Adam Miller scores 20 points in Arizona State debut but Sun Devils fall to TCU

FORT WORTH, Texas — When Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley met with the media earlier this week he put a bit of a caution out as to expectations. Guard Adam Miller was going to make his season debut but the LSU transfer hadn't played a game for more than a year.

Well Miller made his presence known right away with a team-high 20 points but the Sun Devils (6-4) fell to TCU 79-59 Saturday night at Dickies Arena in the last of three games at the Coast to Coast Classic.

"You just don't know, not having played a game in awhile," Hurley said. "He made shots. He kind of really integrated himself quickly. You hope to see that. That was the one positive tonight, that offensively he was able to give us a lift."

It originally looked like Miller's debut was going to be long delayed. As a two-time transfer who had yet to earn his degree, Miller need a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible to play. That was denied a week or so ago.

Then on Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge John Bailey issued a temporary restraining order against the NCAA rule requiring multi-time transfers to sit out a season. The ruling, which came in the Northern District of West Virginia, cleared the way for transfers out for that reason to become eligible immediately.

The temporary restraining order was to hold through Dec. 27 but a day after it was issued the NCAA agreed to let it stand through the end of spring sports, meaning Miller would be able to suit up for the rest of the season, providing an immediate boost for an offense that had struggled with consistency.

Despite not being able to play in games Miller has practiced with the team and been on the bench, although not dressed out, for most games.

"It was special to me," Miller said. "I've been watching a lot of film the last three or four days straight, preparing for the game. Kind of new how I wanted to attack them, how we wanted to attack them. It felt good to make the first few shots but I really trusted the practice, the work I had been putting in."

Hurley noted earlier this week the much-needed jolt of energy the team got when it was announced Miller would play. Not only did he play, he got the start in place of Bryant Selebangue, who had been in that lineup for the previous five games alongside Frankie Collins, Jamiya Neal, Jose Perez and Alonzo Gaffney. That quintet had been the norm after Hurley used five different starting lineups in the first five games.

Miller made his first four shots of the field, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers, the first cutting the TCU (8-1) lead to 4-3 and the second coming the next trip down the floor and putting the visitors in from 6-4.

Two minutes later he got his first steal although the Sun Devils failed to convert that into fast-break points as Neal missed a driving layup at the other end.

Miller ended the half with 15 points, hitting four of six shots from the field and three of five tries from long distance. He also went 4-for-4 from the line, another place the Sun Devils have struggled as a team.

Miller managed just five points in the second half, with TCU doing a better job of focusing on him and making him work for his shots. Miller also admitted he tired a bit, with it being his first game action.

His 20 points came on a 5-for-9 showing from the field that included a 3-for-7 from deep, going 0-for-4 after making the first three. He ended up 7-for-7 from the line and had three assists, two rebounds and two steals.

"My legs got me a little," Miller said. "The first game back. I missed that first one, rushed it a little bit. Felt something was just a little bit off. I was like, `Let me try to get something else.' And it really didn't go my way after that. It was OK but we didn't win and that's the bottom line. So I have to do better."

The addition of Miller was just one of the storylines coming into the contest, which was a rematch of last year's first round NCAA Tournament game won by TCU 72-70 on a buzzer beater. It's also a matchup of future conference foes with ASU headed to the Big 12 next season.

This one was close for 30 or so minutes but the Horned Frogs took control with a 22-2 run that started with a pair of fouls assessed against ASU, the first on Gaffney who was on the bench with four fouls at the time. That technical also counted as his fifth, meaning he was done for the night.

Hurley also got a technical and it steamrolled from there.

"Basketball is a game of runs and momentum. They kept it," Miller said. "We have to do a better job of defense, gave up too many transition buckets."

While Miller was a much-needed reinforcement, the Sun Devils were still without two of their bigger presences in 7-1 Shawn Phillips and 6-9 Zane Meeks, who have been out for six and four games respectively. Both are nursing foot injuries.

Next up for ASU is a game against Northwestern on Wednesday at Footprint Center as part of the Jerry Colangelo Classic.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Adam Miller scores 20 points in Arizona State debut but Sun Devils fall to TCU