Adam Miller, elite combo guard from Chicago, includes KU on list of six schools
Adam Miller, a 6-foot-3 senior combo guard from Chicago’s Morgan Park High School, on Saturday trimmed his list of prospective colleges to six: Kansas, Illinois, Arizona, Arizona State, Wake Forest and Louisville.
Miller, the No. 27-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2020 according to Rivals.com, made the announcement on Twitter.
Miller, who is originally from Peoria, Illinois, was chosen 2019 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game his junior season at Morgan Park.
He averaged 20.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for Mac Irvin Fire during the spring and summer AAU season. Miller hit 43 threes in 13 AAU games according to 247sports.com.
“The Illini pulled out all the stops for Miller during his official visit (Sept. 20-22),” writes Scott Richey of Champaign News-Gazette. “In addition to the tailgate before the Illinois-Nebraska football game Saturday night … a couple hundred fans turned out at Ubben Basketball Complex to watch him and cheer him on as he went through an individual skill workout following a team workout for Illinois on Saturday afternoon.
“What Miller did during that workout is left to best guess — probably ball handling and shooting drills, maybe even a pickup game with the current team. It’s best guess because unlike other similar workouts performed by current Illinois sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu and one-time recruiting targets like E.J. Liddell and Talen Horton-Tucker during their visits, Miller’s workout was open to the public, but closed to media because of a compliance issue, according to Illinois officials,” Richey adds.
“Adding Miller is a clear priority based not only on his status as one of the best players in the state and the country, but also because his skill set fits with what Underwood (Brad, Illini coach) both wants and will need for his backcourt in the 2020-21 season with Dosunmu potentially leaving for the NBA,” notes Richey.
Here’s a scouting report on Miller as written by ESPN.com: “Strengths: Adam is a lefty combo guard that is very versatile offensively. At this point he is more of a 2 than a 1. He is a good scorer that uses his size and athletic ability to attack the basket and score at the rim. Adam is a solid though streaky shooter out to 20 feet. As a point guard he has great size and is a solid passer. If he develops into a true point guard his upside is limitless.
“Weaknesses: Miller is a great prospect but is kind of caught in between two positions. He needs to grow a little and become a more consistent shooter in order to be an outstanding wing or he needs to become a better decision maker, ball handler and passer in order to be a premier point guard. All of those aspects are solid and he is a very good player at this early stage but improvement is needed long term in order to maximize his potential.
“Bottom Line: Adam is an outstanding prospect and already a great basketball player.”
KK Robinson to add more schools?
KK Robinson, a 6-foot senior point guard from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, who is originally from Arkansas, tells Rivals.com he has reopened his recruitment.
Robinson, the No. 80-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2020 according to Rivals.com, visited TCU last weekend. He’s slated to attend Friday’s Late Night in the Phog, will visit Illinois on Oct. 11-13 and Arkansas on Oct. 18-20.
Iowa State, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt are also on his list, which he’s said could expand in coming weeks.
Early look at Late Night
Several prep seniors are expected to join Robinson at Friday’s Late Night in the Phog, set for a 6:30 p.m. start at Allen Fieldhouse.
They are: No. 19-ranked Bryce Thompson, 6-4 combo guard, Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High School; No. 53 J.T. Thor, 6-9 forward, Norcross (Georgia) High School and No. 133 Davion Bradford, 7-0, center, Mehlville Senior High, St. Louis.
Juniors who have said they’ll be at Late Night: Javonte Brown-Ferguson, 6-11 center, Thornlea Secondary School, Ontario, Canada (unranked because he attends school outside the U.S.); No. 12 Kennedy Chandler, 6-0 point guard, Briarcrest Christian High, Eads, Tennessee; No. 15 Harrison Ingram, 6-7 forward, St. Mark’s High, Dallas; No. 18 Kendall Brown, 6-7 forward, Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kansas; No. 56 Roosevelt Wheeler, 6-10 center, John Marshall High, Richmond, Virginia; No. 129 Tamar Bates, 6-4 combo guard, KC Piper High School. Marial Mading, a 6-10 freshman, Chipola (Florida) Junior College, also has said he’ll be at Late Night.
Mark Mitchell, a 6-7 sophomore forward from Bishop Miege and Gradey Dick, a 6-5 soph shooting guard from Wichita Collegiate, also are expected to attend Late Night.
De Sousa praises KU team
KU junior forward Silvio De Sousa was pleased with KU’s play at practice over the weekend.
“I’ve been a part of so many good teams, but this Kansas team this year... WOW. Full of competitors, leaders and guys who are committed to it. I love it man. Wouldn’t trade these guys for nun,” De Sousa wrote Sunday night on Twitter.
Baylor cuts Kegler
Fourth-year junior forward Mario Kegler will not play for Baylor’s basketball team this season. The school announced Friday he’d been suspended from the team, had plans to begin his pro career “and will forego his remaining collegiate eligibility.”
The 6-7 Kegler averaged 10.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 27 games a year ago. Kegler, a transfer from Mississippi State, was suspended the first six games last season for a violation of team rules.
“Even with the loss of Kegler, Baylor should be well-stocked at forward with Tristan Clark returning to action following last year’s season-ending knee injury, along with veterans Mark Vital, Freddie Gillespie and Matthew Mayer. Freshman forward Jordan Turner could also make an impact,” writes John Werner of the Waco Tribune-Herald.