Florida State University Athletics
Friday, November 17
Gainesville, Fla.
7:00 p.m.
Florida State
at
Florida
Seminoles, Miller Travel To Play At Florida Friday At 7:00 P.M.
11/16/2023 12:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida State's Baba Miller knew he had room to improve when his freshman season ended in March. After all, he had his first year cut in half by a surprising NCAA suspension, he missed his second game back because of tonsillitis, then suffered through one of the toughest seasons in the history of Florida State basketball.
The Spaniard is determined to turn his and the teams' fortunes around.
Having won its first two games, Florida State continues its journey as the Seminoles travel to play at Florida at the Exactech Arena in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. (SEC Network). Miller is one of six Seminoles averaging in double figure scoring after totaling 11 points in the Seminoles' victory over Central Michigan on Monday night in Tallahassee.
Miller will play against Florida for the first time after missing the Seminoles' early season game against the Gators a year ago.
"Obviously this game is part of a great rivalry," said Miller. "I'm excited about the opportunity to compete with my teammates against a great program in a great environment."
For Miller and his teammates, they all knew what they had to work on when the 2022-23 season ended in the ACC Tournament.
"The only meeting we had was after getting eliminated by Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament was Coach Ham making it very clear that we would never go through a season like that ever again," said Miller. "When it came to us as players there were conversations expressing our determination to get the program back to where it was for the program, for the school, for the coaches, and for ourselves."
Getting the Seminoles' program back to the status it has earned and grown accustomed to is among the driving forces propelling every member of the Seminoles' roster this season.
Miller himself is emphatic that he wants to utilize his athletic skills to help the Seminoles on both offense and defense. He feels that he is well on his way to accomplishing that goal. He knows any given season is a marathon rather than a sprint, but he is pleased with his play in the first two games of the season knowing there is always room to grow.
"I think my transition push has improved a lot," said Miller. "I'm not afraid to put the ball on the floor and make plays for my team. I have to keep working on being a better shot-blocker; I haven't been too good at it these past two games. I'm determined to get that aspect of my game right and improve in this area of my game."
Miller utilized his time wisely making certain he was getting into the best shape physically, and mentally.
"I've emphasized getting my body right this off season," said Miller. "Coach (Stan) Jones is on me about defense, getting better at defense. If I'm all around on the defensive end, the game is going to be a lot easier for me and my teammates."
Miller, who was born on the island of Mallorca, says that a return to Spain this summer to play with his countries U19 team and train with its national team helped him focus both on and away from the court.
"I think this off season helped me reset my mind," said Miller. "The time away helped me get my confidence back, get physically ready and feel more comfortable on the court. Being able to get back home with my national team helped me have fun playing basketball again. The off season on campus was fun, getting to know my new teammates and building more chemistry with the guys I played with last year."
Miller's approach to his second season in Tallahassee comes in large part from his success in helping Spain's U19 team to the team title at the FIBA U19 World Championship tournament in Hungary. Miller averaged 9.4 points and was its second leading rebounder with a 6.0 rebounds per game average. Miller was a starter in each of Spain's seven games and it earned a 7-0 record.
He was then invited by Spain's powerful basketball federation to practice with Spain's full national team as it prepared for the FIBA U23 World Championships.
"Baba Miler is one of the most improved – mentally and emotionally – players on our team said Head Coach Leonard Hamilton. The anxiety of just being a freshman, with all of the outside stuff he had to deal with was challenging. Now, he's more confident, he's bigger, and he's stronger. He's a different person."
Miller has been a team leader since becoming a Seminole during the Summer of 2022, earning his teammate's trust and respect.
"Baba is a leader for our team both on and off of the court," said senior Darin Green Jr. "He's always looking out for us. If we need anything, you can count on him."
The Spaniard is determined to turn his and the teams' fortunes around.
Having won its first two games, Florida State continues its journey as the Seminoles travel to play at Florida at the Exactech Arena in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. (SEC Network). Miller is one of six Seminoles averaging in double figure scoring after totaling 11 points in the Seminoles' victory over Central Michigan on Monday night in Tallahassee.
Miller will play against Florida for the first time after missing the Seminoles' early season game against the Gators a year ago.
"Obviously this game is part of a great rivalry," said Miller. "I'm excited about the opportunity to compete with my teammates against a great program in a great environment."
For Miller and his teammates, they all knew what they had to work on when the 2022-23 season ended in the ACC Tournament.
"The only meeting we had was after getting eliminated by Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament was Coach Ham making it very clear that we would never go through a season like that ever again," said Miller. "When it came to us as players there were conversations expressing our determination to get the program back to where it was for the program, for the school, for the coaches, and for ourselves."
Getting the Seminoles' program back to the status it has earned and grown accustomed to is among the driving forces propelling every member of the Seminoles' roster this season.
Miller himself is emphatic that he wants to utilize his athletic skills to help the Seminoles on both offense and defense. He feels that he is well on his way to accomplishing that goal. He knows any given season is a marathon rather than a sprint, but he is pleased with his play in the first two games of the season knowing there is always room to grow.
"I think my transition push has improved a lot," said Miller. "I'm not afraid to put the ball on the floor and make plays for my team. I have to keep working on being a better shot-blocker; I haven't been too good at it these past two games. I'm determined to get that aspect of my game right and improve in this area of my game."
Miller utilized his time wisely making certain he was getting into the best shape physically, and mentally.
"I've emphasized getting my body right this off season," said Miller. "Coach (Stan) Jones is on me about defense, getting better at defense. If I'm all around on the defensive end, the game is going to be a lot easier for me and my teammates."
Miller, who was born on the island of Mallorca, says that a return to Spain this summer to play with his countries U19 team and train with its national team helped him focus both on and away from the court.
"I think this off season helped me reset my mind," said Miller. "The time away helped me get my confidence back, get physically ready and feel more comfortable on the court. Being able to get back home with my national team helped me have fun playing basketball again. The off season on campus was fun, getting to know my new teammates and building more chemistry with the guys I played with last year."
Miller's approach to his second season in Tallahassee comes in large part from his success in helping Spain's U19 team to the team title at the FIBA U19 World Championship tournament in Hungary. Miller averaged 9.4 points and was its second leading rebounder with a 6.0 rebounds per game average. Miller was a starter in each of Spain's seven games and it earned a 7-0 record.
He was then invited by Spain's powerful basketball federation to practice with Spain's full national team as it prepared for the FIBA U23 World Championships.
"Baba Miler is one of the most improved – mentally and emotionally – players on our team said Head Coach Leonard Hamilton. The anxiety of just being a freshman, with all of the outside stuff he had to deal with was challenging. Now, he's more confident, he's bigger, and he's stronger. He's a different person."
Miller has been a team leader since becoming a Seminole during the Summer of 2022, earning his teammate's trust and respect.
"Baba is a leader for our team both on and off of the court," said senior Darin Green Jr. "He's always looking out for us. If we need anything, you can count on him."
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