Miller offers Air Force hard work, discipline along with basketball skills

Hard work and discipline have driven Little Rock Hall guard Carlos Miller Jr. during his high school career — and not just on the basketball court.

Those two traits led Miller to sign a letter of intent with the Air Force Academy during a ceremony Wednesday at George Cirks Arena on the Hall campus.

The Hall point guard was joined by his parents Carlos and Lillie as well as his teammates.

Miller, who was Hall’s sixth man on its 5A-Central Conference championship team that reached the Class 5A state title game last season, has a 4.0 grade-point average, according to his father Carlos Miller Sr.

“It’s a family atmosphere, like Hall,” Miller Jr. said of Air Force. “They treat me like I’m one of their own.”

Miller, who wants to become a sports medicine physician, chose Air Force over Cornell and Oral Roberts, among others.

Hall Coach Jon Coleman said Miller is a player who teammates enjoy playing with.

“I call him a room follower,” Coleman said. “He does exactly what he’s supposed to do, which is important when you go to a service academy. He’ll either be valedictorian or salutatorian of his class, so that allows him to go to Air Force and earn a Division I scholarship.”

Miller, 6-3, is the first NCAA Division I signee from the Hall boys basketball program since Bobby Portis inked with the University of Arkansas in 2013. Portis is in his fifth season in the NBA and first with the New York Knicks after stints with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.

“It’s a good day for Hall,” Coleman said. “The drought is over.

“We’ve had plenty of kids who go to JUCO, Division II and NAIA schools. But it’s always special to see a kid obtain his dream and go to a Division I school.”

Miller said he doesn’t want to compare himself to Portis, but he appreciates being mentioned alongside him.

“It’s a great honor,” Miller said. “I worked for this.”

Miller averaged 9 points and 3 assists last year for the Warriors. He’s looking forward to playing with Air Force.

“They’re getting a disciplined player and someone who doesn’t get in any trouble,” Miller said. “I’ll do what I’m told. I’ll play hard and do the best I can.”

Hall opens its season tonight at Marion in a rematch of last season’s Class 5A state championship game. Miller believes the Warriors can get back to the state title game in Hot Springs.

“If everybody just works hard, we can be back at the top again,” Miller said. “We don’t want to break that tradition. Hall has been one of the best schools in the state for a very long time. We just want to build on that.”

Miller