.com.

**Editor's Update** Congrats to Moose for getting it first. But since we know him we are awarding a second one to Joel.

O.J. Mayo Player Profile [ESPN]

Mayo drains six 3s as Grizzlies drop Pacers for second straight win [ESPN]