USC Men’s basketball coach Tim Floyd has told the LA Times that he gave OJ Mayo permission to accept free tickets from injured Carmelo Anthony to attend Monday night’s Lakers-Nuggets game. Floyd claims he thought it would be okay, because he knew Anthony and Mayo were friends.

“My feeling is that if there’s a mistake made, it was made by me,” Floyd told the Times. “If they want to suspend me for a game, suspend me for a game, but not the kid. He did the right thing.”

A Mayo suspension would spell trouble for the Trojans. Mayo is USC’s leading scorer and second overall in the Pac-10. The Trojans take on the Oregon State Beavers tonight in Corvalis, Oregon. OSU will play under interim coach Kevin Mouton, after their previous head coach of 6 years, Jay John, was fired earlier this week.