Adam Miller almost didn't get the chance to become the much-needed spark for the inconsistent Sun Devils.
With the excitement of bringing on a talent who had hooped at the highest collegiate level, starting every game of the 2020-21 season with the No.1 seed University of Illinois, there was also drama to be had, and that drama was the NCAA.
For Miller to get playing time with the squad his eligibility waiver had to be cleared by the NCAA. The team waited with hope to hear back about Miller, but on Dec. 8 head coach Bobby Hurley broke news with a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"I have just been notified that the NCAA has chosen to deny Adam's waiver," Hurley said in the statement. "After spending the last few months with Adam as we awaited the decision, I know this news does not come easy for him."
ASU fans took to the comments of this post with gifs, emojis and hashtags to share their similar feelings of disappointment, shock and frustration with the decision.
Luckily for these fans, a judge ruled in mid-December that players who went through multiple transfers and were denied eligibility, like Miller, could now play through the end of the academic year.
Miller eagerly took to the court for the first time in a game against Texas Christian University on Dec. 16. Despite the loss, spending three-quarters of the game checked in, he dropped 20 points, going perfect from the stripe, shooting three of seven from behind the arc, and making five of his nine attempts from the field. Along with leading the team in points in his first game, he had two swipes, three assists, and two rebounds.
Ahead of ASU's games against the University of Utah and the University of Colorado, a long-tenured junior guard, Frankie Collins, shared his thoughts on how the team was working Miller into the offense.
"It's not hard at all," Collins said. "Adam is a great basketball player, he understands the game, he makes reads, and shots will start falling for him. He had the first game where he made a lot of shots and since then it kind of slowed down but it will definitely pick back up. I don’t think we are really too worried about Adam."
After Miller gets fully incorporated into the offense, the team said they are confident he will, he has the chance to be lethal. At Illinois, he was the No. 5 scoring freshman in the Big Ten. He's been one with the trifecta, leading all Big Ten freshmen with a whopping 52 triples. He also set the freshman points debut record at Illinois at 28 points.
Then he transferred to LSU and spent his first season with an injury, then after recovering, spent his summer winning gold with the 2021 U19 Team USA. During his second season with the Tigers, he averaged double figures and started every game.
Now in Tempe, he defines himself as a "junkyard dog," and as someone who can show leadership through his defensive efforts. Alongside those things, he said he has loved the vibes at Desert Financial Arena.
"I love the energy out there (at DFA)," Miller said after their win against Colorado. "For whoever was out there, I think everybody was dialed in, I think people were giving people something to believe in … I felt the aura the whole time I was in here, and I'm like 'this is something that we can thrive off of with this fan base and with the people that come in this arena and cheer us on.'"
Miller's 3-point shots get the crowd quite loud, but to utilize his long-range accuracy, Miller said that he is trying to focus on the small things. He said he looks at how he squares up to the basketball and how he comes off of curls.
Hurley said Miller seems to be playing into a defensive leadership role well. He said he has done a great job taking on challenges like Gabe Madsen from Utah and KJ Simpson from Colorado.
"Adam wants the challenge, he accepts the challenge," Hurley said in a press conference ahead of their game against the University of Washington. "He's physical, he's athletic, he's smart, so it's all the things that you hope for at that end of the floor for a guy."
With the trust of Hurley and his team, Miller can excel during his time on the hardwood. Only time will tell what this ASU team can do, but Adam Miller is now a key spoke in the Sun Devil wheel.
Edited by Vinny Deangelis, Alysa Horton and Caera Learmonth.
Reach the reporter at hjsmardo@gmail.com and follow @HenryJSmardo on X.
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