After sitting back and watching the chaos of the transfer portal take place for the past few weeks, the Gonzaga Bulldogs landed their first piece of the offseason in Arizona State transfer guard Adam Miller.
Miller averaged 9.8 points per game and hit a career-best 42.9 percent from three last season for the Sun Devils.
A former top-30 recruit, Miller began his career at Illinois. He transferred after one season to LSU, but tore his ACL before the start of the 2021-22 season. Miller spent his sophomore season scoring 11.5 points for the Tigers. He then entered the transfer portal again, playing his last two seasons at Arizona State.
With one year of eligibility remaining thanks to COVID, Miller is an intriguing piece for Gonzaga if he works out. The Zags desperately need more depth in the backcourt, and at this point, a living, breathing, and warm body is a roster upgrade.
How much of an upgrade Miller provides highly depends on how much he can build off of last year.
The Zags shot 35.4 percent from three last season, the lowest mark in the Mark Few era, narrowly beating out 35.5 in the 2009-2010 season.
Last season, Miller’s 42.9 percent mark from three ranked No. 64 in the nation. The important thing to note here, however, is that last season was not the norm for his career stats. Miller, who has long been a high volume shooter in his collegiate career, has shooting numbers that leave a bit to be desired.
- 2020-21: 39.1 FG, 34.0 3P, 68.4 FT
- 2022-23: 33.6 FG, 31.6 3P, 82.9 FT
- 2023-24: 39.3 FG, 30.3 3P, 81.8 FT
- 2024-25: 44.9 FG, 42.9 3P, 75.6 FT
One year, of course, does not make a trend. However, we have Zags recently bolster their long-range stats when entering the Gonzaga offensive machine. Ryan Nembhard shot 32.1 percent from three his junior year, upping it to 40.4 last season. Rasir Bolton went 36.1, 33.6, and 31.4 before coming to Gonzaga and hitting 46.0 and 38.8 percent.
Although it has taken quite a bit of volume, Miller has shown he can put some points on the board, and that is what Gonzaga needs for a backcourt that currently consists of Braeden Smith and Emmanuel Innocenti.
Some of his shooting numbers are hard to look at, no doubt, but it is also important to place them within the context of the teams Miller was playing on. His freshman year featured a top 10 offense on Illinois. After that, he had the good fortune of a No. 152 LSU offense, and the No. 218 and No. 83 offenses at Arizona State.
Considering the roster construction for the backcourt at the moment, this addition to the squad is a win, pure and simple. Worst case scenario: Miller can play minutes, score occasionally, and the backcourt goes from paper thin to cardstock sheet. Best case scenario: The Zags pick up a much-needed three-point boost, which, combined with the return of Steele Venters, opens up the floor for Graham Ike and Braden Huff to eat in a way they have not been able to for the past couple of years.