UNC Basketball: Walker Miller 2017-18 season preview

Freshman big man looks to make his mark in Chapel Hill

Walker Miller will carry on a family tradition this season when he joins the North Carolina men’s basketball program as a walk-on.

Miller, the younger brother to former North Carolina point guard Wes Miller, had first committed to Dartmouth College, one of the Ivy League’s oldest and most respected schools.

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However, it wasn’t Dartmouth that Miller wanted to attend or play basketball for. That distinction belonged to the Tar Heels, where his older sibling graduated from some 10-plus years ago.

So following in the footsteps of the former Miller, who was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in 2006, Miller decommitted from Dartmouth and pledged to Roy Williams and the Tar Heels just months before the start of the 2017-18 college basketball season.

"“I was talking with Coach Williams in the fall and he told me if I ever wanted to come to Carolina there was a spot for me,” Miller told Inside Carolina’s Sherrell McMillan. “The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to play there so I decided to make the change. It was hard (to decommit from Dartmouth) because I’m really close with an assistant there. It was definitely hard to tell him, but Coach Williams was excited when I told him.”"

Now, Miller will have the opportunity to create his own legacy at the University of North Carolina, beginning in just a couple of weeks.

2017-18 role and preview

There’s no reason to sugarcoat things. Miller will have to wait his turn behind a deep and talented UNC roster. However, if he exhibits the same hard work and dedication that his brother did, he’ll be awarded with opportunities down the line.

Although his brother was never the team’s best player or most gifted athlete, he was rewarded for his efforts and made the most of his time on the court.

Because of it, he became one of the most beloved walk-ons in North Carolina basketball history.

Strengths

Miller is a 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward with good length, a nice shot and the ability to run the floor well, all of which should help him to get on the court for the Tar Heels.

He’s a bit thin for his height, and could certainly afford to add a few pounds to his long, wiry frame. He is a well-conditioned big man, though, and that should work in his favor when it comes to Williams’ run-and-gun, up-and-down style of play.

Bold prediction

Let’s not get carried away, here. Miller isn’t likely to see a lot of minutes this season, and that’s no hit on the freshman big man. But with a talented team in place, many of which are upperclassman, Miller simply won’t have as many opportunities this season as he will in years to come.

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