Alabama basketball assistant Bryan Hodgson couldn’t keep his eyes off the 6-foot-7 wing racing up and down the court. Hodgson had traveled down to Bradenton, Fla., in February to watch five-star 2021 forward Moussa Diabate but stuck around to watch IMG Academy’s postgraduate team. That’s when Alabama’s interest in Darius Miles was born.
“Coach Bryan was like, ‘Wow, look at is this guy,’” said Chad Myers, Miles' head coach at IMG Academy. “Darius made a couple of plays that really intrigued them. They went back and watched more and more film on him, and they just really fell in love with the stuff he can do. He really fits Alabama’s system, the way he can make plays with the ball in his hands and off the ball.”
After verifying what he saw on tape, Hodgson passed along his findings to head coach Nate Oats who was equally pleased with what he saw. From there, Alabama’s interest in Miles intensified as they stayed in his ear, making him a priority in the recruiting process. That extra attention paid off Tuesday as Miles committed to the Crimson Tide over Boston College and Minnesota.
“It was just the genuine love they showed from the first day they started recruiting me,” Miles said. “When you choose a school you are looking mostly for genuine love. Coaches can tell you anything. You need to be able to see through all the stuff they say, and you can tell if they really mean it. That’s what it was like with them.”
The love Miles mentioned is mutual as the 6-foot-7, 183-pound lefty is equally enamored with an Alabama offense that ranked No. 3 in the nation averaging 82 points per game.
“I like the way they let their players play,” he said. "They give them some sort of structure to the point where they can’t just run around, but they still let them make plays in games.”
Miles, the No. 113 player in the 2020 class, is no stranger to a high-scoring offense after spending his senior season on an IMG postgraduate team that averaged 96 points per game. Last season, the four-star forward averaged 12.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 58 percent from the floor and 31 percent from beyond the arc. He said Alabama told him they like his length and see him as a talented scorer at the next level.
“I think that’s where he kind of thrives,” Myers said. “He’s a guy who can get down and sprint ahead and get on the wing for you to pitch it to him. He can come off and make 3s. He can rebound and push it himself. I think he’s exactly what they want.”
If there’s one knock on Miles it’s his size as he’ll likely have to bulk up again at the next level. However, spending the last season going up against prep-school players who are often a year older than him has helped him add a bit of toughness to his game
“It forced me to work harder in the weight room,” Miles said. “I’ve been taking the weight room serious. I’ve never been that soft person. It don’t matter how big you are, how small you are, I’m going to go at you. I want to be known as a dog.”
Miles said he wants to bring that same identity to Alabama while working to add even more weight over the offseason. Lately, that’s been a bit more difficult as his local gyms and basketball courts back home in Washington D.C. have been closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“Today was like the first time in a couple of days I’ve been able to hoop,” Miles said Tuesday. “We hooped on the outside court for a little bit at a friend’s house. Other than that I’ll run every day, and after I run I’ll let my body get its rest and then I’ll do squats or toe raises. Then every day for sure I’ll do pushups and sit-ups.”
Miles has yet to visit Alabama but was impressed with the virtual tour coaches showed him. He’s also been pleased with the 2020 recruiting class the Crimson Tide has been able to build so far. Miles was Alabama’s third commitment in the past two weeks, joining highly-rated combo guard Josh Primo and JUCO scorer Keon Ellis. Alabama also signed four-star forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton in November.
“I’m excited,” Miles said. “I’ve never really been on a team with players who are as tall, so I had to play the 4 or 5. On this team, I’ll finally get the opportunity to showcase my talents on the wing.”
As for what impact he’ll make at Alabama, Miles says he’s always dreamed about making it to the NBA as quickly as possible but stated he’s more than willing to wait his turn with the Crimson Tide if need be.
“I’m not really too worried about anything like that,” Miles said. “I know coming in as a freshman, you’re just moving from high school and you’ve got to earn your spot. I know that I’m not a selfish player. I kind of pass too much because I have a lot of love for my teammates. I look forward to building a relationship with them on and off the court.”
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Andrew Bone, of BamaInsider.com, is a real estate broker in the state of Alabama.
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