MORGANTOWN. W.Va. — Former WVU forward Keaton Miles tweeted Monday that he’s bound for Arkansas, where he will be eligible for the 2014-15 season.
A three-star recruit out of Dallas-Lincoln High School, Miles considered Arkansas — along with Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas A&M — before signing with West Virginia in 2011. He became the fifth player from that seven-member recruiting class to exit WVU prematurely.
“I wanted to get up and down,” Miles told the Dallas Morning News on Monday. “The motion offense (at WVU) didn’t really fit my game.”
The 6-foot-7 Miles did not appear at all in three of WVU’s final nine games and subsequently underwent postseason wrist surgery, a nagging injury he said he suffered midseason. He announced he was transferring in May after receiving feedback from coaches that his playing time was unlikely to increase next season when WVU plans to bring in five forwards.
Despite his sporadic playing time, the affable, soft-spoken Miles became a fan favorite based on his “Meetin’ with Keaton” videos—playful interviews with children that aired during games at the WVU Coliseum.
Miles averaged 13.1 minutes and 1.4 points while starting 30 games as a Mountaineers freshman, but saw his playing time dip as a sophomore last season. His scoring increased to 2.6 points and his field-goal percentage climbed from 31 to 41 percent, but his minutes dropped to 11.5 per game.
Miles will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out next season under NCAA transfer rules. He also considered Colorado State, Utah and Mississippi State as transfer destinations.
WVU’s roster has undergone a drastic makeover since its 13-19 season ended with a loss to Texas Tech on opening night of the Big 12 tournament. Four players transferred in all, including guards Jabarie Hinds (who landed at UMass) and Aaron Brown (Saint Joseph’s) and forward Voldymyr Gerun (Portland).