Miles’ lone goal timely for KU
Kansas University’s Aaron Miles missed all but one of his nine shots against Vermont on Friday night in Allen Fieldhouse.
But, as is becoming customary with the senior point guard, Miles hit his first shot when KU needed it most.
With a two-point lead and the shot clock nearing 1, Miles leaned in for a short jump shot in the lane with 1:55 remaining.
The swoosh arguably was the biggest shot by any Jayhawk in KU’s 68-61 victory, but Miles said the make was nothing remarkable.
“It was just like any other shot,” Miles said, flashing a smile that couldn’t hide the fact he understood his shot meant a little more.
Miles handled himself well down the stretch compared with the first half, when KU coach Bill Self briefly had to pull Miles because he was, in his own words, “out of control.”
“I think it was more just anxious,” Miles said. “I felt I was moving too fast, needed to calm down a little bit. That was just the adrenaline pumping inside of me.
“You got to stay composed, because if you’re just frantic and moving too fast, then good things won’t happen. For good things to happen, you have to be poised, under control and know you can make the big play — a rebound, a shot, a steal, something.”
While Miles’ shot all but sealed the win, the Portland, Ore., native wasn’t finished. He came down on defense and flew over the top of both teams’ post players for a big rebound off a missed jumper.
Miles then quickly reestablished KU’s offense, getting the ball ahead to Keith Langford for what would have been a sure layup had Langford not been fouled.
“I know that little things help win games. I know that if we would have given them an offensive rebound that could have been a turning point in the game,” Miles said.
Jayhawk J.R. Giddens wasn’t going to allow Miles to get away without playing up his big shot.
“That’s what good players do, hit shots when it counts,” said Giddens, whose three-pointer with 3:32 to go put KU ahead to stay.
Miles credits his teammates for staying tough against the Catamounts. Otherwise, Miles said, Friday’s game could have been like last season’s home loss to Richmond.
“I think our team is a lot tougher mentally this year,” Miles said. “Outsiders don’t know how good Vermont is. They just hear Vermont and you say that’s no doubt.
“They don’t understand that they just won two conference titles the past couple of years and have two conference player-of-the-year (type) players on their squad, and they’ve been in the (NCAA) Tournament two consecutive years. A lot of people don’t know that. … They’re a legitimate team.”
And more and more, Miles is showing he’s a legitimate threat to hit the toughest of clutch shots.
“I think I got confidence throughout the whole game, but especially at the end of games because you got to step up and make shots,” Miles said.
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