“It was thrilling,” said Miller on Tuesday, probably still a little jet lagged after a long day of travel back to Dayton on Monday. “Going in not knowing what to expect, you’ve got to go through it one or two times before you realize what you’re getting into. It’s one heck of a commitment. It’s taking you away from your family, your team, your school. You have to put it all to the side.”
Miller served as an assistant coach for Team USA from June 12, when training camp began in Colorado Springs, Colo., until July 5 when the United States beat Croatia 79-71 in overtime in the title game in Heraklion, Greece.
Archie and Sean, the head coach at Arizona and the head coach for Team USA, along with assistant coach Ed Cooley, the head coach at Providence, guided the youngest team in the tournament to the title.
Archie said Team USA had four 17-year-old players. The Americans have now won six U-19 world championships since 1979. They had not won back-to-back titles since 1979 and 1983, but they defended their 2013 championship.
The United States had blowout victories over Iran, Croatia and Egypt in group play. In the knockout rounds, USA routed Argentina 93-45 and Italy 86-65. It had a tougher time with the host nation Greece on Saturday, winning 82-76, and then needed overtime Sunday to beat Croatia 79-71.
“We had some magical games down the stretch,” Miller said. “It’s one of those things you’ll never forget.”
While Miller’s assistant coaches back in Dayton kept him informed on how workouts and practices were going, he had to focus on the job at hand.
“There should be an urgency to represent the United States the right way,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of pride that goes into winning it.”
As much work as Miller put into the job in Greece, there was little time to rest when he returned home Monday.
“You get sad when you’re not there,” Miller said. “The guys are all working. Our freshmen are in town. I got to see them all lift weights (Tuesday). I’ll go to one more session (Wednesday).”
Then it’s on the road recruiting. This is a live evaluation period for Division I men’s coaches. They can scout potential recruits in person from Wednesday through Sunday and again from July 15-19 and from July 22-26.
Miller’s first stop Wednesday was in Charlotte, N.C. He also plans to visit Atlanta and Augusta, Ga., this week.
Miller can’t talk about specific recruits until they sign, but according to reports, Dayton has offered a scholarship to Elijah Bryant, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard transferring from Elon University. As a freshman last season, he was named Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year after averaging 14.2 points.
In between recruiting periods, Miller will return to Dayton to work with the Flyers. He said a decision has not been made on whether senior forward Dyshawn Pierre will try out for the Canadian national team that will compete in the Pan Am Games.
The tryouts take place July 12-17 in Toronto, and the tournament begins July 21. Pierre is taking classes this summer, so might not be able to make the commitment.
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