Nomad’s travels point him to home
Millinghaus played for two area high schools and many other teams
The basketball journey for Shadell Millinghaus has been an odyssey. That might be the understatement of all understatements for the newest member of the Albany Patroons.
To borrow a tune from the late Johnny Cash, Millinghaus has been everywhere, man.
He was at Washington Avenue Armory, putting up jump shots before the Patroons practiced on Thursday as they prepared for home games Saturday and Sunday afternoons against the Jamestown Jackals.
Millinghaus has a particular interest in the collegiate game’s Final Four. He’ll be rooting hard for Texas Tech, which plays Michigan State in the second national semifinal Saturday night.
That’s because Texas Tech was just one of the many stops the 6-foot-2 Millinghaus has had during his roundball tour of the country.
“I knew it was going to happen,” Millinghaus said while sitting in the empty Armory, save for his teammates, who were getting ready for practice. “Coach (Chris) Beard is a perfectionist, a real hard worker.”
Millinghaus played one season in Lubbock, the 2016-17 season, Beard’s first. Millinghaus averaged 3.9 points in 31 games. But his stay, like most of the others he has had during his career, was short. He left after the one season — his choice, he said — because he didn’t think the program fit him.
“It was a great experience,” he said. “Loved the coaches. It was just a different system than I
was used to.”
He started his college career at Southern Mississippi and averaged 7.4 points in 18 games. In December of 2014, he and another player were released from the program and then Millinghaus came back on board in January of 2015.
At the end of that season, he was gone again, and landed at Northwest Florida State College and was named the Panhandle Conference Player of the Year after averaging 16.9 points for the junior college.
He ended his career at Georgetown (Ky.) of then a ia where he was a Division I first-team Allamerican.
Millinghaus even bounced around in high school.
He started at Schenectady High School, but, in 2010, was dismissed from the team along with brother Derrick for what was called behavior detrimental to the team.
Shadell would go to Troy High School before finishing at Believe Prep in Rock Hill, S.C.
He has played two games with the Patroons, but before getting here, he had another stop in The Basketball League, albeit a brief one. He was an emergency player for one game, suiting up for the New York Court Kings last month.
In his first two games with the Patroons, he has scored 28 and 18 points.
His nomadic run through the basketball world might put up an immediate red flag to any team wanting to use him. Derrick Rowland, the Patroons’ coach, had his concerns, but has been pleased with what his new player has brought to him.
“He has had his issues,” Rowland said of Millinghaus’ past. “He just had to grow up. I have been highly impressed with him. When you get a player and you know his history, in the back of your mind, you might be looking for something. Not one ounce
of anything. He has really grown up. He’ll help us.” note: rowland said that guard Lloyd Johnson, who had been the team’s leading scorer (21.5 points per game), is no longer with the Patroons. rowland said Johnson had to be let go because he could not make any of the team’s away games because of another job commitment. “i know he has obligations,” rowland said. “i thought we needed consistency. if he comes back (after a road trip), it throws us off. i’ve known Lloyd for a long time, and i like him. But i thought this was for the best.”