by William Menna

Created on: September 17, 2010

The RedHawks men's basketball team of Miami University in Ohio have one of the top college basketball programs in the Mid-American Conference. The RedHawks have been to the NCAA Tournament 17 times while sending eight players to the NBA. The top NBA players from Miami University in Ohio include All-Star forward Wayne Embry and five-time league champion Ron Harper.

Wayne Embry:

Great power forward Wayne Embry was one of the all-time best NBA players from Miami University. As the star of the RedHawks, Embry posted averages of 19.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game as he led the school to its first ever Sweet Sixteen in 1958. The NBA's Hawks took him with the 22nd pick of the 1958 draft, but he was traded to the Cincinnati Royals entering his rookie year. He put together a brilliant career in Cincinnati, earning five straight All-Star selections from 1961 to 1965.

In eight seasons with the Royals, Embry averaged a double-double with 14.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per outing. His career season came in 1961-62 when he averaged 19.8 points and 13.0 boards. He joined the Celtics for two seasons near the end of his career and won a title with the team in 1988. For his career as a whole, Embry scored 10,380 points and hauled in 7,544 rebounds, the latter of which ranks 66th in all-time NBA history.

Ron Harper:

A former star guard for the Cavs, Clippers, Bulls, and Lakers, Ron Harper was one of the best NBA players from Miami University. While leading the RedHawks to three straight NCAA Tournaments, Harper scored 2,377 points for the program and he remains its all-time leading scorer. The Cavs used their 1986 first round pick on Harper and he averaged 22.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.5 steals in a terrific rookie season. He was a great scorer in the first-half of his career as he averaged a combined 19.3 points in eight years with the Cavs and Clippers.

Harper joined the Bulls in 1994 and shortly thereafter enjoyed a wildly successful seven-year stretch as a great defensive role player. He shared a backcourt with Michael Jordan as the Bulls won three straight NBA Finals in 1996, 1997, and 1998. In the last two years of his career, Harper joined Kobe Bryant in the Lakers' backcourt for two more NBA Championships in 2000 and 2001. In his 15-year NBA career, Ron Harper totaled 13,910 points for an average of 13.8 per game; he added 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.7 steals and ranks 16th all-time with 1,716 steals.

Wally Szczerbiak:

Recent sharpshooter Wally Szczerbiak was one of the best NBA players from Miami University. In 1999, Szczerbiak averaged 24.2 points and led the RedHawks to their best season as they reached the Sweet Sixteen with two postseason wins. Szczerbiak enjoyed a solid ten-year career, mainly with the Minnesota Timberwolves where he was a 2002 All-Star. He scored 9,195 points on a .485 field goal percentage, .406 three-point percentage, and .860 free throw percentage. In NBA history, he ranks 15th in three-point shooting and 27th in free throw shooting.

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