Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
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LOS ANGELES - A former associate of NBA star O.J. Mayo has told Yahoo! Sports that Southern California basketball coach Tim Floyd paid to help get Mayo to play for the Trojans.
In a story posted Tuesday night at Yahoo! Sports, Louis Johnson, the former associate of Mayo’s, said Rodney Guillory told Johnson that Floyd had given Guillory “a grand.” Johnson said he was able to view $100 bills inside an envelope Guillory had.
Johnson's attorney, Anthony V. Salerno, said the NCAA believes Johnson.
“That’s really the whole thing: who do you believe?” Salerno told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “Tim Floyd had a motive to pay O.J. Mayo to get there. Louis really doesn’t have any motives. He doesn’t have an ax to grind against Tim Floyd.”
Johnson said the payment occurred in 2007. Guillory is a confidant of Mayo’s; last year, Johnson accused Guillory of providing Mayo with improper benefits from an agent while the guard played for USC.
Yahoo! Sports reported Johnson has told NCAA investigators and federal authorities — including the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office — that Floyd paid Guillory.
If Floyd did pay Guillory for delivering Mayo to USC, that would be a major NCAA violation.
Yahoo! Sports also reported that Southern California is the subject of an NCAA investigation into alleged improprieties in both the football and men’s basketball programs.
The football probe stems from allegations of 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush receiving improper benefits for a sports marketing agent while at USC.
Guillory and Floyd declined to comment to Yahoo! about the latest accusations by Johnson.
USC general counsel Carol Mauch Amir also declined comment.
The NCAA does not comment about ongoing investigations.
Johnson had described Guillory as a “runner” who steered Mayo to the Bill Duffy Associates (BDA) sports agency. Johnson said Guillory received between $200,000 and $250,000 from BDA Sports for his efforts, which resulted in Mayo initially signing with BDA when he left USC after one season for the NBA in April 2008.
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Johnson’s attorneys, Anthony V. Salerno and David Murphy, confirmed to Yahoo! Sports that Johnson had told FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office investigators on May 28, 2008, about his account of the payment from Floyd to Guillory. Two weeks later, Johnson told the NCAA, according to the attorneys.
Salerno told Yahoo! Sports that Johnson’s account to federal authorities carried the threat of potential prosecution if Johnson was found to be lying.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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