Bounce-back year for Miami Hurricanes center Rodney Miller Jr.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The road to recovery is often the most arduous one. Not only is there the pain from the sustained injury, but there’s also the agony of watching your teammates on the court, wishing you could be a part of the action. There is a silver lining whereby the body strengthens after months of rehabilitation and the mind also becomes more resolute. Overcoming an injury is to the effect of climbing an insurmountable mountain where the athlete rises from the depths of despair and sheds the pain. That is what Miami Hurricanes’ center Rodney Miller Jr. went through.
The 7-foot and 235-pound sixth-year senior sustained a heartbreaking injury to his right knee last season which kept him out for 22 games. It occurred after 33 seconds into the Dec. 19, 2020, contest against Jacksonville. The blow was felt by the whole team. Not only was Miller Jr. a veteran on the Hurricanes’ court where his leadership and mentorship was a reassuring presence, but he was also the Hurricanes’ most prolific defender.
In the 2019-20 season, Miller Jr. played in 30 games, 28 of which were starts and had over 24.1 minutes per game. In that time allotment, Miller Jr. had the second most blocks on the team with a total 22 blocked shots. He also had the second most rebounds on the team where he grabbed 108 defensive rebounds and 57 offensive ones. Finally, he had a total of 19 steals which was fourth highest.
Not only does Miller Jr. defend well but he’s also a reliable handler of the ball. Amongst the starters from the 2019-20 season, he had the fewest turnovers (21). A center who possesses good hands is a tremendous asset, especially when the ball is being thrusted into the paint where it can easily result in a turnover. Thanks to his solid hands, Miller Jr. was able to shoot at efficient rate.
During that 2019-20 season, Miller Jr. had a 57.5 field goal percentage from 160 shots and a 60.3 free throw percentage. Big men are infamous for their terrible free throw shooting, so for Miller Jr. to keep it around 60% is a great accomplishment. The fact that he was given the green light to shoot whenever he was in the paint is definitely a sign that the coaching staff is confident in his abilities.
This is a bounce-back season for Miller Jr., whereby he knows this is his final chance to catch the eye of professional scouts. As long as he manages to rediscover the form, which helped him secure so many rebounds and block an incredible number of shots, he should be on the path towards the higher levels of the sport. With the help of the coaching staff and a little luck that keeps on the floor, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to be a success story this season.
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