Collegiate athletes that get caught taking gifts from agents, coaches, etc., generally don’t just step forward and admit their wrong-doing. Even when caught, they often deny it. No matter the proof. No matter the evidence. No matter how badly damaged their image is, they’ll fight it to the end.

OJ Mayo has taken that path.

Reached late Sunday night, Mayo told ESPN.com, “I don’t know anything about it. It caught me by surprise. I’ve got to get to L.A. to see what’s going on. I’m just focusing on the draft.”

Like he said, the guy was caught by total surprise. Total. Utter. Surprise. Sadly, it’s OJ who’s the victim here, and I think the rest of America should give him a hand and get off his back.

USC was once looked at as a clean program that just somehow attracted great players, but that once clean image is starting to get more and more tarnished. First, you had Reggie Bush, who was given whatever he wanted in lieu to a National Championship, Heisman Trophy and great college career. Now, you’ve got OJ Mayo, who also reportedly took gifts.

Louis Johnson, who was a part of Mayo’s inner circle until recently, said Mayo accepted around $30,000 in cash and gifts during the past four years from Rodney Guillory, a 43-year-old Los Angeles event promoter. In addition to cash, the gifts included a flat-screen television for Mayo’s dorm room, cell phone service, a hotel room, clothes, meals and airline tickets for Mayo’s friends and a relative, according to Johnson, others with knowledge of the gifts and store receipts.

This is nothing new to anyone who follows sports. Agents give these guys cash, and these guys, broke as they are, happily accept it. Unfortunately for Mayo, where he received a flat screen, hotel rooms, and lots of loot, he wasn’t given a jump shot, any sense of team play, or the ability to pass.

USC 80, Arizona 75: Nick Young and Lodrick Stewart both scored 26 points for USC, which pretty much sums up that they won. Some teams go without scoring 52 points in a college basketball game. This was Arizona’s fourth loss at home this year, and I can thankfully say I won’t be putting any of my eggs in their basket when it comes time to pick my Final Four. . . unlike every other year that Lute Olson deceives me with all the raw talent he has that never really pans out in March.

UCLA 67, Arizona State 61: It was on the road, which is no sure thing in college basketball, but UCLA should be winning by more than six points against a team that’s won as many games. Arron Affalo scored 24 points, and while UCLA is a sure thing to play defense every game, it’s not so certain they’ll have the offense every night.

Oregon 61, Cal 63: Looking at the scores today, you’d think it was Pac-10 night in college basketball. Cal upset the 17th ranked Ducks thanks to Ryan Anderson’s three point play (layup and a foul). Cal snapped a six game losing streak, and Oregon lost its second in a row.

Indiana 68, Purdue 81: David Teague scored 31 points for Purdue, who turned it on in the second half and beat the Hoosiers. Purdue is now 17-9, with some quality wins, which is a good thing for me: Georgia Tech, after all, beat them.