USC gets notice of allegations
Southern California received a notice of allegations from the NCAA following a federal probe into corruption and bribery in college basketball.
The school said in a statement Friday night it has “cooperated with the NCAA since it first became aware of the issues” raised in the notice, and it “looks forward to an expeditious resolution ...”
The notice had been expected. The NCAA opened similar cases against North Carolina State, Kansas, and Oklahoma State this year.
The university statement referred to a “former coach in the men’s basketball program,” which presumably is exassistant Tony Bland. He was fired in January 2018. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery last January and received two years’ probation.
Bland said in court he received payments for directing USC players to retain the services of certain financial advisers and business managers.
Bland and nine others were arrested and faced charges of fraud and bribery following the FBI’s investigation into college basketball.
Oregon tops Michigan:
Payton Pritchard scored 19 of his 23 points after halftime, and No. 10 Oregon outlasted No. 5 Michigan 71-70 in OT on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.
In a stellar matchup of senior point guards, Pritchard was just a little bit better, repeatedly driving past Michigan’s Zavier Simpson toward the end of the second half and in overtime. Simpson had eight points and 11 assists, but the Wolverines (8-3) lost their second straight game and third in the last four after starting 7-0.
Oregon (8-2) built a 16-point lead in the first half, then had to withstand an extended Michigan charge.
Memphis rallies again:
Damion Baugh sank a 3 with 1:43 left to put No. 13 Memphis ahead for good and the Tigers outlasted No. 19 Tennessee 51-47 to snap the Vols’ 31-game home winning streak.
Tennessee (7-2) had owned the longest active home winning streak of any D-I team.
Memphis (8-1) erased an early 12-point deficit for its second straight come-from-behind road win.
Powell injured in loss:
Seton Hall star Myles Powell sat out the second half with a concussion, and Rutgers’ Ron Harper Jr. had 18 points and six rebounds to help the Scarlet Knights beat the No. 22 Pirates 68-48 in the Garden State Hardwood Classic in Piscataway, N.J.
Sixth in the country at 22.9 points per game, Powell smacked his head on the hardwood after taking a charge 2:24 into the game and later ran into 6-10 teammate Tyrese Samuel. Powell finished with six points.
Rutgers improved to 8-3, while Seton Hall dropped to 6-4.