Bastianelli Probably Will Sit Again

Athletic Director Mike Garrett said he believes receiver Mike Bastianelli probably will sit out a second consecutive game Saturday before questions about academic ethics involving a paper he turned in two years ago are resolved.

“What it’s going to amount to is . . . the kid [will] sit out two games for no reason at all,” Garrett said, calling the charges “suspicions” and saying it might take university officials too long to evaluate the case for Bastianelli to play this week.

Bastianelli arrived at practice late Wednesday after meeting for about an hour with university officials regarding his suspension because of questions about how much assistance an athletic department tutor provided on a paper he turned in his freshman year.

“The meeting went fine. I’m just waiting to hear if I can play,” Bastianelli said through a team spokesman after declining interviews. “They asked me a lot of questions and I answered them truthfully. They said, ‘You did yourself a favor by coming in here and being honest.’ ”

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Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti was on the speakerphone talking to the media, and USC Coach John Robinson silently shook his head as he listened.

“I think USC has more talent on the field than any team I’ve seen this year, and that’s including other teams on film,” Bellotti said.

Robinson countered a few minutes later.

“When Mike Bellotti was 12, people were saying USC has all the best athletes in the world, and Mike probably read that then and says it now,” Robinson said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NEXT FOR USC

WHO: Oregon

WHERE: Coliseum

WHEN: Saturday, 7:15 p.m.

TV: Fox Sports West

RADIO: KLSX-FM (97.1)