USC Men's Basketball: Reporter Reveals All-Time Top 5 Trojans

My favorite USC basketball player isn't DeMar DeRozan or Nikola Vucevic or Nick Young.

Nope, it's good ol' Tahj Eady. His buzzer-beater to lift the Trojans over UCLA in 2021 was one of the most electric moments I watched (on TV due to COVID restrictions) during my time at USC.

Now, unfortunately, Eady didn't make Andy Katz of Turner Sports' USC all-time starting five, but here's a breakdown of who did.

Harold Miner

Harold Miner didn't enjoy a very long professional career, just four seasons, but he was a force to be reckoned with during his time at USC (1989-92).

In his junior and final year in South Central, Miner averaged 26.3 points and 7 rebounds per game — and he was a guard. Miner had hops like no other and pulled off some Dunk Contest-worthy slams both in college and in the NBA. In fact, the former Trojan won the 1993 Slam Dunk Contest in Salt Lake City.

Sam Clancy

Sam Clancy was a four-year forward at USC who averaged 19.1 points and 9.4 rebounds — almost a double-double — in his senior season.

Clancy was powerful in the paint and a staunch defender. He also brought to the table a subtle touch and could maneuver around defenders and put up teardrop buckets as well as he could viciously slam dunk in their face.

Unfortunately, Clancy's professional career never took off in the NBA. After being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with No. 45 pick in 2002, Clancy was inhibited by a knee injury and was subsequently waived before ever playing a game in the league.

Bill Sharman

Admittedly, this one was a bit of a deep cut for me. But some further research revealed that this guy is a legend.

A 15-letter athlete in high school, Sharman averaged 18.6 points per game in his senior season at USC back in 1949-50. He played with the Washington Capitols and Boston Celtics. The duo of Sharman and Bob Cousy was at the time considered the best backcourt of all time. He was an eight-time All-Star and a four-time champ during his pro playing career.

Sharman went on to coach and act as an executive. He won 10 championships between playing for the Boston Celtics (4), coaching the Los Angeles Lakers (1) and serving as a Lakers' executive (5). He joins John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens, Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Russell as the only people to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both players and coaches.

Hell, the man introduced the shootaround to basketball. I guess he does deserve a spot.

Taj Gibson

Taj Gibson averaged almost 3 blocks per game in his junior season at USC, tacking on 14.3 points and 9 rebounds. With his 6-foot-9 frame, Gibson was a massive presence in the paint and a matchup nightmare for opposing offenses.

Gibson has enjoyed a 14-year career in the NBA, most recently as part of the Washington Wizards organization.

Ronnie Coleman

Finally, Ronnie Coleman played for the Trojans from 1987-91 and was the Trojans' all-time scoring leader with 1,727 points before Miner took the honor in 1992. 

Coleman went undrafted in 1991 and never played NBA basketball.