USC officially reinstated O.J. Mayo this morning after a 10-year disassociation after receiving improper benefits while at the school.
USC made the official announcements on their Twitter earlier today:
Welcome back, O.J. Mayo!
The highest drafted player in program history has officially been reinstated. pic.twitter.com/kMIcIYWYXJ
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) June 10, 2020
Some of the benefits that Mayo received were new clothes in a shopping spree, flat-screen TV’s, meals, airline tickets for friends and family members, and cash.
Due to the violations, the school was forced to vacate 21 wins, serve a postseason ban, and suffered the loss of numerous scholarships.
During his short time at USC, Mayo averaged 20.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game before he left for the NBA Draft in 2008.
Mayo was USC’s highest-drafted basketball player in program history after going third overall in 2008 to the Memphis Grizzlies. After that, he went on to play for the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks before he was let go and disqualified for 2-years from the NBA in 2016 for violating the league’s anti-drug program.
