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Illinois freshman Adam Miller wants to channel Michael Jordan, ‘Play defense before offense’

Kristian Dyer

By Kristian Dyer

Published:

Adam Miller hasn’t played one minute of basketball for Illinois, but already he is channeling his inner ‘Last Dance.’

Miller was a consensus four-star recruit who picked the Illini over offers from Arizona, Louisville and Kansas among others. The touted freshman guard may be weeks away from his collegiate debut yet he is talking a big game. He likened his intensity on both ends of the court to none other than Michael Jordan.

As a senior at Morgan Park (IL), he averaged over 27.4 points per game with 6.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He is part of a solid recruiting class for Illinois that also includes fellow four-star guard Andre Curbelo.

Miller’s willingness to star on the defensive end is great news for the Illini, who return two star plays in Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn.

But the bold talk didn’t stop there from Miller, who also thinks loftily of his new program’s ability to make a run through the NCAA Tournament. The Final Four, he said, is not out of the question.

Last season, Illinois was 21-10 with a 13-7 record in the Big Ten. They are among the conference favorites again this year.

Illinois is deep and talented at nearly every position, something that should be an advantage ahead of what projects to be a most unusual season of college basketball.

Miller and Curbelo won’t be counted on to start immediately, likely helping their assimilation onto the roster and the college game.

Kristian Dyer