Dallas Forward Enjoys Visit To SMU
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:32 pmDallas Small Forward Tours SMU
Offers already piling up for Lincoln's Keaton Miles
SMU got a visit this week from one of the most promising young local players when Dallas (Lincoln) small forward Keaton Miles (6-7, 170) visited the Hilltop.
Miles slid a little under the radar as a sophomore, because while he is widely considered one of the nation's elite players in the class of 2011 (he was named recently to Slam magazine's Top 25 Sophmores list), he had to play on Lincoln's junior varsity team after transferring from Skyline, where he played on the varsity as a freshman.
"I transferred for academic reasons," said Miles, adding that academics are a high priority in his choice of schools and that he hopes to major in psychology or pre-law, or perhaps become a sports agent. "Both schools are magnet schools, but Skyline didn't have a humanities (academic) cluster, which I wanted. Once I transferred, I had to play JV."
The wiry Miles thrived on Lincoln's JV team, averaging a double-double, but admitted that the lack of competition might have hurt him, as well.
"There were some games that it was pretty easy, because of the competition," he said. "Last year, when I played on the JV team, I decided that I'd spend the summer (playing AAU with the Dallas Mustangs) working to improve my game as much as I could. I'm working on being more consistent and showing up every game, because I used to have a tendency of showing up and being a little lackadaisical, not going full-force every game. Lately, I've been more on the attack, and I plan to keep it that way."
Miles is a versatile, athletic small forward with long arms who prides himself on "doing everything," he said, and compares himself to "a young Grant Hill, or maybe Kevin Durant."
"I can shoot or take it to the rim. I rebound hard, and I play defense real hard. I try to go hard all the time, whether I'm inside or outside."
Miles said that while he is comfortable on the perimeter, the interior skills he learned at an early age still allow him to create mismatches.
"I played the '3' this year, but I used to play in the post when I was younger," Miles said. "I kept that part of my game, too, and when I get a little person on me, I'm anxious to post them him up."
The secret is out on Miles, who already is drawing interest from numerous collegiate programs, and has offers from five: SMU, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M.
"I don't have a leader right now  I'm just trying to take the whole recruiting process in right now," he said. "I've got a whole bunch of schools recruiting me now. I won't make a top 10 until my junior season, and won't make a commitment until after my junior year."
When he visited the Hilltop, Miles said he met with head coach Matt Doherty and assistant coaches Steve Lutz, Reggie Brown and Reggie Geary, and enjoyed the Mustangs' staff.
"I really liked them," Miles said of the SMU staff. "They're fun people to be around. They have a goal they've set to get SMU back to being one of the best programs in the country, and they want to put the program back up on a national pedestal, and they want me to help lead the way there. That's flattering  it really makes me feel good that they feel I can be that kind of player.
"I really liked the visit at SMU  there were a lot of things I didn't know. I've been to the gym, but this was the first time I got to see the academics they have to offer, and I was really impressed. I didn't know everything they have to offer."
That SMU's academics impressed him is significant in recruiting, at least in Miles' case.
"It will be academics and the basketball program, not just basketball," he said when asked what factors will go into his decision. "Plus, I want to go to a place where I can go in and play and develop my game so I can make it to the next level."
Miles said that while he develops as a high school player (including a rigorous AAU schedule this summer that will have him playing in tournaments in Florida, Phoenix and Las Vegas), he expects to continue growing physically, too; his father stands 6-foot-9.5, his grandfather is 6-6 and his mother is 5-11.
"I've got a skinny frame  I don't think i'm done," he said. "Every night I pray that I'll keep growing, and I eat my Flintstones vitamins every day. I'd like to get to 6-8 or 6-9  that's a good size for a '3' in the NBA."
Miles' visit to SMU was his first chance full tour of any of the schools pursuing him.
"That was my first visit where I got to look at the whole campus," he said. "I've been to other schools look and seen the locker rooms, but not full tour like I got at SMU. It was a really good first experience."
While he declined to list any leaders in his recruitment, he said SMU certainly can be in the mix.
"I'm going to stay open-minded, because I want to give everybody who wants to recruit me a fair chance," he said. "But I really liked the coaches, I like what they have planned for the program, and I was impressed with the academic programs there. There's no reason SMU can't be one of my top schools in this process."
Offers already piling up for Lincoln's Keaton Miles
SMU got a visit this week from one of the most promising young local players when Dallas (Lincoln) small forward Keaton Miles (6-7, 170) visited the Hilltop.
Miles slid a little under the radar as a sophomore, because while he is widely considered one of the nation's elite players in the class of 2011 (he was named recently to Slam magazine's Top 25 Sophmores list), he had to play on Lincoln's junior varsity team after transferring from Skyline, where he played on the varsity as a freshman.
"I transferred for academic reasons," said Miles, adding that academics are a high priority in his choice of schools and that he hopes to major in psychology or pre-law, or perhaps become a sports agent. "Both schools are magnet schools, but Skyline didn't have a humanities (academic) cluster, which I wanted. Once I transferred, I had to play JV."
The wiry Miles thrived on Lincoln's JV team, averaging a double-double, but admitted that the lack of competition might have hurt him, as well.
"There were some games that it was pretty easy, because of the competition," he said. "Last year, when I played on the JV team, I decided that I'd spend the summer (playing AAU with the Dallas Mustangs) working to improve my game as much as I could. I'm working on being more consistent and showing up every game, because I used to have a tendency of showing up and being a little lackadaisical, not going full-force every game. Lately, I've been more on the attack, and I plan to keep it that way."
Miles is a versatile, athletic small forward with long arms who prides himself on "doing everything," he said, and compares himself to "a young Grant Hill, or maybe Kevin Durant."
"I can shoot or take it to the rim. I rebound hard, and I play defense real hard. I try to go hard all the time, whether I'm inside or outside."
Miles said that while he is comfortable on the perimeter, the interior skills he learned at an early age still allow him to create mismatches.
"I played the '3' this year, but I used to play in the post when I was younger," Miles said. "I kept that part of my game, too, and when I get a little person on me, I'm anxious to post them him up."
The secret is out on Miles, who already is drawing interest from numerous collegiate programs, and has offers from five: SMU, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M.
"I don't have a leader right now  I'm just trying to take the whole recruiting process in right now," he said. "I've got a whole bunch of schools recruiting me now. I won't make a top 10 until my junior season, and won't make a commitment until after my junior year."
When he visited the Hilltop, Miles said he met with head coach Matt Doherty and assistant coaches Steve Lutz, Reggie Brown and Reggie Geary, and enjoyed the Mustangs' staff.
"I really liked them," Miles said of the SMU staff. "They're fun people to be around. They have a goal they've set to get SMU back to being one of the best programs in the country, and they want to put the program back up on a national pedestal, and they want me to help lead the way there. That's flattering  it really makes me feel good that they feel I can be that kind of player.
"I really liked the visit at SMU  there were a lot of things I didn't know. I've been to the gym, but this was the first time I got to see the academics they have to offer, and I was really impressed. I didn't know everything they have to offer."
That SMU's academics impressed him is significant in recruiting, at least in Miles' case.
"It will be academics and the basketball program, not just basketball," he said when asked what factors will go into his decision. "Plus, I want to go to a place where I can go in and play and develop my game so I can make it to the next level."
Miles said that while he develops as a high school player (including a rigorous AAU schedule this summer that will have him playing in tournaments in Florida, Phoenix and Las Vegas), he expects to continue growing physically, too; his father stands 6-foot-9.5, his grandfather is 6-6 and his mother is 5-11.
"I've got a skinny frame  I don't think i'm done," he said. "Every night I pray that I'll keep growing, and I eat my Flintstones vitamins every day. I'd like to get to 6-8 or 6-9  that's a good size for a '3' in the NBA."
Miles' visit to SMU was his first chance full tour of any of the schools pursuing him.
"That was my first visit where I got to look at the whole campus," he said. "I've been to other schools look and seen the locker rooms, but not full tour like I got at SMU. It was a really good first experience."
While he declined to list any leaders in his recruitment, he said SMU certainly can be in the mix.
"I'm going to stay open-minded, because I want to give everybody who wants to recruit me a fair chance," he said. "But I really liked the coaches, I like what they have planned for the program, and I was impressed with the academic programs there. There's no reason SMU can't be one of my top schools in this process."