6:00: Morning News

Miles answers Huggins ‘chewing’ with season-best performance

West Virginia guards Daxter Miles Jr. and Jaysean Paige leave the court following an 80-69 win over Baylor on Saturday night at the WVU Coliseum.

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Daxter Miles played 42 minutes in his first visit to Phog Allen Fieldhouse, a coming-of-age performance in which he scored 23 points, sank five 3s, and yet, left unfulfilled after West Virginia squandered its chance to upset Kansas.

The sophomore makes his return to Lawrence on Tuesday night, coming off the second 20-point game of his career.

“Last year, playing there as a freshman, it was amazing,” Miles said. “I’d never seen a place like it.”

Then he hastily added, “Except here, at West Virginia University.”

No disclaimer needed. No shame in complimenting a college basketball shrine that gushes energy and nostalgia.

Kansas added to the history last year by rallying from 18 points down against the Mountaineers for an overtime victory Bill Self immediately elevated to elite status. As the Jayhawks trimmed the nets on an 11th consecutive Big 12 title, Miles leaned against a wall outside the visitors’ locker room, almost speechless to explain how WVU let the game slip away. Or how Kansas seized it, depending on your perspective.

Miles and his team currently are situated atop the Big 12 standings and uniquely positioned to end KU’s dynasty. Not that there haven’t been bumpy stretches, especially for Miles.

Before making four 3-pointers during the 80-69 win over Baylor on Saturday, Miles had gone 0-of-9 the previous three games with an upside-down assist-to-turnover ratio. That reportedly led to some shooting tips and make-or-break coaching from Bob Huggins during the previous two practices.

“If anybody’s been hard on Dax, it’s been Coach Huggins,” said junior forward Devin Williams, the only WVU player with more career starts than Miles. “Coach Huggins has really been on Dax and just chewing him out and trying to get him to play. Dax responded the right way. Kudos to Dax.”

Huggins confirmed riding Miles, mindful of the 30-35 record a bout of temporary tolerance begat during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

“I told all these guys when I recruited them I was never going to do what I did those couple years,” Huggins said. “I was never going to do that again. I’m going to coach them. And they’ve been great.

“I think I’ve got as good a relationship with these guys that I’m coaching hard as I had back in the old days because they want to get better. They want to get better, and they trust us.”

Trust that makes players self-aware of expectations and how playing time is earned and forfeited. For instance, against Baylor, during what was shaping up to be his best performance of the season, Miles committed two turnovers in 28 seconds and instinctively headed toward the bench.

“Lack of ball security means it’s takeout time,” he said. “I just knew to walk to the bench. It’s cool. Got to take the good with the bad.”





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