If Dennis Gates is looking to add one final player to his roster, he should look no further than former Oklahoma, High Point and Troy guard Duke Miles. He’s available for the third time this transfer portal cycle and if Gates wants more guard depth, Miles will provide exactly that.
It’s not that cut and clear, however. Missouri has 15 scholarship players currently after the recent addition of West Virginia guard Jayden Stone on Sunday evening and there are now plenty of guards on Missouri’s roster. That being said, there could be some experience lacking in that room.
If Miles is a real option for the Tigers, experience is exactly what he will bring. He averaged 9.4 points and two assists per game this season for the Sooners, his first year on a power conference team. He still shot 51.4% from the field, only a minor drop from his season before that, while shooting an improved 43% from three.
At the point guard spot, Miles has long been a consistent defensive player as well. His shooting ability, paired with his defense, does fit him into the category of the type of player that Gates would pursue. It’s now a matter of “if” for Gates and his staff.
The Tigers initially reached out to Miles when he initially entered the portal. His first entry marked the beginning of an interesting transfer portal saga that was full of two commitments and decommitments.
Miles initially committed to newly tenured head coach Ryan Odom and the Virginia Cavaliers, looking to be a key player for them. He backed out of that in a fairly quick manner, committing to Texas A&M shortly after. That commitment lasted 10 days and Miles is back on the free agency market.
Other SEC programs, along with others across the country, are rumored to be pursuing Miles and the Tigers are not one of them. His next destination appears to be a mystery, which makes predicting it that much more difficult.
There is no doubt that Miles is one of, if not the best player, still available on the transfer market, which will create a high demand for him. That alone may scare the Tigers off from pursuing him, especially if they are comfortable with what they have.
The pursuit of Miles, or lack thereof, all depends on how Missouri’s coaching staff views what they have at the point and shooting guard positions. Right now, here’s who the Tigers have on the roster.
Point Guard
– Ant Robinson II (Junior)
– T.O. Barrett (Sophomore)
– Aaron Rowe (Freshman)
Shooting Guard
– Sebastian Mack (Senior)
– Jacob Crews (Senior)
– Jayden Stone (Senior)
– Annor Boateng (Sophomore)
There is no such thing as too much depth, so Miles would be a welcome addition. He could complement Robinson and Mack as a guard off the bench, or potentially a starter, as another great defender and shooter. An argument could also be made that he would stunt the development of Barrett, Rowe and Boateng.
Missouri doesn’t need Duke Miles. He absolutely would be a welcome addition and everyone knows that Gates loves having depth. But, based on his offseason approach, adding a player who could potentially stunt the development of his young guards might not make the most sense.
If the Tigers hadn’t landed Stone on Sunday evening, the argument for Miles might be different. They are different players, but could certainly provide the same level of leadership and experience playing at a high level. With Stone on the roster now, maybe there isn’t a need for Miles.
Need or not, Miles is available and could be an option. There is no timetable for a decision on his commitment and Missouri may not even be involved again, but the decision is there.
