Adam Miller transfers to LSU

[Double ACL]

Give me Andy Kauffman's kids, Nick Anderson's, Hester's, Deon's so we don't have to worry about loyalty. Kids that are good enough to keep us near the top and we dont have to worry about their wandering eye or their "handlers", whatever that means! Sports how we know and love it are crumbling right before our eyes.

I feel bad for all these coaches faking it with all the dancing they have to do in the locker room now to get these kids to buy in. I am sure some enjoy it, but I guarantee you they miss teaching fundamental basketball and being able to light into a guy without fear they may leave. Walking on egg shells coaching at its finest. I know I know, buy into the modern day way or get left behind. I dont know which way is better anymore. Go Illini!

Bad Take. This is Weber attitude to recruiting. Give me recruits like Ayo- Kofi- Adam Miller - Curbelo - Mark Smith all day everyday. Top players come with extra people caring about the kids, not all NCAA athletes have parents who can do it well. Some top kids will stick, hopefully most but others will move on in big boy College Recruiting.

 

[I11ini82]

We are fine. Does it hurt? Yes. Staff will find guys. There is a couple of guards that are possible that are much better options anyways. There is one in particular that is going to be huge if it happens.

I appreciate your information but "much better options" is somewhat questionable (or at least rooted in opinion). The Athletic has Adam Miller as the 10th best available player, period. The list includes HS players yet to commit/sign and transfers.

I realize that is also peoples' opinions but one of them is Sam Vecenie who is a very well-respected talent evaluator.

Maybe the players you mention are not officially available yet, but even still, this is a huge loss.

And then there's you know, a bird in the hand...

 

[pruman91]

But you will you regret it forever?

Regret is fluid............................

 

[I11ini82]

... his role was to be 3 & D player.

Finally! It took to page 11 (maybe I missed a post earlier) to point this out.

And I think I read 50 posts trashing/questioning Miller's ability because he did exactly what Underwood and the staff wanted him to do.

 

[marvin1991]

Alan Griffin made it further in the tournament than any of his former teammates.

True, and played less minutes per game of the tournament than the eight of his former teammates. I imagine mom and Alan are not too happy about that.

 

[Ubermensch]

Alan Griffin made it further in the tournament than any of his former teammates.

I guess I was thinking of guys who willingly transferred looking for a better opportunity, not necessarily guys who were forced out. I'm not sure that's what happened with Alan, though.

 

[CV Illini]

The thought is Miller makes the statistical jump from freshman year to sophomore year. Although this is probable it certainly is not guaranteed. Look at GB as an example of a sophomore slump. Peeps will say "That's because GB couldn't find his place with KC in the lineup" and that is partially true. But one of the major improvements needed before next season is sharp shooters. Competition for AM for sure, and it's not something he and his handlers want to deal with. He is gifted but until he tightens up the handles, controls his drives and consistently finishes above the rim, he will simply be a 3 and D guy.

 

[Manual3for4peat]

I wanna see a national title. It’s apparent that Adam wants to be the man. He’s not the man on a national title type team.

 

[Gary J]

The one thing I will say about Adam. He played with intensity in the second half of the loss to Loyola. The rest of the team seemed clueless and frustrated against a good defense. I wish him the best. I also wish it were with the Illini.

 

[Chieeeeffffff]

If you (and/or those in your ear) don’t want to stick around a program that started you every game, earned a one seed, smacked around the B10 the second half of the season, got you a TON of national exposure, kept you safe from COVID, and undoubtedly would have expanded your role exponentially next year (as evidenced by games Ayo was out), then I don’t know what to say but good luck.

And regardless of how good of a teammate Ace was (and by all accounts he was a good one), if it’s true that one or more people close to him voiced their displeasure with his role, then that’s a form of team cancer by proxy (and not his fault at all).

I struggle with delaying gratification, so I get the genesis of some of these head scratching transfer decisions, but man a lot of these decisions reek of entitlement.

 

[illini27jake]

And it is working out just great for U of I isn't it?! Wait, no it isn't.
You say they come with extra people caring about them, or should it read extra people looking for a free ride lottery ticket? 1 and done kids ruin the team bonding environment because they aren't around long enough.

Illinois just had their best season since 05, people forget that quick in here.

 

[CurbeloYourEnthusiasm]

See ya. Onward and upward. How many Illini transfer have actually moved on to bigger and better things?

Brett Robisch really blossomed at Oklahoma State.

Ryan Blackwell and Alan Griffin both were solid players at Syracuse.

Mark Smith started at Mizzou.

Nunn and Myke Henry ended up making the NBA after leaving.

Notree was still a good player at UIC.

Other than Mark Smith who dew had guards better than, all those players we’d have been better with had they stayed.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

Disappointing ending, sure, but who in his right mind isn’t in disbelief at the repairing of this program’s status since Underwood got here? And it’s tied DIRECTLY to dramatically increasing the talent.

 

[altgeld88]

Alan Griffin made it further in the tournament than any of his former teammates.

True. He also increased his PT (nearly 30 mins/game) and scoring output (13 ppg) compared with last season here. But his team finished solidly in the middle of the ACC only a game over 0.500, and a couple slots below Penn State on Pomeroy's rankings. I'm pleased for him that SYR got on a streak and he got further in the tournament than we did, and also that he probably enjoyed more tick than he would have in Champaign. It's unclear, however, whether any of that translates to greater future opportunities for him or present contentment than he had with the Illini. Mom and Dad had quicker trips to see him play, no doubt. Beyond that, ????

EDIT: As another poster above noted, and I noticed while watching the Orange in the tourney, he spent a lot of time on the bench in March relative to those 29 mins/game during the overall season.

 

[Dbell1981]

Why can't kids just be humbled these days? Take Marcus Liberty for example. #1 player in the country in HS. Didn't have the freshman season he probably expected. Did not enter transfer portal the following season.

 

[altgeld88]

Disappointing ending, sure, but who in his right mind isn’t in disbelief at the repairing of this program’s status since Underwood got here? And it’s tied DIRECTLY to dramatically increasing the talent.

THIS.

Let's not forget how quickly BU extinguished the dumpster fire he inherited (accompanied by making a self-motivated, extremely rare about-face in methods for a middle-aged hoops coach) and took us to within a hair's breadth of a share of the regular season BT title in 2019-20, let alone what the team achieved this past season.

 

[CurbeloYourEnthusiasm]

lol, what was 'Cuse ranked? How'd they do in the ACC? How did AG advance his game?

Alan Griffin definitely improved his situation personally at Syracuse. For one, he played ALOT more. He played 29 mpg. At Illinois he only played 18 minutes. He also played mostly SF there, whereas at Illinois he was playing the 4 mostly. Sure, Illinois was a better team, but Syracuse still went further in the tourney and Griffin played a lot more (which means the most to a player is playing time). And it was close to home.

If you can argue to a player that you’re gonna olay more minutes, go further in the NCAA tourney, and be closer to home - most are going to take that.

Adam Miller situation is completely different. He was already playing a ton of minutes (most minutes played of any true freshman in the portal), and he’s already at home.

 

[Pennsy]

Why can't kids just be humbled these days? Take Marcus Liberty for example. #1 player in the country in HS. Didn't have the freshman season he probably expected. Did not enter transfer portal the following season.

Transfer portal started in 2018.

 

[Joel Goodson]

Alan Griffin definitely improved his situation personally at Syracuse. For one, he played ALOT more. He played 29 mpg. At Illinois he only played 18 minutes. He also played mostly SF there, whereas at Illinois he was playing the 4 mostly.

Undoubtedly he had/has a clearer path to playing time there. But how many minutes did he get at PG? How did he advance his game as a ball handler? Most importantly (to him), has he improved his chance at making the NBA?

 

[TCTORNADO]

My bigger concern with Miller leaving, is this the end of the short lived MIF honeymoon??

 

[altgeld88]

Why can't kids just be humbled these days? Take Marcus Liberty for example. #1 player in the country in HS. Didn't have the freshman season he probably expected. Did not enter transfer portal the following season.

IIRC back then a hardship transfer was rare, and cause for such difficult to substantiate, and he would have had to sit out a season, no? Obviously, the reduction in price paid for transferring has rather lubricated the market.

 

[812Jamie]

I'm sure the guys are much better at knowing its not personal than (it seems) the majority of fans are, and are more aware of the outside pressures on players. Belo posted some pictures and a loving note on insta, for instance, and they were roommates. I'm sure it's motivation for some guys, and a big compliment to others.

I don't disagree with this notion but everyone talks about how everything (recruiting, team chemistry, life, etc.) is about relationships so I don't see how you can't take these things personally. Relationship by very nature are personal.

 

[ILL21]

My bigger concern with Miller leaving, is this the end of the short lived MIF honeymoon??

Have a gut feeling they will start to funnel them to juwan in Ann Arbor.

 

[BWA]

But did we all miss Alan Grifin much this year? Did anyone ever say, if only Alan was here! Not many, and Alan had better numbers than AM did this year. We can replace 8 ppg, 2 rbg, and .08 apg.

Alan was NY POY I believe and could have blown up if he stayed.

Hutch, Goode, Melendez and transfers you're up, stay healthy and make us forget again

We can replace the stats, but Sophomores are better than Freshman and Miller definitely had potential to put up much bigger numbers than that. He was going to fill Ayo's role as best as he could.

 

[thedrunkreferee]

My bigger concern with Miller leaving, is this the end of the short lived MIF honeymoon??

I hope so. They seem pretty scummy. Yes Ayo came here, BUT I feel like

1. Ayo wanted to come here.
2. If Ayo had way bigger offers, MIF would’ve pushed him that direction.

The whole Adam Miller thing has seemed sketchy from the beginning. He “committed” but refused to sign in the early period. Then he waited and waited and waited to sign in the spring. Now after starting every single game as a freshman for the #2 team in the country that won the B1G, he’s going elsewhere? Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. If we never got another recruit from MIF, I wouldn’t be upset. They seem like a very political group that are mainly concerned with what’s best for their brand and not necessarily what’s best for the kids that come through their “program”.