What's Up with Miles?
By Jeff
Something is up with Bobby Miles. He did not see a second of playing time this weekend after playing in all of Hawaii's first 18 games. He even started in 10 games. Now i know players can lose playing time because of injury, lack of progress in practice, or even, as here, a new player, Miah, comes along at the same position. But to not play a minute, even in a game in which your primary point guard is injured ( as in Sat night) and not playing at full strength.
Now i don't pretend to have any inside information, and maybe this is much ado about nothing, but i doubt it. Something is up. Is it academics? or disciplinary?: or injury related? I understand there are privacy concerns with student athletes, and maybe that's why we are hearing nothing about it. When i asked Gib on Thursday why we hadn't seem Miles, he carefully avoided a direct response.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think Miles is the best guard on the squad, and Miah is now on the team. But you don't start ten games and then not play a minute because you haven't progressed. Yes, your playing time may be limited, but to not play at all. Only asking
Hoops Talk
January 24th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
i noticed the same thing. i think gib wants to win and will put in his best players that feel will give him the best chance to win. If you notice kurtz hasnt been playing either. Personally, i think this is the wrong way of doing things. Look what happened to salter and coleman. I wouldnt shut miles and kurtz because they proved they can play and contribute but then thats just me.
January 24th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Jeff
Is this the new transparency policy, maybe info at the Tuesday Call the Coach?? Also, whatsup with Brumfield, is his knee injury problems again?? Coach Arnold is beginning to get an evasive type of reputation. A program is only as good as your weakest and most loyal player, or is the program "what have you done for me lately". Great weekend for the BB bows, Josten and Joaquin made many important "no stats type of plays" go bows and luv your blog.
January 24th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Regarding the Bobby Miles situation, I highly doubt that it is an injury type of situation. This team has been riddled with injuries this season and it was never a secret when the players were injured. I think it has to do with a disciplinary problem, but that's just pure speculation. I agree with rainbowbballer in that hard does seem to have an evasive type of reputation and that breeds speculation and gossip. Maybe the addition of Ostrowski has created problems with Arnold and Miles; I really hope that Miles does not transfer out of the program as he is young and does seem to have a lot of talent. I just don't know what will happen with the addition of heralded recruit Blakes next year and how that will add into the mix of PG. As for Brumfield, I heard that his situation revolves around his academics. Let's hope that he can get that sorted out.
January 24th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
I hear the Brumfield situation has to do with academics. I dont recall if he was even in uniform saturday. was he?
January 24th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
I would think that performance in practice would weigh heavily in Coach Gib's decision on who gets significant playing time. I see visible evidence of Miah getting better in leaps and bounds
while I didn't see it happening with Miles even with the large amount of playing time he was given. Think if Miah had the same amount of playing time as Bobby Miles this season. I don't think there'd be any question of who'd be riding the pine. It IS problematic that Miles got no playing time, though. But I leave that to the coaches.
January 24th, 2011 at 6:41 pm
i think it's an academic thing. if it is, the less attention to it, the better... if you know what i mean.
January 24th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
another thing that makes me wonder is why didnt nash give ostrowski a chance when he was a freshman? bonehead mistakes like that it probably why nash isnt the coach anymore.
January 24th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Bob Nash actually was willing to give Ostrowski a chance at basketball, but football at the time was his primary focus and that's where his scholarship was...at slotback. He also was willing to try for the basketball team last year (as a sophomore) but the death of a family member changed his priorities.
January 24th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
If you think privacy issues explain BM'slack of playing time, then wouldn't it be wise to avoid the subject. What good could possibly come out of repeatedly asking questions which, if answered, can only take the coach and/or the team and/or the program in the wrong direction. Must we know everything about everything? No. Did you ask every date every single detail of her prior relationships? Don't answer that, but I hope not. When BM sees some playing time, you'll know things are improving. Until then, they are not.
January 24th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
bobby doesn't appear as comfortable handling the ball as miah and doesn't have the leadership either. he's young and will rise to the position eventually. it's just a learning curve he'll need to ride for awhile. patience and practice will allow him to succeed. he'll just have to suck it up and not take it personally. this challenge will either make him better or he'll transfer from impatience.
January 24th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Miles is just not good enough, needs to be put in certain spots where we are in a comfortable lead, not as fast as Miah, not as good handles as Miah, and he is scared to shoot, and has avoided shooting the ball all season. Bobby needs to work really hard in the off season if he wants to play D1 ball, shooting the ball,creating his shots, working on ball handling and overall speed .
January 24th, 2011 at 11:11 pm
I commend Bobby for his positive attitude toward being a part of this team, and his positive body language that he projects during games.
There are myriad ebbs and flows during a season and he happens to be in a position wherein he is not playing minutes. Earlier he was starting. Doesn't mean anything more or less, and from an objective account - he certainly seems to have figured this out and has endeavored to support his teammates.
What I find interesting is that this very young team has found a way to dig itself out of a hole, broken a nearly two-year losing road streak, and has just pulled off something that hasn't been done in 3 or 4 years (win 3 conference games in a row), and the one topic you come up with is "what's up with Bobby Miles?"
Really? Is that what you think the most compelling storyline is?
Not that they were somehow able to get Bo Barnes back on track by some pretty novel mind-control techniques. Not the emergence of a rising force in Sophmore Vander Joakim. Not that Joston Thomas responds to being benched for two games by responding with two of his best performances of his career. Not that Bill Amis appears to be back to his old self. Not that Zane Johnson is proving that he can guard as well as shoot. Not that lo-and-behold, there was a bond fide Division I point guard on campus the last three years in Jeremiah Owstroski. And finally, not that Trevor Wiseman is emerging as a crowd favorite inasmuch as he can guard 4 positions, and seemingly gets the Warriors at least 2 additional possessions a game by virtue of his sheer hustle - and all while being a true freshman with 3 more years in this system.
No, instead you want to ask: what's up with Bobby Miles? A non-ssue; if you ask me. It certainly seems to be a non-issue with him, as he appears to have readily embraced his proper role as a supportive teammate.
More like, the comment should be: what's up with you?
January 25th, 2011 at 5:16 am
Ahhh Rainbowforlife....the first right on post I have seen in a long time. As the oldtimers say, "right on the kinipopo."
January 25th, 2011 at 8:18 am
Wow, Rainbowforlife, I am impressed by your insights. Your observations are brilliant, and I for one am much more interested in your proposed headlines than the one chosen re Miles. Keep contributing, because I would like to read more from you. You know your basketball.
January 25th, 2011 at 11:18 am
I am a huge fan of every team's point guard person and the position -- it is "point" guard because this player is the leader and playmaker, he runs the game for the four remaining players and makes them look good, if they do -- and in my view Miles is the best point guard on this team (and player) insofar as having ability 1) to read the floor, 2) create a play, and 3) get the ball moving to execute the play. I have watched in dismay while Miles sits on the bench and the offense disintegrates under the weak and narrow visioned point guard "leadership" of the other players. Let Miles bring the ball down the court and we will begin to see the big guys on the team get under the basket, with the ball firmly in hand and able to use their body power to score. We need Miles for the game coming this Saturday.
January 25th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
Cassandra I don't know what Warrior BB games you were watching, but your "in my view Miles is the best point guard on this team (and player) insofar as having ability 1) to read the floor, 2) create a play, and 3) get the ball moving to execute the play" is hard to digest, especially for anyone who knows the game of basketball. Please check out the UH athletic website, click on stats for warrior basketball.
JMHO, no pun intended to young Miles, so far Miles hasn't shown me any perimeter offense, or the athleticism and ball-handling skills in creating shots for his teammates.
At present the two most effective pg are Thompson and Ostrowski. Only a freshman, Miles time will come.
January 25th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
If my memory serves me right, Bobby had his wisdom teeth pulled not long ago and probably missed some practices. Maybe Ostrich showed up in the absence of Bobby's recovery and hasn't relinquished his #2 spot.