Trojan Victory Proves Bittersweet for Miner

Long after USC’s 70-69 victory over Arizona on Saturday, Harold Miner walked into an empty Sports Arena for what could have been a final look.

The junior guard said that he wanted to savor the upset victory over the second-ranked Wildcats a little longer, adding that he was sad that his college career might be coming to an end.

Although Miner, 20, has not announced whether he will make himself available for the NBA draft in June, he indicated that it is a strong possibility.

“Certainly, I have the skills to play in the NBA,” said Miner, who scored a game-high 21 points. “But there are a lot of factors I have to weigh in making a final decision.”

Miner said he first felt sad before Saturday’s tipoff, as he watched senior teammates Duane Cooper and Yamen Sanders warm up for the last time.

Coach George Raveling said he plans to sit down with Miner after the season and discuss Miner’s options.

“A lot of people have said that if I don’t come back that Harold won’t, either,” Raveling said. “I take offense to such statements. Harold is man enough to make his own decisions, and neither one of us will be selfish in deciding what’s best to do.”

Raveling won’t be the only one advising Miner. Melvin and Marilyn Miner, his parents, have discussed the NBA draft with their son at length and plan to again when the season is over.

“Harold has dreamed about playing in the NBA since he was a youngster,” Marilyn Miner said. “Hopefully, it will be a reality soon. I guess he has to decide if he’s ready to walk into the Boston Garden and play against players like Larry Bird.”

If Miner makes himself available for the draft, he is expected to be a high first-round selection, with a lucrative contract to follow.

“Harold brought respectability to this program,” Raveling said. “The fact that he was a local guy helped even more. It showed we could recruit in our own back yard.”

Miner, who attended Inglewood High, is a three-year starter at USC. The Trojan all-time scoring leader with 2,007 points, Miner is the first player in the conference since Lew Alcindor of UCLA to score 2,000 or more points in three seasons.

For the past three years, Miner has been USC’s scoring leader. Before his arrival, the Trojans had four consecutive losing seasons, finishing 10-22 in 1988-89. With Miner, the team has gone 55-21 and is seeking its second NCAA tournament appearance in a row.

“In one regard, I will miss coming to these games,” Miner’s mother said. “But on the other hand, I don’t think I will. I usually get so stressed out that I can’t watch anyway.”