NCSA caught up with basketball standout Tyler Miller about his high school career and the opportunity to compete at the college level.
NCSA: What motivates you before a big game? (Is it a song, a snippet from a movie, do you pray)? What's your pre-game ritual(s)?
Miller: Not really. I listen to my IPod, visualize doing great things on the court, and eat meat or chicken with pasta.
NCSA: What are you looking forward to if and when you get the opportunity to play on a collegiate level? (Meeting new people, taking your game to the next level, moving away and seeing a new city?)
Miller: I have traveled extensively every year. With only three college programs in Arizona, the opportunity to play in college at any level requires me to move away, meet new people and make friends. That is exciting about the opportunity if I'm given the chance.
NCSA: Why did you get involved in the sports you played in? (Is it a family tradition, do you admire an athlete in the sport)?
Miller: I just loved shooting hoops in the driveway with friends and family. Then I got involved with club basketball and met friends and former teammates of my dads from college. I heard about the great stories. Most of the stories were not even about playing basketball, but about the fishing, camping and other stories.
As my father tells me, having played collegiate basketball, "Twenty years from now you won't remember how many games you won or lost. But I guarantee many of your college memories will be the special moments with players, classmates and your coaches." My dad's advice to me is, "If you're going to be successful at the collegiate level - it requires A LOT of time and energy."
NCSA: Tell us about your interactions with college coaches so far. Are you getting a lot of letters, surprised about where the colleges are from, who you are hearing from? Any funny or interesting anecdotes?
Miller: Most of the coaches know of the groups and music I like. That is cool. I'm getting a lot of letters from all different levels of schools, mostly NAIA and D3, since I'm still only a sophomore. A couple of interesting letters have been from coaches who have either played against my dad, either in high school or college.
NCSA: How are your team(s) doing so far? (Club teams, high school teams)? Any challenges this season? How are you excelling personally, how does that compare to previous years?
Miller: My high school team and program is only in its third year in Class 5A and we had a winning record. My club team is great and every senior last year went division 1. Our seniors next year will do the same. It is a great opportunity for me to get out of the blocks this spring and summer.
NCSA: What are your goals - athletically, academically and in your community - for the rest of the school year? What are also your goals for the summer? Are you looking to improve your speed, skills, acing a course?
Miller: Keeping my GPA above 4.00 for two consecutive years and spending a lot of time in the gym and weight room. My goal this summer is to present my game to coaches, to be a good all-round player and showcase my steady parameter shooting and basketball IQ.
