CULVER CITY, Calif. - While some players often struggle to find desire from within, motivation comes with relative ease for Curtis Millage.
The ASU senior shooting guard has had little trouble mustering enough energy to push his game to the next level. Simply recalling the disappointment from a season in which his team fell short of its expectations causes Millage's internal flame to burn brighter than ever before.
That's why Millage jumped at an opportunity to again participate in the Say No Classic, a seven-week summer league, regarded as one of the nation's best for men's college basketball players. Despite seeing action in only three games this summer, Millage has already impressed many on a team loaded with talent.
"I just go out there, play my game and turn it up a notch whenever I can," said Millage, who is averaging 18 points per contest. "I feel in the best shape of my life right now."
While playing with an unselfish attitude on Team Say No (4-1), Millage is sometimes overshadowed by ASU sophomore point guard Jason Braxton and UCLA-bound forward Evan Burns, a McDonald's All-American from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. But that hasn't stopped Millage from thinking he can average 22 points a game like he did last summer for fifth-year head coach Ken Bertrand.
"It reminds me of playing in high school and junior college," Millage said about the small gymnasium at West Los Angeles College.
Millage has shown much quickness this summer, similar to the kind he displayed this past year when making a name for himself in the Pac-10. While he is still turning the ball over a little more than he would like to, Millage is reading the floor well, especially in transition.
After shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three-point range in his first season removed from Los Angeles Southwest Community College, Millage admits that his outside shot needs improvement. Although he takes more than 400 jumpers a day, Bertrand says that is exactly what he expects of Millage.
"This is a kid that came from a hard part of Los Angeles. His family is not blessed to have a lot of things," Bertrand said. "He has overcome a lot of obstacles. He has worked real hard to get to where he is at."
With the defection of forward Awvee Storey and center Chad Prewitt, Millage figures to be a pivotal piece in a Sun Devil starting lineup that will most likely include Braxton, senior forward Tommy Smith and freshman center Ike Diogu. Millage is hoping to help lead ASU to its first NCAA tournament berth since the 1994-95 season.
"We have our sights set on big things," he said. "We're going to make some noise this year. We're going to get where we need to be."
Storey still searching for niche
Storey participated last week in the Summer Pro League's Super Camp, an intensive four-day camp where more than 200 players gathered at Long Beach State before scouts from the NBA and overseas. Storey had played previously with a Chicago-based team in a summer league and also had a workout with the Phoenix Suns prior to last month's NBA Draft.
Sun Devil fall signee qualifies
After giving fifth-year ASU head coach Rob Evans and his staff a scare, Allen Morill has academically qualified for the 2002-03 season. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward from Sam Houston High School in Arlington, Texas passed the college entrance exam last month.
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@asu.edu
