The USC Trojans have never had much to brag about when it comes to the hardwood. However, they have had some talented and successful teams throughout the years that deserve recognition.
Anytime a SoCal college sports fan thinks of the USC Trojans, the very first thing that comes to mind is Trojans football. Trojans football is synonymous with success and a winning tradition that includes numerous national championships.
Although USC have been known to be like Greek gods on the football field, the same cannot be said for the Trojans on the hardwood.
They have had some bad teams in their history and have been forced to watch UCLA basketball teams be very successful, specifically during the legendary John Wooden era. The Bruins not only have more national championships and popular pro-level players, but have used it to destroy USC in recruiting for decades.
Even with its lack of a winning tradition, the Trojans have had some talented teams in their history that had success in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Here are the three best USC basketball teams of all time.
2006-07 Trojans (25-12)
This Trojans team featured some talented players who helped make that season very successful for the cardinal and gold. The team was led to 25 wins by players who ended up in the NBA, including Taj Gibson, Nick Young, and Gabe Pruitt. This was also one of the first winning seasons for Tim Floyd, who was in his second season with the Trojans at the time.
This was a deep USC squad that had a balanced offensive attack and played very good defense. They were 10th in the nation in opponent’s field goal percentage holding teams to 39% shooting a game. They compiled a conference record of 11-7.
Before he was dubbed the nickname “Swaggy P,” Young was a junior at USC who led the team in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game while shooting 52.5 % from the field. He also made the All-Pac-10 First team that season. Gibson was just a freshman in 2007 but led the team in rebounding with 8.7 boards per game, was fourth in scoring averaging 12.2 points a contest, and shot a team-leading 56% (stats from statsheet.com).
Pruitt was known as the leader of the team and had a terrific season for USC that year. He averaged 12.5 ppg and led the team in assists, steals, and free-throw percentage.
USC ended up as a #5 seed in the NCAA tournament and made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to #1 North Carolina. This was a very successful season for USC nonetheless.
1991-92 Trojans (24-6)
This team could make the argument as the best Trojans basketball team of all-time. The Trojans featured a very talented player and a heart-breaking finish to their season. As good as the team was, this year was focused more on USC’s prominent hoops star Harold Miner aka “Baby Jordan.” Miner made Los Angeles buzz during his junior season with the Trojans.
He averaged 26.7 ppg, grabbed 7 rebounds, and shot 44% from the field (stats from basketballreference.com).
Miner was voted Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and was a consensus pick for the NCAA All-American First Team. His hype and dynamic athleticism saw him get drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He also won two Slam Dunk Contests.
Point guard Duane Cooper also contributed to the successful season for the cardinal and gold. He was second in scoring averaging 12.3 ppg and led the team in assists averaging 5.4 dimes. Cooper was eventually a second round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Trojans finished second in the conference with a 15-3 record and a 24-6 record overall earning a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament. In the round of 32, USC was infamously defeated by #7 Georgia Tech 79-78 on a buzzer-beating desperation three pointer by James Forest, who had not made a three all season.
The year ended on a sour note but was still a memorable one for the Trojans, who had one of the best teams in their history.
2000-01 Trojans (24-10)
The best of the best in USC basketball has to be this Henry Bibby-coached squad in 2001. Bibby coached the Trojans for 10 years and this was his most productive season yet.
USC won 24 games this season and were led by NBA-bound players Sam Clancy and Brian Scalabrine. They also had solid role players who were drafted like David Bluthenthal, Jeff Trepagnier, and Desmon Farmer.
Although this team did not have any flashy stars on their roster, they were able to win games because of their balance and terrific coaching.
Clancy led the team in scoring and rebounding averaging 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Scalabrine was second in scoring averaging 14.7 ppg.
USC entered the 2001 NCAA tourney as a #6 seed and reached the Elite 8. They eliminated quality opponents such as #3 Boston College and #2 Kentucky. However, they were knocked out by #1 Duke, who would eventually win the national championship that year.
This was the furthest a USC team had gone in the tournament in recent memory. It wasn’t a star-studded roster, but one that knew how to win.
Although many don’t ever believe it to be a hoops powerhouse, USC has some great seasons with talented players and deserves some respect and recognition.
Honorable mention: 2008 Trojans (21-12); 1961 Trojans (21-8); and 1940 Trojans (20-3 who reached the Final Four).
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