Fort Lewis men’s basketball coach Bob Pietrack said in the preseason that every RMAC school would’ve done back flips to get Amondo Miller Jr. out of high school.
Well, Pietrack and the Skyhawks now have Miller and the two of them might have Fort Lewis fans doing back flips if they achieve their ultimate goal: championships at Fort Lewis.
Miller has been a winner his entire life on the court. The Littleton native has been hooping since he can remember with the support of his parents, Valley and Amondo Sr.
Miller’s father played in high school, and Miller grew up playing basketball outside in his neighborhood.
In high school, Miller starred at Valor Christian, both literally and figuratively.
“I've always been pretty tall, but never like really tall,” Miller said. “I was always one of the tallest ones around, but I think I grew (during my) sophomore year. I was around maybe 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3, and then I grew to 6-foot-5 in the summer …”
This growth spurt got college coach’s attention, as Miller blossomed in his junior and senior years. He averaged 18 points per game and eight rebounds per game in his senior year, as he won the JeffCo League’s Most Valuable Player.
Even at his height in high school, Miller had the luxury of playing on the perimeter and handling the ball while playing point guard in his junior and senior years.
Miller began hearing from Division I and Division II coaches during his junior year, but decided to go to the University of Colorado because he wanted to stay close to home near his parents.
After high school, Miller spent two seasons as a Buffalo as a preferred walk-on before transferring out of the program to get a better opportunity.
“It was good, I got a lot better in multiple ways,” Miller said about his time in Boulder. “I played really well. I'd say that was honestly some of the best I've played in my life when I was up there. It was fun, I met a bunch of good new people and got so much better physically.”
The redshirt sophomore heard from numerous Division II schools after leaving Colorado but cut his list to Fort Lewis, Central Washington, MSU Denver and UNC Greeley before choosing the Skyhawks.
“The basketball scene is great, I love it,” Miller said about Fort Lewis. “Honestly, the school is great, I love how (Pietrack) coaches, I love how coach (Ty Danielson) coaches, the effort they put in. If you saw the effort that they put in, it's no secret why they have they've had the success they've had, and I love being around coaches like that.”
Although Miller had to adjust to being further away from home, he loves how the team’s depth makes everyone practice better and appreciates the competitiveness, which is what he wants.
Miller’s progress was hindered by repeated ankle sprains that started during his junior year of high school and then happened again at the beginning of this year.
“At the end of the day, these are like brothers so seeing their success, it doesn't matter if I was to score one point or play five minutes. If we get a good win and someone else scores 30 points it’s OK because the next day it could be flip-flopped,” Miller said.
Personal goals are not Miller’s priority, as he says everything will fall into place if the team wins the RMAC and national championship.
Pietrack believes Miller is critical for the Skyhawks’ future and is a potential first-team all-RMAC player.
“He's a little bit of everything which at this level is a real weapon and he can guard one through four,” Pietrack said. “He can guard the ball full-court, He's a good rebounder, he's extremely athletic, smart. We can switch everything with him in a ball screen because he's versatile. Then offensively, he has point guard skills. He can pass dribble, shoot, he can score at all three levels.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
