Arizona State guard Adam Miller expected to make season debut vs. TCU
Arizona State will receive a huge boost in the backcourt on Saturday when it faces TCU (7-1) in Fort Worth.
LSU transfer Adam Miller is expected to make his debut against the Horned Frogs, ASU coach Bobby Hurley told reporters on Thursday. Miller had been previously ineligible to play this season following a second transfer as an undergraduate. ASU had applied for a waiver from the NCAA prior to the season, but it was denied.
Then, on Wednesday of this week, a U.S. District Court judge in West Virginia issued a temporary 14-day restraining order against the NCAA’s rule requiring multi-time transfers to spend a year in residence. The NCAA said in a statement it would comply with the order and notify schools.
While there was some concern about how playing during the 14-day window — Arizona State has games against TCU and then No. 25 Northwestern on Dec. 20 — would impact redshirt eligibility if the two-time rule goes back into effect, Hurley said he and Miller had a discussion about “every possible scenario” and it’s the guard’s desire to play.
“His teammates know what he has been through and how stressful this has been for him considering he’s already got some mental health factors that were part of his waiver anyway. The denial was a real setback to him,” Hurley said. “You could see what that took out of him but to have this decision now, you could just see his teammates embracing him and they could tell what a weight was lifted off his shoulders. I would say relief was the best word I could describe. Yesterday and today, you could just see he was a different guy. You could see he looks happy. He’s full of life. It was a real positive thing for Adam and I’m happy for him.”
The 6-foot-3 Miller spent one season at Illinois before two at LSU. Last season, Miller averaged 11.5 points for the Tigers while starting in all 33 games he appeared in.
His insertion into the rotation for Hurley should provide a real shot in the arm for an ASU offense that has slipped to 197th in adjusted efficiency (per KenPom). The backcourt rotation has largely been a three-man show between Frankie Collins, Jamiya Neal, and Braelon Green. Miller spent the vast majority of his time at the 2-guard spot for the Tigers last fall.
Tipoff against the Horned Frogs is set for 7 p.m. PT on ESPNU on Saturday.