NOW THAT HE'S IN, IT'S TIME FOR O.J. TO GET SCHOOLED.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

Let's assume that, based on all the information gathered this week, one Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo, the two-time Mr. Basketball of Ohio who just started his senior season at Huntington High in West Virginia, will follow through on his faxed agreement to make the University of Southern California his next rest stop for the fall of 2007.

The assumption would also be that, to pass the time before he's eligible to enter the 2008 NBA draft as the next first-round pick of the lottery Lakers, Kid O.J. will have to do more than just pretend to be a student-athlete. That's part of the deal.

That means carrying between 12 and 18 course units (which run about $1,121 per for those who have to tap into their parents' Schwab accounts), buying a student ``Spirit Activities Card'' (another $135, optional) and honoring the university's requirement to maintain a 2.0 grade-point average. And it all has to be squeezed around some afternoon practice time with Tim Floyd's other recruits and suggested participation in about 30 games, some at the new Galen Center, up to and including March Madness.

These two crash-course semesters might be the only opportunity he has to taste the world of higher education before he enters the parallel universe of shoe contracts, ride pimping and endless Mountain Dew.

We've taken the liberty to sift through the Fall 2006 USC course catalogue and assembled a reasonable and respectable class workload that the then-20-year-old may consider when it's time for his class-grab:

GEOG-100gm: ``Los Angeles and the American Dream'' (4 units, includes a lecture from 2-3:20 p.m. on M-W; a small-group discussion from 11-11:50 a.m. on Fri. and one writing and critical reasoning class -- WRIT-140 -- from 9-9:50a.m. on M-W-F). The title of this geography class says it all. Mayo could write his final paper on himself. It even fulfills a science requirement.

BUCCO-333m: ``Communication in the Working World: Managing Diversity and Conflict'' (4 units, noon-1:50 p.m., M-W). This course is described as providing ``communication strategies to manage workplace diversity and conflict. Historical, social, legal precedents. Institutional barriers to diversity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities and culture.'' Look at it this way: He's on the NBA Western Conference All-Star team, bringing the ball up, and there's Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili and Yao Ming all calling for a lob pass. How might one resolve this multi-cultural dilemma?

THTR-189B: ``Tap Dance'' (2 units, 2-3:20 p.m., T-Th). Unfortunately, all the ballroom dancing classes (THTR-188) that Matt Leinart made popular don't start until 6 p.m. and later. But with tap, Mayo will learn how to be evasive with the media's questions and get around issues that constantly come up as to whether a) he's just using USC, or b) USC is just using him. It could also lay the groundwork for ``Dancing With the Stars.''

MUIN-286: ``Record Production Management'' (2 units, noon-to-1:50 p.m., Tues.) This offering to those non-majors in the music industry discipline teaches the ``function of the record producer, studio procedures, music business law, union relations, artist management, copyright and publishing agreements (and) record company structure.'' So after Mayo picks himself to sing on his first CD, he'll be qualified to figure out where the rest of his business associates fit in without Ron Artest's imput.

THTR-101: ``Introduction to Acting'' (4 units, 11-11:50 a.m. Wednesday). LeBron James only wishes he could have taken this class. Same with Luke Walton before his foray into soap operas. Mayo needs to hone his craft since he has natural endorsement opportunity with Best Foods, Blimpies subs, Souplantation and California orange growers (see: Simpson, O.J.). With any luck, guest speaker Vlade Divac will discuss the nuances of the charge call.

ACCT-571T: ``Taxation of Individuals'' (3 units, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Thursdays). It's worth paying someone (under the table, tax free) to sit in this accounting class (since most of of Mayo's Thursday nights will be taken up during the Pac-10 season). Understand why all NBA players register Republican and come to know the tax code better than their slimy agents or an H&R Block rep.

PHED-104a: Self-Defense. (1 unit, 9-9:50 a.m., Tu-Th.) It's ``basic instruction for beginners, strategies for standing and ground-fighting situations with and without weapons.'' Consider this scenario: It's 4 a.m., and you're somehow in the car with Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers leaving a strip club. What happens next?

And finally:

PHED-165: Varsity Athletics. 50072D, Men's Basketball, Lecture with Professor Floyd, time TBA. Only if you can fit it in, of course.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1) DAISUKE MATSUZAKA

(2) BOB KNIGHT

(3) GREG ANDERSON

(4) Ronnie Brown

(5) no caption (Class Schedule Worksheet)

(6) no caption (OJ Mayo)

Box:

(1) sunday punch

(2) HOT ... LUKEWARM ... COLDFISH

(3) FANTASY FOOTBALL

- Matthew Kredell

(4) The Pop Quiz