CU’S Miller refocused, ready
Tough stretch to end season for Buffs’ center now in rearview mirror
In making the decision to transfer from Washington to Colorado two summers ago, Quay Miller didn’t expect back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament.
She knew, however, that she was going to a team that was on the rise and she wanted to be a part of it.
“The team we are, we were built for this moment,” Miller said Sunday after the Buffaloes were officially announced as one of the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament field. “So it’s not really surprising; it’s more so like, ‘OK, we achieved this and now we’ve got to just keep it rolling.’”
On Saturday, the 21st-ranked and sixth-seeded Buffaloes (23-8) will square off with 11th-seeded Middle Tennessee (28-4) in the first round of the tournament at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. (5 p.m. MT, ESPNEWS).
A 6-foot-3 senior center, Miller has been a major factor in both of CU’S tournament runs the last two seasons.
Last year, she was the Pac12’s sixth player of the year, coming off the bench to average 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
This year, she’s been a full-time starter and was named first-team All-pac-12 after leading the Buffs in scoring (13.2 points per game) and rebounding (8.5 per game). At the team awards banquet on Sunday, she was named the Buffs’ offensive player of the year and received the Lisa Van Goor rebounding award.
Miller enters the tournament looking to get back on track, however.
An exceptional shooter most of the year, Miller has made just 10of-55 shots (18.2%) in the last five games and she’s 1-for-22 (4.5%) on 3-pointers in the last six. Two weeks ago at the Pac-12 tournament, she was 0-for-16 from floor (0-of-6 from 3-point range) and scored just two points in the Buffs’ two games.
“It was hard,” she said. “Having the support system I have and being able to be around people who love me and it’s more than about basketball (that helps). … I know that’s not who I am. I know others know that’s not who I am and I’m good at the end of the day.”
Throughout much of this season, Miller has been CU’S best player and, typically, the most consistent. She has scored in double figures in 25 of the Buffs’ 31 games and had a stretch of six double-doubles in eight games