Illinois freshman breaks program scoring record for a debut game

The Illini are off to a hot start in their season opener against North Carolina A&T, mostly thanks to true freshman Adam Miller.

Miller scored 19 points on on seven shots in the first half, helping Illinois to a 58-18 lead at the break.

The freshman from Peoria, Ill., added on a couple more buckets early in the second half to top Illinois’ program record for points by a freshman making a debut.

#illini Adam Miller now with a freshman debut record 23 points

— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 25, 2020

Here’s some of the highlights from Miller’s first half:

Adam Miller (@AceWolf44) matched the opponent's scoring (19 points) in the first half.

It's his @IlliniMBB career debut, by the way. 😤 pic.twitter.com/6TZfosDwlf

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 25, 2020

He hit 5-of-6 3-point attempts in the first half — not bad for your collegiate debut.

Miller was a consensus 4-star recruit in the class of 2020. According to 247Sports Composite rankings, he was the No. 33 overall player and the No. 6 shooting guard in the class.

It also helps that he’s playing alongside preseason All-American Ayo Dosunmu.

Illinois was ranked in the top 20 of KenPom.com’s preseason rankings, and the Illini are a threat to go deep into the NCAA Tournament this season — especially if Miller is an immediate high-level contributor.