CINCINNATI — The two golden trophies are stored temporarily in an office under the gym where O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker packed in crowds the last three years.

Draped over the trophies are white basketball nets cut down during state championship celebrations the last two seasons, the ones that brought North College Hill High School celebrity and scrutiny.

The school's collection of out-of-state stars has split up this fall, leaving behind more than just those golden keepsakes:

• The public school's financially strapped athletics program is on solid footing because of the three-year flood of money from its basketball program;

• The Cincinnati suburb is trying to build on its national attention, even as Mayo finishes his high school career in yet another state;

• And, like Ohio's last prominent prep team, LeBron James' Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, the school's legacy now includes a statewide rules change. The state's athletics association has made it more difficult to repeat what happened at North College Hill, where a powerhouse was built with players from other states.

"Billy and O.J. are two really good kids," said Dan Ross, commissioner of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. "Sometimes young people end up being pawns for adults to achieve their mission."

Their careers already have had a lot of twists.

Mayo and Walker attended elementary school in West Virginia, then switched to a private school in Kentucky with an eye on developing their careers. Dwaine Barnes, a family friend and Amateur Athletic Union coach, became Mayo's legal guardian and brought the two players to North College Hill.

Barnes also became the legal guardian for Keenen Ellis, a 6-foot-11 prep player in Indianapolis. Ellis joined the cast at North College Hill but was kicked off the team last season.

Playing in a small-school conference, the Trojans dominated while winning the last two state Division III titles. After the OHSAA ruled that Walker had used up his eligibility, Mayo moved back to Huntington, W.Va., to play his senior season on a stronger team. Ellis is playing for a Philadelphia high school trying to turn itself into a powerhouse.

They came. They won. They left. In the process, they raised concerns.

"Moving kids around when they're in high school for athletic purposes and to build teams like that — I don't think it's good," Ross said. "You want kids to be in a stable environment."

A committee of superintendents, principals, athletic directors and coaches reviewed the association's bylaws and recommended tightening eligibility restrictions. Now, a student's parents must live in Ohio in order for them to play sports. Previously, having a legal guardian in the state was sufficient.

It's reminiscent of how the OHSAA tightened travel restrictions after James' teams at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary played a national schedule with games in big arenas across the country. James' prep teams were homegrown, so residency wasn't an issue with them.

Such star-laden prep teams wind up testing states' regulations and their resolve to keep the emphasis on using sports for education.

"It's a small number that we're talking about," said Bruce Howard, spokesman for the National Federation of State High School Associations. "But nonetheless, they occupy a lot of the time of our member associations."

Barnes didn't return a phone message left at his home in West Virginia. Messages seeking comment also were left for Mayo's mother and the Amateur Athletic Union.

Folks in North College Hill appreciate the concerns, but have tangible reasons to appreciate their three-year fling with fame.

Before Mayo and Walker moved in, the school was considering charging students to play sports because of budget shortfalls. It made roughly $8,000 off boys' basketball the year before they arrived.

In the next three years, North College Hill basketball became the hottest ticket in town. The Trojans moved their games to bigger gyms, scalpers tried to corner tickets and fans treated the players like celebrities.

"It was just amazing the amount of people that would come to our games," said Joe Nickel, in his 28th year as athletic director. "It seemed that every elementary-aged child in the Hamilton County area wanted to see O.J. and Bill play."

The school made about $50,000 a year during those three basketball seasons, at a school where the annual athletics budget is around $40,000. Nickel figures the money will operate the school's sports programs for the next 10 years and help it build a new track, replacing the grass-overgrown gravel oval that rings its football field.

Walker's loss of eligibility and Mayo's transfer have forced Nickel to cancel some contracts for games at bigger venues this season and will cost the school about $60,000 in potential revenue.

In all, though, there are no regrets.

"Oh, yeah, I'd do it all over again," said Nickel.