Mayo, originally from Huntington, W.Va., was among the top recruits in the nation at the time. Huggins, also originally from West Virginia, had been recruiting him for years and appeared to have a good shot at bringing him to K-State. Publicly, Mayo said he chose USC over K-State.
But Underwood today indicated that Mayo was saying up to the last minute that he wanted to come to K-State to be with Huggins because of their long ties. Huggins, though, said, "We're not going to take you. You'll never pass," in reference to NCAA amateur clearinghouse rules.
"So it's no surprise that this is coming out now," Underwood said of the scandal. "We knew it."
The irony is that "nothing's going to happen to O.J. Mayo," Underwood said. "It's becoming Southern Cal's problem."
Underwood didn't blame USC; the phenomenon of money being funneled through agents to players in their youth is "impossible to control," he said.
But he did credit Huggins, who left K-State after one year to coach at West Virginia, with keeping the Wildcats out of the mess now enveloping USC. "It's a credit to Huggs that he did his due diligence."
Underwood, who just finished his first year as an assistant to Frank Martin after serving a year as Huggins' director of basketball operations here, had several other newsworthy updates:
•David Hoskins will not be back next year. Official word has not yet come out, but the NCAA will not give him a medical redshirt, Underwood said.
That's because Hoskins voluntarily redshirted a year at a school prior to coming to K-State. Hoskins played only one year here but was very productive; he lost last season to a knee injury. He's going to try to rehabilitate his knee and play overseas, Underwood said.
•Andre Gilbert will not be back with the team next year.
Gilbert, who started most games early last season, chose not to learn from a mid-season suspension, Underwood said.
"It's unfortunate," Underwood said.
•The 2009 recruiting class, which K-State is now wrapping up, is shaping up as "close to a top 5 class" in the nation, Underwood said. He did not name names, but he did say a couple possible members of that class will be playing at the "Manhattan Classic" AAU basketball event at Bramlage Coliseum May 30-31. That event is drawing teams from all over the country; Underwood encouraged fans to attend.
•Bill Walker will probably be a first-round NBA pick and, if so, will not come back to K-State next year. Underwood said Toronto seems to like Walker; they pick 18th. San Antonio also really likes him and may take him at the end of the first round. None of this is clear yet, Underwood said. If Walker were to think he would fall out of the first round, he'd come back to K-State.
•Michael Beasley is working out three times a day and is "as nice a young man, and as hard a worker, as I've seen," Underwood said.
The Chicago Bulls, with the top pick in the draft, are trying to pick between Beasley and Derrick Rose of Memphis. Miami, which has the second pick, really wants Rose. And the Bulls are loaded down with some high-priced players who they'd have to move to make room for either one. So it's not clear yet how it will all shake out.
Beasley has been talking with shoe companies and has a $60 million offer on the table from Adidas, Underwood said. Nike has also come up with plans for a "Be-Easy" line of clothing, a play on Beasley's nickname. But some of that depends on where Beasley gets drafted.
•Blake Young is planning to sign with a team in Russia. Clent Stewart is going into business.
•Abdul Herrera, one of two signees announced so far this year, will be a better player at the major college level than at juco, where he had to chase around after smaller players on the defensive end. Underwood compared him to Aleks Maric of Nebraska, with a wingspan of 7-2.
