Spring Break
Miles away from Storrs
Kevin Meacham
Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: Sports
Nate Miles allegedly made some poor decisions and he has been expelled from UConn as a result. And rightly so.
The university, not to mention its basketball program, (or its head coach), has been given a black eye. People have begun to question whether the program is becoming decadent, accepting players of questionable character.
Miles infamously attended five high schools in four years before graduating earlier this year. Just about every newspaper or online story on Miles seems required to mention the words "baggage" or "troubles."
Coach Jim Calhoun fought for about a year to push Miles through UConn's admissions process.
Did he do it because Miles had a shot to be the best wing player at UConn since Rip Hamilton? Calhoun only has a certain number of years remaining in his coaching career and Miles would have fit perfectly in a stacked UConn lineup that should be ranked in the top five of the polls this year.
Did he do it as a sort of reclamation project, a Caron Butler for this era? Butler had a troubled youth - including more than a dozen arrests. But Calhoun took a chance on him, and Butler responded by turning his life around and becoming a wildly successful, model citizen.
Was it a combination of the two? In the end, it doesn't matter - even if you give Calhoun the benefit of the doubt, as I do.
What matters is that Miles, given another chance by a coach who fought through all kinds of red tape for him, blew it in 16 minutes.
I don't know Nate Miles. I've never met him, and it appears I never will. I'm not willing to label the young man a "thug" - like some others have - based on gossip and stories of past transgressions.
The alleged incident which led to a restraining order on Miles is not necessarily the behavior of a thug. What it says to me, instead, is that this is the behavior of an immature 20-year-old freshman. The affidavit tells a graphic and disturbing story, alleging sexual abuse of a female freshman student.
The university, not to mention its basketball program, (or its head coach), has been given a black eye. People have begun to question whether the program is becoming decadent, accepting players of questionable character.
Miles infamously attended five high schools in four years before graduating earlier this year. Just about every newspaper or online story on Miles seems required to mention the words "baggage" or "troubles."
Coach Jim Calhoun fought for about a year to push Miles through UConn's admissions process.
Did he do it because Miles had a shot to be the best wing player at UConn since Rip Hamilton? Calhoun only has a certain number of years remaining in his coaching career and Miles would have fit perfectly in a stacked UConn lineup that should be ranked in the top five of the polls this year.
Did he do it as a sort of reclamation project, a Caron Butler for this era? Butler had a troubled youth - including more than a dozen arrests. But Calhoun took a chance on him, and Butler responded by turning his life around and becoming a wildly successful, model citizen.
Was it a combination of the two? In the end, it doesn't matter - even if you give Calhoun the benefit of the doubt, as I do.
What matters is that Miles, given another chance by a coach who fought through all kinds of red tape for him, blew it in 16 minutes.
I don't know Nate Miles. I've never met him, and it appears I never will. I'm not willing to label the young man a "thug" - like some others have - based on gossip and stories of past transgressions.
The alleged incident which led to a restraining order on Miles is not necessarily the behavior of a thug. What it says to me, instead, is that this is the behavior of an immature 20-year-old freshman. The affidavit tells a graphic and disturbing story, alleging sexual abuse of a female freshman student.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Spence Roman
posted 10/07/08 @ 10:48 AM EST
Greetings from the Windy City
Thanks for a very well written and balanced article. From my experience
UConn Basketball has run the gamut from the John Crisp scandals in the
late 60's to the unfortunate Nate Miles episode. (Continued…)
Chris Jackson
posted 10/08/08 @ 5:00 AM EST
I do agree with you Kevin that college students drink, always have an always will. However I reject the idea of comparing the UConn Basketball players to regular students in a dorm. (Continued…)
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