Choctaw County's Miller inks with Itawamba CC
ACKERMAN – There was a time not long ago when Jeremy Miller wasn't sure a day like Monday would come.
Yet Miller, a center for the Choctaw County basketball team, sat at a table on Monday and put pen to paper as he signed on to continue his hoops career at Itawamba Community College next season.
“I didn't think I was going to get this chance, but I did,” Miller said.
It was earlier this year when Miller was doubtful. He said he had no offers to keep playing into college. That all changed though when ICC began showing interest.
Miller did plenty to gain the attention. He helped Choctaw County get all the way to Jackson and the quarterfinals of the Class 3A state basketball tournament. It was the Chargers' first-ever trip to the capital city for state tournament action. The Chargers finished with an impressive 21-10 overall record.
“Jeremy meant a lot to our basketball team,” Choctaw County head coach Gary Beals said. “He really came on after Christmas. He got more aggressive and he got over a back injury that has been plaguing him the last couple of years. He started really playing well. He was a main reason that we made it to Jackson. He was a reliable force inside the paint.
“He was just a rim protector inside that helped us out.”
Miller averaged 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for the Chargers last season. He also contributed nearly a block per game. He had 10 games in which he scored in double figures. Five of those occasions came in his last six games as he improved as the season progressed.
“He was a secret weapon for us,” Beals said. “He understood his role really well. He didn't
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