[Rosiak's Blog] A program great returns -- finally

[ToddRosiakSays]

A program great returns -- finally
               

It was a long time coming for Tony Miller.

After 14 years, one of MU's all-time great point guards was back in Milwaukee and on campus last week, taking in the sights on a campus that's changed a great deal in his time away -- especially on the men's basketball side.

No longer stationed in the Old Gym Miller and the rest of his teammates came to know and love in the 1990s, the Golden Eagles now of course reside in the posh Al McGuire Center. It was Miller's former academic advisor Tom Ford, still on staff and now associate athletic director/academic support, who provided the tour.

"That's what you call advancement," Miller said with a laugh when asked about the new digs last Thursday. "I'm glad to see we were able to advance. After seeing everything, you could be here all day. Stay here. It's nice. Real nice."

The linchpin of Kevin O'Neill's final few teams before he left MU, and Mike Deane's first after arriving in 1994-'95, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Miller was a machine when it came to dishing out the basketball for the Golden Eagles.

In 123 career games Miller handed out an astounding 956 assists, a school record that's likely never to come close to being touched and a total that to this day still ranks as seventh-highest in NCAA history. Miller's name now adorns one of the walls in the practice gym at the Al McGuire Center, an honor he didn't take lightly when seeing it for the first time.

"You know what the funny thing is? When I saw that, I really didn't know what to say," he said. "It's really nice to know that somebody remembered what you did before, that you did enough that they still remember you 14-15 years down the road. It really means a lot to be able to see it because I haven't been back in awhile, and also if you consider the fact that they've done so much and had so much success since we left.

"To be remembered through all the success they've had, and the good players that have come through, that's a good feeling. My brother called and told my mom and we were laughing and said it's probably good she's not here, because she'd start crying."

I asked Miller what the number 956 meant to him. He was quick to deflect the credit to the talented cast of characters with whom he played, as well as O'Neill, who learned quickly to let Miller do what he did best rather than try to rein him in.

"It's funny. Times have changed," he said. "I always say if somebody actually does what I did per year, they're probably going to leave school early. I had McIlvaine, Logtermann, Damon Key, Eford, and with us if Robb scored, I gave it to him. If Damon scored, I gave it to him. If Damon scored, I gave it to him. We were more efficient, grind-it-out, half-court, lock-down D, knowing where we want to go, and Kevin pretty much let me call all the plays. Once we got an understanding and he knew that I was looking ahead and I wasn't selfish he was like, 'Tony, what did you see?'

"I don't think it's going to be broken now because times have changed. When I left I was sixth (all-time in the NCAA) and 15 years later I'm seventh. That ain't too bad. I'm still standing. With the guards now, they want guys that are young and have potential. So they probably would leave."

In addition to the assists total (which averages out to 7.8 per game over four seasons), Miller also averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds, numbers which further underscore just how good an all-around player he was at MU. One of his shining moments, of course, was in the Golden Eagles' upset victory over Kentucky in the second round of the 1994 NCAA tournament when he almost single-handedly shredded the Wildcats' vaunted press.

After graduating with a degree in communication and rhetorical studies, Miller headed overseas, where he played professionally in Lithuania, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and England before finally calling it quits and returning for good to the United States.

He's been back home in Cleveland for the last year or so, working at a juvenile detention center, where he said he's enjoyed his role as something of a mentor for troubled youth.

"I recently had a kid where I work at, we went down and grabbed some snacks and we were on the elevator and he said, 'I'd rather be like you than my father,' " Miller said. "And that was another situation where you don't really know how to react because a kid's going through juvenile courts and here he looks at me like a role model and I didn't know what to say. But I was just like, 'If what you see in me makes you go in the right direction, I appreciate it. I hope you can be better than me.'

"Right now that's all it is as I get older. I don't have any children, so my brother or anybody I come across that's younger than me, if I can pass along a word here or there, hey, I do."

While he's found his current job fulfilling, Miller admitted he's had an interest in possibly getting back into basketball. And it just so happens that O'Neill, with whom he's kept in contact over the years, was hired this off-season to replace Tim Floyd as head coach at USC.

Not surprisingly, the two have been in touch about a possible reunion.

"It's not definite now, but it looks like I might be leaving maybe by the end of August to work with Kevin O'Neill on his staff," Miller said. "I talked to him three weeks ago. He called and said, 'Are you ready to coach?' And I said yeah, so he was working on getting a position ready for me. As of right now it's going through the process, the paperwork and getting the title and everything. Right now, as far as between me and him, it's pretty much a done deal.

"I always said that I would if it was a good situation. From playing so much, I learned the game a lot and understand the game a lot, I felt that if I did decide to get in it I would have to be at a level which I felt where I could really do something. When that came up, I was like, 'Hey.' Get in the door, and it's somebody that played for him, that knows him. So I can relate what he's really trying to get across to the players. If it all works out, it'll be something fun."

Miller said his visit to MU, and the pickup games he took part in while he was there, whetted his appetite even more for getting back into the college game. Miller certainly didn't look out of place when he took the court against some current Golden Eagles who were roughly half his age, and that's a good thing considering whatever role he might land with O'Neill will likely lead to him tutoring the Trojans in some capacity on the court.

"After seeing this, I look forward to the college experience," he said. "They're going to keep me young. I get to work and work out -- that's fun. I'm in a 35-and-over league now, and to them, I run too much. But when I get out here (with the college kids), I'm out of gas."

Miller also said he's hopeful last week's visit to Milwaukee won't be his last. Athletic director Steve Cottingham invited Miller back for MU's Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Aug. 22, and Miller said at this point he plans on attending.

-- I also had a chance to catch up with Wesley Matthews after the open gym last Thursday.

It was the first time I'd spoken with him since prior to the NBA draft, and his appearances with the Utah Jazz's summer-league team in Orlando and the Sacramento Kings' summer-league team in Las Vegas.

Since returning from Las Vegas, Matthews has been back in his hometown of Madison, trying to keep in shape while at the same time weighing his options for the fall.

"I've been at home for like 3-4 days and didn't do anything, so I was like, 'I'm coming up here,' " he said. "I've been up here all week, just to stay active, keep my mind off it all, so I'm not just sitting around waiting for the phone."

In three games with Sacramento, Matthews averaged 10.3 points on 34.6% shooting, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals without an assist. It wasn't a memorable stint for either he or McNeal, but it was a valuable experience nonetheless, Matthews said.

"I just want to ride this out. I don't want this trying for the NBA thing go by where I feel like I missed out on something," he said. "So I did Portsmouth. I did every single pre-draft workout I could do. I did the summer league in Orlando and Vegas. It's been a grueling off-season, but I don't want to feel like I missed out on anything.

"If the NBA's not for me this year, then at least I know I did everything possible."

Matthews said he's hopeful he'll be able to earn an invitation to training camp with an NBA team in the fall, but is also keeping his options open as far as heading overseas.

"My agent's doing a lot of work for me. I think there's five (NBA) teams that are interested," he said. "I understand it. At first it hit me, not getting drafted. I was like, 'Man, there's no way I'm not good enough.' Then I started looking at the broad scheme of things. It's tough right now. And I'm just to the point where if the NBA's there, great. If I can get a great gig overseas, great.

"If there's a time for me to see another country, it'd be now. At least I'm getting paid for it. So if that's what I've got to do for a year, 10 months, however long it is, come back, do it again -- I already know I'm on teams' radars. It's just an unfortunate time."

It's been a difficult summer for McNeal as well. Expected to be drafted, McNeal never heard his name called on draft night and instead had to settle for an invite from Sacramento to join its summer-league team. Heavy on guards, though, McNeal wound up playing an average of just 16.4 minutes in five games, and put up 4.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.6 assists.

"He's in the same boat I am," said Matthews. "If he's got to go overseas, OK, go overseas. We've got to make a living. We're doing this not only for ourselves, but for our families. So that's where his mind is. It was weird playing with him, and him playing that kind of role. He was in a tough spot. He's tough as hell, he's skilled, but it just seems like at that level everybody wants to give you a position.

"I don't understand it, but that's not me. I'm not bashing any GMs or anything like that. Same thing with me -- 'Well, we think you're a 3.' What makes you think I'm a 3? Because I played the 3 in college? I'm a 2. We played three, four guards and now they're like, 'Eh, we don't know if he can play this position.' Lace me up with anybody."
               

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/52346962.html
               

[GGGG]

In addition to the assists total (which averages out to 7.8 per game over four seasons),                

Holy crap!  When you put it like that you see what a great stat that is...

[MUfan12]

Great story.

Still don't think Tony gets the recognition he deserves. One of the all-time greats at MU.

[paulpogo]

A program great returns -- finally
               

One of his shining moments, of course, was in the Golden Eagles' upset victory over Kentucky in the second round of the 1994 NCAA tournament when he almost single-handedly shredded the Wildcats' vaunted press.

This is my all time "in person" best memory of MU basketball.  My brother was a walk-on on the team so we got seats with the rest of the "family" section at the Thunderdome (or whatever the heck it was called) in the first few rows right across from the bench.  We were just going absolutely crazy the whole game.

Watching Tony break that press was a thing of beauty.  Not many players around like him anymore.  He truly was an all time great.

[ecompt]

The game against Kentucky was one of the finest games you will ever see a point guard play. He would just take the ball inbounds and dribbled through three guys.

[MarquetteDano]

The game against Kentucky was one of the finest games you will ever see a point guard play. He would just take the ball inbounds and dribbled through three guys.

Agreed.  The thing about it wasn't just the dribbling.  I mean big players like McCarty and Rodney Dent rode him like a horse.  They shoved, grabbed, and slapped at him that game and he still had nine assists.  I also remember he played for full forty minutes.  Ridiculous.