Leonard Hamilton shares excitement to get Baba Miller in rotation

Florida State true freshman forward Baba Miller has yet to play a minute in a non-exhibition game, but head coach Leonard Hamilton is excited to see what the lanky international can do. And Hamilton seems to think Miller will make a big contribution sooner, rather than later.

Miller, a highly-coveted prospect from Spain, was suspended for the first 16 games of the season by the NCAA for accepting free travel to a basketball camp in the United States as a recruit — despite paying back entities for the travel, the NCAA stuck to its guns. Since, it’s really just been a matter of when Miller could make an impact and not if he would.

“He’s gotta be a little anxious. He’s an 18-, 19-year-old youngster that’s coming in to a new program and he’s only been able to practice. So we’ll give him his freedom but I have a hunch he’ll make a major contribution. He’ll be able to give those guys a little more, and give them less minutes because of him being involved in the rotation,” Hamilton said.

The type of contributions one can expect from Miller aren’t hard to suss out. Scoring aside, the freshman forward is 6 feet, 11 inches tall with elite wingspan and length.

He’s the exact sort of long, smothering defender with some polished ability on the offensive end that Florida State and Hamilton have thrived with for years.

“I expect him to make a major contribution in areas that might not necessarily show up in the statistical column,” Hamilton said. “I think he’s a good ball mover. I think he can contest. I think he’s got those long arms, shutting down passing lanes. I expect him to do all those dirty work things then I think you’ll see him elevate his game and become much effective throughout the game. But that’s what he’s about. The dirty work. The rebounds, tip-ins, running the floor, getting down on the floor for loose balls — those are things I think we’ll get from him