7/11/2023 basketball Edit

Baba Miller enjoys gold medal run, experience earned with Spanish team

Bob Ferrante • TheOsceola

Editor

Baba Miller has had a wild 12 months. The Spanish star battled injuries soon after arriving at FSU and then missed half of his freshman season to an NCAA suspension. He showed signs of developing before the Seminoles’ season ended with a first-round exit in the ACC Tournament in early March.

But Miller enjoyed a memorable few weeks training with and competing for the Spanish national team, which won the FIBA U19 World Cup Championship on July 2.

“Not many people can say they competed in a World Cup much less won it,” Miller said. “I had a great time with my teammates. An amazing experience.”

The event was played in Hungary and featured 16 of the top under-19 national teams. Spain finished 7-0 in the nine-day event.

Miller started in the title game against France, scoring 11 points and pulling down five rebounds as Spain picked up a 73-69 victory in overtime. He averaged 9.4 points and pulled down 6.0 rebounds, recording his best game against Argentina (18 points, nine rebounds).

FSU coach Leonard Hamilton remarked during the season that Miller simply needed more minutes and time to develop on the court. He got those opportunities across seven games with Spain.

“It was great,” Miller said. “Getting reps, just start to do more stuff on the court. More confidence. I really enjoyed playing. Hopefully it translates this year.”

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The gold medal is a memorable achievement, but it also suffered some significant damage in the days following the title game.

“It’s a little bit shattered,” Miller said. “I just had it in my hand. It just slipped. It was hard clay. The memories are what counts.”

Miller hopes to make some memories on the court with his FSU teammates in 2022-23. The Seminoles lose two of their top scorers in Matthew Cleveland and Caleb Mills, but Miller returns as part of a young roster that also features transfers Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears and Jamir Watkins.

And Miller feels he will be able to show more of his all-court game, too. He had a season-best 12 points in a loss at Clemson in February as well as a season-best eight rebounds against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament in March. The latter half of 2022 was rough as he battled shin splints and was only able to practice due to the NCAA-mandated suspension. Miller said he is healthy again. He feels faster, can jump higher and, “It’s been great playing without pain.”

Just 15 games into his FSU career, Miller thinks he will be more aggressive as a sophomore.

“I’m looking forward to the next season,” Miller said. “I’m confident in my shot, still have to work on it. But I’m starting to be more confident attacking the rim.”