Miles From Ordinary
by Zach Smart
So, the biggest question of pre-season has already been answered for the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team.
It took Nate Miles, the controversial 6-foot-6 guard/forward, approximately a month before his name was enmeshed in controversy.
Miles, who had trouble getting enrolled at UConn, was arrested Monday night for violating the terms of a restraining order he received just 15 minutes earlier.
The 20-year-old Miles, of Toledo, Ohio, is slated to appear at Rockville Superior Court on Tuesday. According to police reports, Miles violated conditions of the restraining order by phoning the protected party (apparently a female UConn student) 15 minutes after the order was filed.
The Hartford Courant reported that Miles was arrested at 8:51 p.m. He was released after posting the surety bond of $2,500.
Miles, who had a tough upbringing and went through an Amare Stoudemire-like journey in high school (he attended five different high schools and was kicked off the basketball team at the Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C.), was the no.5-ranked player in Ohio last season.
He can play both guard positions and be utilized as a small forward. The highly-touted but controversial recruit’s style of play is most commonly compared to Tayshaun Prince and Lamar Odom, a tall versatile player who can handle the ball. Miles graduated from The Patterson School in January 2008.
After an ongoing NCAA clearinghouse and UConn admissions debacle, one that included a largely-publicized feud with coach Jim Calhoun and UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway, Miles was academically cleared in June. He began taking class and getting acclimated to the new environment during Summer Session II at Storrs.
Miles has turned heads in the Huskies’ pickup games this fall. Calhoun said Miles is “doing great” when asked how the freshman is adjusting to the rigors of the college experience and the structured environment.
Now that Stanley “Sticks” Robinson won’t be with the team until the second semester, Robinson could be an instant lynchpin in the starting lineup when he returns. He is apparently a front-runner for the starting small forward slot.
