Can’t Shoot, Doesn’t Play, Gets $44K USC Scholarship Anyway

Off today to New York to see Isabella perform in a play. But first, I’ve gotta share the story from the WSJ about the University of Southern California’s latest and hottest basketball prospect. He’s 5’10”, never played a full season of high school ball, and averaged just 8.6 points a game for Beverly Hills High. The school, by the way, finished last in its league.

But Romeo Miller is no ordinary journeyman basketball player with a lousy record. He’s also Lil’ Romeo, whose just been awarded a $44,400 full sports scholarship to this high class university, and he’s the son of a wealthy music mogul. Basketball watchers like Bob Gibbons, of All Star Sports, are shocked. “It’s very rare to give a scholarship to someone who may never play.”

But there is more, and there is actually a good reason to give Romeo free tuition, fees, books, housing and meal, so he can sit at the training table with all of the other very accomplished basketball players. He’s a TV star on Nickelodeon, and a successful hip-hop star who’s sold 1.5 million records since 2001. Tim Floyd, USC’s coach, explains it simply. “We may have more 11 t0 17-year old girls in the stands than we’ve had in the past.”