Colorado University Athletics
Boyle's Buffs Need Big Year From Senior Miller-Stewart
August 13, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — While much of the attention surrounding Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes this year centers around a talented freshman class, the Buffs will still need some major production from their seniors.
George King will be a key on the wing. Dominique Collier will be an integral part of the backcourt. But if the Buffs are going to hold their own down low, they'll need Tory Miller-Stewart to have the kind of year he's capable of producing in the post.
"We need him to be a presence for us on the block offensively," Boyle said after a Buffs practice late last week. "We need him to be a great team defender. We just need him to do what he's capable of doing. If he does that, he'll have a great senior year."
Miller-Stewart (he added "Stewart" to his name this year to honor family) believes he and his fellow seniors are ready to have that kind of year and leave their stamp on the program.
"I'm looking to win, to be honest with you," Miller-Stewart said. " I haven't been to the (NCAA) tournament since I was a sophomore, which seems like forever. This year, I think the seniors want to go out on a good note. This is our last year and we want to make it one worth remembering."
Miller-Stewart was voted most-improved player on the team by his teammates last season after averaging 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds. He averaged nearly 16 minutes per game, and shot almost 60 percent from the field in Pac-12 play.
He also continued to display the "flashes" of big moments that have tantalized Buffs fans since he arrived on campus as big, bruising freshman. The key for Miller-Stewart this year will be whether he can turn those moments into long, sustained stretches.
"Consistency and staying out of foul trouble — those are the things he has to work on this year," Boyle said. "A big part of the reason you've seen just flashes from him is that there are too many times when he's playing well and then boom — he picks up his second foul in the first half, or he picks up his third or fourth foul in the second half. Then he has to sit a little while and he loses that momentum."
Physically, Miller-Stewart is no doubt ready for the season. The 260-pound freshman who registered 17 percent body fat when he arrived three summers ago is now a slimmer, trimmer — and stronger — 245-pounder who is down to 7 percent body fat.
"I'm stronger, faster, quicker and I can jump," Miller-Stewart said. "My lateral movement is a lot better. I'm just a lot better overall with the things I need to do inside."
Miller will step into a position that has been manned by veterans since he arrived. For his first two years as a Buff, Josh Scott roamed the post. Last year, Wesley Gordon was the man in the middle.
"I look at it as the opportunity is there now," Miller-Stewart said. "Josh is gone, Wes is gone. I'm the quote-unquote veteran now. The young guys are kind of looking up to me. But I don't want to say it's necessarily my time, we have to do this as a unit."
The 6-foot-9 Miller-Stewart won't be the only big man for the Buffs this year. Other players who should have an impact on the frontline will include 7-foot redshirt freshman Dallas Walton, sophomore Lucas Siewert and true freshman Evan Battey.
It is a talented group, but also one that lacks much experience. Miller-Stewart will almost certainly be the starting point — and he'll be expected to lend as much wisdom as possible to the youngsters around him.
"We really need our veterans — Dom, Tory, George — to help those younger players on the floor, on the bench, on the bus, in the hotel, in the locker room," Boyle said. "We need those guys to help them through their experiences as much as possible."
But the Buffs also need Miller-Stewart to be a consistent presence.
"He can help us by rebounding the ball," Boyle said. "I've challenged him to be the best screener in the Pac-12. That's not a sexy thing, but if he becomes the best screener in the Pac-12, he'll average double-figure points for us because he's going to get shots.
Miller-Stewart knows that expectations for the Buffs this year won't be great. There are now nine players on the roster who have yet to play a single minute in a game in a Colorado uniform.
But after just a handful of practices this summer in preparation for their upcoming trip to Italy (the team is scheduled to leave Monday), Miller-Stewart believes this is a team that could surprise people, particularly when Pac-12 play rolls around.
"We can be as good as we want to be," Miller-Stewart said. "If we put the time in, dedicate ourselves, focus on the same goal of winning a Pac-12 championship and going to the NCAA Tournament, we can be as good as we want to be. If we all buy into it collectively, if we make that our goal, we're going to win a lot more than we lose."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
