Driven: Miller’s Work Ethic Produces OTM Boys Basketball Player of the Year Honor

1 year ago 50

By Rubin E. Grant

It’s going to be a long time before Win Miller puts the final game of his high school career out of his mind. Perhaps he never will.

For a guy known for scoring, Miller had a miserable shooting performance in the Class 7A Northwest Regional final against rival Hoover. He scored only four points on 2 of 12 shooting from the field and missed all six 3-pointers he attempted in a disheartening 58-26 loss.

“That’s something I will always remember,” Miller said somewhat somberly a few weeks afterward.

His final game notwithstanding, Miller had a brilliant senior season. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 21.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists, leading Vestavia Hills to a No. 1 ranking in Class 7A at the end of the regular season and a 25-5 overall record. He also became the Rebels’ all-time leading scorer with 2,011 career points.

For his performance, Over the Mountain basketball coaches voted Miller the 2023 OTM Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“That’s pretty awesome,” Miller said. “Being a senior and playing the way we did as a team, that’s pretty cool.

“I wouldn’t trade this season for anything, playing with my teammates and playing for ourselves and coaches. We weren’t expected to do as well as we did. We were one of the best teams in the state throughout the year.”

Miller was a major reason for that, displaying a tireless work ethic that led to the player of the year honor.

“I think the honor is definitely characterized as a testament of his commitment to work,” Vestavia Hills coach Patrick Davis said. “I’ve been coaching for almost 20 years and I’ve coached good players and good kids, but Win is cut from a different cloth with the way he’s always working beyond what’s required, and we require a lot.

“He just wants to maximize his God-given talent. He was so driven to not only make himself better but also make this program better.”

Miller will continue his career at the next level, playing college ball at Belmont in Nashville.

“I’m excited about it,” Miller said. “My goal is to help Belmont become a part of March Madness again.”

Miller heads up the 2023 All-OTM boys team that also includes his Rebels teammate Jackson Weaver, a junior guard who averaged 14.6 points per game.

Hoover, the Class 7A state champions, landed two players on the team, sophomore center DeWayne Brown (average 14.4 points per game, 10.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks) and sophomore guard Salim London (14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists).

Mountain Brook, the Class 6A runner-up, also had two players voted to the team, junior guard Ty Davis (18.2 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists) and senior forward Julius Clark (12.3 points, 6.1 rebounds).

Spain Park, which reached the Class 7A semifinals, had two players selected, senior center Sam Wright (16.4 points, 6.9 rebounds) and senior guard Zach Gray (16.0 points, 3,9 rebounds).

Rounding out the team are Oak Mountain senior guard Matt Heiberger (21.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 2.2 assists) and Homewood senior guard Canon Armstead (9.0 points, 42% 3-point shooting, 90% free-throw shooting).

Coach of the Year

Hoover’s Scott Ware was voted the 2023 OTM Boys Coach of the Year after leading the Bucs to a 31-4 record and their first state title since 2015.

“That’s a great honor because there are lot of great coaches around here, and for them to think of me in that way is humbling,” Ware said. “But it’s not anything I do but the players and my assistant coaches.

“It was an incredible season from start to finish. The kids stayed connected and locked in all year, and they didn’t worry about who would get credit. Whatever five guys were on the floor, they were willing to do whatever was needed to help us win.”

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