Brooklynn Miles was the ultimate textbook point guard in Kentucky WBB's win over Samford

In Sunday’s win against the Samford Bulldogs, sophomore Brooklynn Miles fulfilled her job as Kentucky women’s basketball’s point guard at an elite level, recording 13 points, six assists, and three steals to lead the Lady ‘Cats to victory.

But what even is a true point guard, and just how much does Miles fit that mold?

Defining the roles of a point guard

I talked with KSR’s “Xs on Os” expert, Brandon Ramsey, about defining the point guard position. If you follow the website at all, then you know that Brandon provides great in-depth analysis of every team the Kentucky men’s basketball team plays. So, I figured if there was anyone who could give us the best definition of what it means to be a point guard, it’s Brandon. Here’s how he defines the one spot:

“Being a point guard can mean many different things. You have some that are traditional table-setters who initiate offense and simply facilitate for teams. Then, you have others who are more dynamic playmakers but are very much still pass-first. Finally, you have your score-first point guards who may bring the ball up the floor, but are primarily in the game for their scoring prowess.”

Now, let’s dive into just how much Brooklynn Miles matched these styles of play against Samford.

Setting teammates up with scoring opportunities

As Miles has expressed in the past on multiple occasions, she likes to see her teammates succeed. While she isn’t afraid to take the open shot, she excels in setting up her teammates with open, high-percentage looks, and she did just that against Samford.

Miles’ six assists were impressive enough, but her ability to facilitate the Kentucky offense meant good things for Maddie Scherr and Ajae Petty. The two seniors combined for 36 points against Samford, and Kentucky was able to ride their scoring to a 72-59 win. Despite that, Miles’ most impressive assist came on a fast break when she found Saniah Tyler with a nasty, between-the-legs dish at the rim.

😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨@miles_brooklynn pic.twitter.com/8pu0kZNjMt

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) December 31, 2023

Running the offense smoothly

One of the other main points that Brandon made was that “the point guard position remains an extension of the coach on the floor.” Every time Miles brings the ball up the floor, you can see that she looks to Kyra Elzy and signals in the play call. She’s practically playing quarterback on every offensive position, and it’s a beautiful thing to see.

As we all know, Kentucky has had its fair share of offensive struggles this season. In every game, there always seems to be a cold stretch where the ‘Cats can’t buy a bucket. However, against Samford, Miles was able to get Kentucky over those scoring droughts.

At the half, Kentucky was only up by one possession as Samford had managed to keep it close. Heading into the locker room, Kentucky was only up 32-30. As we noted in the Samford preview, there was no reason for Kentucky not to handle the Bulldogs. However, thanks to some coaching adjustments from Kyra Elzy, Miles was able to lead Kentucky’s offense as they ended up coming away with a 13-point win, as expected.

Putting the ball in the bucket and forcing turnovers

As Brandon defined the point guard spot, he ended with the sentiment that “above all else, the point guard is responsible for taking care of the basketball and setting the tone on both ends of the floor.” Now, Miles will be the first to tell you that she is a pass-first player because that’s how she has been her whole career. However, against Samford, she was able to get her own in the scoring column.

Miles scored 13 points on 6-11 (55%) shooting from the field against the Bulldogs. That’s just efficient, high-level scoring from someone who doesn’t typically seek shots when they have the ball. Then, on the other end of the floor, Miles was a pest, coming away with three steals against Samford.

Against Samford, Kentucky would force 22 turnovers as they scored just as many points off of said turnovers. On the flip side, the ‘Cats only turned the ball over eight times, meaning they won the turnover battle by a margin of 14. Simply put, Miles helped turn excellent defense into potent offense, and as a result, Kentucky would end up extending their winning streak to three games.

If Miles can keep up her elite play at the point guard position, then Kentucky could be in position to make some noise in the SEC.