Miles says knee is fine as TCU preps for Bulldogs
After throwing down a monster dunk late in the first half of TCU’S win over Arizona State on Friday at Ball Arena, Horned Frogs star Mike Miles Jr. limped to the sideline and was favoring his right knee, which he hyperextended earlier in the season.
But Miles got back in and finished with a game- high 26 points as TCU beat ASU on Jakobe Cole’s last- second shot, 72- 70 — a bucket that was assisted by Miles.
Guess the knee wasn’t too hurt.
Mi les indicated as much Saturday, ahead of TCU’S second- round date with Gonzaga on Sunday in Denver and following what Miles said was his best all- time dunk.
“It ’ s probably number one — I don’t think I had a dunk better than that,” Miles said. “My knee feels good. It stung a little bit, but I’ve been getting treatment. But it feels good… I’ll be ready for ( Sunday).”
Mi les missed nine games during the regular season, with the knee injury, a foot injury and other health issues sidelining him.
He wasn’t the only one in the lineup who struggled to stay healthy as TCU used 15 different starting lineups, the most of any Power 5 team. But with Miles now relatively healthy, No. 6 TCU will be a tough out, even as an underdog to No. 3 Gonzaga.
Mark Few’s Bulldogs were 0- 2 against the Big 12 this season, with losses to Texas ( 93- 74 on Nov. 16) and Baylor ( 64- 63 on Dec. 2), and the Horned Frogs believe they can replicate that by making Gonzaga earn its way up the floor.
“The Big 12 is a different intensity on the defensive end, and I think that bothered Gonzaga,” said junior forward Chuck O’bannon. “We’re going to try to pressure them all game, make them uncomfortable.”
Coach Jamie Dixon knows TCU will have its hands full containing the Bulldogs’ scoring, as Gonzaga ranks No. 1 in the country in offensive team efficiency. The Bulldogs have four scorers averaging double digits but are headlined by senior forward Drew Timme, who is averaging 20.9 points per game along with 7.3 rebounds.
Dixon said it’s going to require “team defense” to limit Timme, and prevent his hot hand from opening up Gonzaga’s other shooters.
“We haven’t played a lot of guys or a lot of teams where their offense revolves around their inside guys, especially one guy in particular,” Dixon said. “It’s a challenge. You want to stop ( Timme), but you don’t want to give other guys shots, and that’s what makes them so good. They’re so balanced… We’ll be changing things up, adapting, just like we did last night.”
Dixon said that Miles will be critical once again, a couple days after leading a second- half comeback against ASU where the point guard “kind of willed us to win along with ( senior guard) Damion ( Baugh).”
“He continued to attack when we were down, and never gave up,” Dixon said. “But he’s also very unselfish. When you see the last two plays ( against ASU), he makes the right pass to Damion for a wide- open three and hits Jakobe on the double- team, who was wide- open at the time. He can do all things.”