Ranking the top-five Trojans in USC men’s basketball history

March is where winners are made in college basketball and throughout the decades USC has been full of them. 

NBA champions and coaching legends have worn the cardinal and gold. However, there are only a select few that stand out among the rest.

As the Trojans prepare to face UCLA Saturday, it’s only right that we take a look back at some of the best to lace it up at USC.

Harold Miner

In 1992, where college basketball stars included Duke’s Christian Laettner, LSU’s Shaquille O’Neal and Georgetown’s Alonzo Mourning, another man was chosen as the Sports Illustrated College Basketball Player of the Year.

His name? Harold Miner. 

The 6-foot-5 guard from Inglewood enjoyed an illustrious career at USC where he was voted to the All-Pac-10 first-team three times and named Pac-10 player of the year in 1992. He’s the most decorated and talented Trojan of all time.  

Averaging 23.5 points per game over his three seasons, Miner was nicknamed “Baby Jordan.” He even wore the number 23.

Miner was the most explosive player in the country when he was a Trojan. Shifting through defenses with low and agile dribbling compared to the Harlem Globetrotters, Miner frequently tricked defenders into reaching for the ball, which often resulted in a blow-by and a flight toward the basket for a thunderous finish. 

In his final season at USC, he averaged a whopping 26.3 points per game on 47% shooting — the seventh-highest average in the entire country and highest in the Pac-10. He also led the Trojans to a No. 2 seed in March Madness, the highest seed USC has ever received.

Even though Miner’s NBA career was short-lived, he still won himself a pair of NBA Slam Dunk contests, and he’ll always be known as the best basketball player ever at USC. 

Paul Westphal

The 1970s were the precursor to the basketball boom of the 1980s. However, even though the decade is not as frequently discussed as the one that followed, it would be a shame not to mention the legendary Paul Westphal on this list.

Westphal’s three seasons at USC were dominated by UCLA’s excellence in the country, but he was able to bring the Trojans to college basketball relevance despite UCLA’s dominance. 

During USC’s 1971 season, Westphal averaged 16 points per game and led the Trojans to a 24-2 record. At the time, this was a school record for wins and is still the highest win percentage for a single USC season of all-time.

Westphal also led the Trojans in scoring in his final season, averaging 20 points per game during a loaded conference. He was also an All-American first-team guard and three-time letterman. 

The late great Westphal will forever be remembered as the Godfather of USC basketball. 

DeMar DeRozan

Even though the Compton guard only played one season for the Trojans, his impact cannot be understated. He was part of a USC campaign that saw them win the Pac-10 tournament in dramatic fashion. 

A highflying forward, DeRozan is the epitome of a shooting guard: able to drain a mid-range jumper over a defender or slash to the hoop for a finish. As a freshman, he was the third-leading scorer on the team, averaging 13.9 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game.

His play during the Pac-10 tournament, however, was the stuff of legends. DeRozan was named the MVP of the tournament after averaging 21 points per game and nine rebounds per game.

In the final game of the conference tournament against Arizona State, DeRozan led the Trojans back from a 15 point deficit at halftime, storming back to win the game by 3. He dropped 25 points while shooting 62% from the field to close out the 24-9 Sun Devils. 

It was a performance that was a prequel to DeRozan’s extremely successful NBA career. His tenure at USC brought the program back on the map after a slew of sub-par seasons.

Bill Sharman

Just like how Paul Westphal can be considered the Godfather of USC basketball, Bill Sharman was the Vito Corleone to Westphal’s Michael Corleone. Without him, Trojan basketball may have never gained traction in the 60s and 70s. 

Sharman was the first big name to play with the Trojans in the late 1940s, during an era where the Pac-12, then known as Pacific Coast Conference, was dominated by UCLA and Washington State. He made USC relevant among powerhouses, showing that the program could compete with the best teams in college basketball. 

The Trojans held positive records in three of his four years. By the time Sharman was in his senior year, USC had a 16-8 record — second in the PCC south. 

A first-team All-American in his final season, Sharman shined, putting up 18 points per game. He was also on the All-Pac-12 team twice and a Consensus All-American. 

At the next level, Sharman won four championships with the Boston Celtics as a player, and won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers as a coach. He is one of four to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and a coach.

Sharman’s impact on USC basketball cannot be overstated — he is one of just four people to be named a Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Famer as both a player and coach —  and he’ll always be known as the building block of the program.

Evan Mobley

Evan Mobley’s spot on this list might be a surprise and could be attributed to recency bias, since the forward is in the midst of a season right now. But what is no surprise is the immense talent and potential Mobley possesses — talent and potential that might make him USC’s best center of all time.

What Mobley lacks in accolades or games played he makes up with his sheer ability on the court. He’s got the complete offensive package — he can post up, handle the ball, shoot the three and mid-range — and is a force on the defensive end.

In terms of talent, Mobley’s one of the five-best players USC fans have ever seen, and that cannot be denied. The freshman is currently averaging 16.4 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game and nearly 2.9 blocks per game. He also currently has more blocks himself than three other Pac-12 teams. 

Even though he still has some time to pan out in the NBA, Mobley has shown he’s worthy of being considered one of the five best to ever play at USC. 

Honorable mentions

Tex Winter — a member of the USC Athletic Hall of Fame and NBA Hall of Fame, his impact on the game of basketball has reached millions across the country. He was the innovator of the famed “Triangle Offense,” and, without Winter, the game might have never 

evolved to what it is today. At USC, he was a multi-sport athlete and described as the “Most Inspirational Player,” on the 1947 team that went 10-14.  

O.J. Mayo — The extravagant 6-foot-5 guard entered USC as the No. 3 ranked player in the country, and he proved it on the court. A 20 point per game scorer in his lone season at USC, Mayo was part of the Pac-10 All-Freshman, All-Pac-10 and Pac-10 tournament team. He also led the Trojans to an appearance in March Madness. 

Sam Clancy — Over the course of four years, Clancy built himself as one of the best forwards in the country. A consistent scorer, he rounded out his collegiate career by being named the Pac-10 player of the year his senior year. Clancy led the Trojans to a 22-10 record and a spot in March Madness while averaging 19 points per game and 9 rebounds per game. The big man was also a Consensus All-American and MVP of the 2002 Pac-10 tournament. 

Taj Gibson — Similar to Clancy, Gibson became a staple of USC basketball after his three years in the cardinal and gold. In his final season, the junior forward led the team in rebounding (9.0) and blocks (2.9) while being second in scoring (14.3). Gibson was an outstanding defender, voted twice to the All-Pac-10 defensive team and the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year his final season.