Last Updated on March 15, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

USC men’s basketball has never had the same national title profile as the school’s football program, but the Trojans have still produced a serious list of stars. The history stretches from early Hall of Fame figures and retired jerseys to Pac-10 standouts, deep NCAA Tournament runs and NBA-level talent. If you are putting together a proper USC legends list, it has to reward both college impact and lasting place in program history. (USC Athletics)

That is what makes this ranking interesting. Some Trojans built their case through records and three-year dominance in college, while others reached legend status through iconic peaks, major awards or helping carry USC back onto the national stage. Retired jerseys matter here, all-time school rankings matter, and so do the teams that pushed USC furthest in March. (USC Athletics)

1. Harold Miner

  • Years with USC: 1990–1992
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • USC all-time leading scorer
    • Two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year
    • Consensus first-team All-American
    • No. 23 retired by USC

Harold Miner gets the top spot because his college peak is still the cleanest legend case USC has. He remains the program’s all-time scoring leader, and that alone would put him near the top, but the bigger point is how dominant he was in his era. He won Pac-10 Player of the Year twice, was a national star, and helped drive USC back into the NCAA Tournament spotlight in the early 1990s. When a school retires your number and you still own the scoring record, the argument writes itself. (USC Athletics)

2. Paul Westphal

  • Years with USC: 1969–1972
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • USC great with retired No. 25
    • Key player on USC’s 24-2 1971 team
    • First-round NBA draft pick
    • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Paul Westphal belongs right near the top because he bridges USC greatness and basketball history more broadly. USC’s own history pages point to that 24-2 team from 1971 as one of the best in school history, and Westphal was one of the headline talents on it. Add in the retired jersey and Hall of Fame status, and he becomes one of the easiest names to lock into the top tier. His college resume and the legacy that followed both hold up. (USC Athletics)

3. Bill Sharman

  • Years with USC: 1947–1950
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • USC All-American
    • Retired No. 11
    • Basketball Hall of Fame member
    • One of the foundational stars in program history

Bill Sharman has to be this high because he is one of the original giant figures in USC basketball. He was an All-American at USC, his jersey is retired, and his name still carries weight nationally because of what he became in the sport after college. Legends lists are not just about modern visibility. They are also about who helped establish the standard, and Sharman absolutely did that for USC. (USC Athletics)

4. John Rudometkin

  • Years with USC: 1960–1962
  • Position: Forward/Center
  • Notable achievements:
    • USC team MVP three times
    • Led USC in scoring all three seasons
    • Helped USC win the 1961 conference title
    • No. 44 retired by USC

John Rudometkin has one of the strongest pure USC cases on this whole list. USC noted that he topped the Trojans in scoring in all three of his seasons, won team MVP every year, helped lead the program to the 1961 conference title and later had his jersey retired. That is the profile of a central college legend, not just a good former player. His place in program history is secure even before you get to the broader recognition he received later. (USC Athletics)

5. Sam Clancy

  • Years with USC: 1998–2002
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • USC’s all-time leading shot blocker
    • USC’s second all-time rebounder
    • USC’s third all-time scorer
    • Key figure on USC’s 2001 Elite Eight team

Sam Clancy sits this high because he checks every major box: production, longevity and team success. USC’s records place him among the best the school has ever had in scoring and rebounding, while also naming him the all-time leader in blocked shots. He was the backbone of the 2001 team that reached the Elite Eight, which gives his numbers real postseason weight. Some USC stars had brighter peaks, but very few matched Clancy’s combination of output and staying power. (USC Athletics)

6. Gus Williams

  • Years with USC: 1972–1975
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • USC star on one of the program’s strong 1970s teams
    • USC Hall of Fame inductee
    • NBA All-Star
    • One of the biggest guards ever to come through the program

Gus Williams belongs in the upper half because USC history keeps bringing his name back whenever the 1970s rise is discussed. The Trojans won 24 games in 1974 with Williams as one of the featured talents, and he later became one of the program’s major NBA success stories as well. The college career may not be as record-heavy as Miner’s or Clancy’s, but his impact and stature in USC basketball history are obvious. (USC Athletics)

7. Taj Gibson

  • Years with USC: 2006–2009
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Pac-10 All-Freshman Team
    • Defensive anchor of top USC teams in the late 2000s
    • Helped lead USC to the Sweet 16
    • First-round NBA draft pick

Taj Gibson makes this list because he was one of the most important frontcourt players USC had in the modern era. He arrived and immediately set USC freshman records for rebounds and blocked shots, which tells you how quickly he changed the team. By the end of his run he was the kind of interior force USC could build around, and he helped power some of the program’s best teams of the 2000s. He was not just productive. He gave USC toughness. (USC Athletics)

8. Nick Young

  • Years with USC: 2004–2007
  • Position: Guard/Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Three-time USC team MVP
    • First-team All-Pac-10
    • Led USC to the 2007 Sweet 16
    • First-round NBA draft pick

Nick Young has a real claim here because his USC run was bigger than people sometimes remember. He was a three-time team MVP, which puts him in rare company in program history, and he led the Trojans in the stretch that brought them back to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. He also had the scoring punch and star quality that made those teams feel dangerous. His college footprint is stronger than the casual version of his reputation suggests. (USC Athletics)

9. DeMar DeRozan

  • Years with USC: 2008–2009
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Star freshman on USC’s 2008-09 team
    • Key piece of USC’s Pac-10 Tournament title team
    • First Trojan men’s basketball Olympic gold medalist
    • One of the most recognizable USC alumni in modern basketball

DeMar DeRozan only spent one season at USC, so he cannot rank much higher than this, but his impact was still substantial. He was a major talent on a team that won the Pac-10 Tournament and reached the NCAA field, and he later became one of the most accomplished pros the program has produced. This is one of those cases where the USC career was short, but the star power and importance to that season were too big to ignore. (USC Athletics)

10. Ron Riley

  • Years with USC: 1970–1972
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Former USC scoring leader
    • One of the few Trojans to win team MVP three times
    • Historic double-double producer
    • Important scorer during the Bob Boyd era

Ron Riley rounds out the top 10 because his USC-specific résumé is stronger than many people realise. Multiple USC record references place him among the great scorers in school history, and the program has explicitly grouped him with John Rudometkin and Nick Young as one of the rare players to win team MVP three times. He may not have the same broader name recognition as some of the NBA figures, but at the college level his impact was massive. (USC Athletics)

Honorable mentions

  • O.J. Mayo
  • Cliff Robinson
  • Bob Boyd
  • Gabe Pruitt

O.J. Mayo was one of the most talented one-year players USC ever had and became the highest-drafted Trojan in program history after earning All-Pac-10 first-team honors. Cliff Robinson was an elite scorer whose freshman numbers still show up in USC record notes. Bob Boyd is here as a coach rather than a player, but he is too important to omit completely given his role in some of USC’s best teams and his long run as the school’s winningest men’s basketball coach until later eras. Gabe Pruitt also deserves a mention as an important part of USC’s mid-2000s revival. (USC Athletics)

Sources:

USC Athletics — USC Men’s Basketball History & Archive
USC Athletics — USC Trojans Men’s Basketball NCAA Tournament History
USC Athletics — Miner’s Jersey To Be Retired vs. UCLA On Jan. 15
USC Athletics — USC Faces Crosstown Rival UCLA Sunday At Galen
USC Athletics — Rudometkin’s No. 44 Jersey To Be Retired Sunday
USC Athletics — USC Men’s Basketball All-American John Rudometkin Dies
USC Athletics — Former USC Basketball Great Bill Sharman Passes Away
USC Athletics — Sam Clancy Drafted By Philadelphia 76ers
USC Athletics — Sam Clancy Named USC Men’s Basketball MVP At Awards Banquet
USC Athletics — USC Men’s Basketball Hall of Famer Gus Williams Dies At 71
USC Athletics — Young Named All-Pac-10; Gibson Named To Pac-10 All-Freshman Team
USC Athletics — USC Junior Guard/Forward Young Declares for the 2007 NBA Draft
USC Athletics — #USC2RIO: DeMar DeRozan
USC Athletics — USC’s Mayo Selected Third In The 2008 NBA Draft
USC Athletics — Former USC Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Boyd Dies