Vyctorious Miller shines vs. Montverde on national stage
On Thursday afternoon, LSU picked up a late commitment from Vyctorious Miller, a four-star guard from California, who has roots in Louisiana. Miller was signed with Oregon, but last week got out of his NLI and before Thursday’s game against Montverde announced his decision to commit to the Tigers.
With that out of the way, Miller was able to turn his attention to his game against the No. 1 team in the nation. Miller’s team, AZ Compass Prep, was the No. 8 team in the nation entering the Nationals Tournament, therefore drawing Montverde in the Quarterfinals.
Miller would be facing off with another LSU commit, Montverde point guard Curtis Givens as well as five top-30 players, including Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 player in the nation. Miller came out without an inkling of fear, scoring eight points in the first quarter, leading AZ Compass Prep to take an early lead.
After a slow first half, Montverde woke up and outscored AZ Compass Prep 25-5 in the third quarter, eventually winning 64-49 and moving on to the semi-finals of the Nationals tournament.
Let’s break down Vyctorious Miller’s performance in the nationally televised game.
Shooting
Miller hit four 3-pointers in the loss, each one showing a different skill set for Miller. The first was a quick release relocating corner three.
The second was a turning, drifting, on the move three.
The third was a walk-in transition triple.
The fourth is a nasty step back over Flagg.
The release is incredibly consistent, regardless if it’s off the bounce or off the catch. This is a player who, if nothing else, is going to be able to fill it up from the perimeter. We’ve seen Tyrell Ward emerge as one of the best shooters in the country as a sophomore and LSU has been really good at developing shooters.
Scoring feel
It was a challenging game going against the defense and the length of Montverde, but I think Miller’s scoring prowess and touch flashed a couple times. He had a spin move to get in the paint in the first quarter on one of the first possessions to get to the rim, barely missing the finish, then he had this awesome floater.
He just has great natural feel as a scorer and if the mid-range/floater game is also a strength, he can continue to develop an off-the-dribble game that will make him incredibly tough to stop.
Rounding out his game
I think Vyctorious’ frame is the first thing that needs to be looked at as an area of improvement. Miller is listed at 6-foot-5 and 170 pounds, but on the court against other high-major players, Miller certainly was one of the thinnest players on the court. He got bumped off the ball a couple of times and wasn’t able to initiate contact.
Defensively, AZ Compass played a lot of zone for stretches which protected him, but I’d be interested to see him in more reps as an on-ball defender. He’s a long enough athlete to where good effort should help him be serviceable, but we’ll see when he gets to campus.
Overall, it was a great showing from Miller on the biggest stage for a high school player. LSU fans should be excited to see him in purple and gold.
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