Laurent's offseason workout begins
- Thread starter RU-Choppin-Ohio
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Miller definitely showed more over his first two seasons. They are physically similar, though, and both need to get inside to score - not really being true wing players that are a threat from outside. Miller was more athletic, I think, and a better defender.
Comparing freshman stats:
Miller: 27.5 min, 9.2 pts, 5.9 rsb, 2.5 ast, 1.0 stl
Laurent: 24.3 min, 8.1 pts, 5.1 rbs, 0.9 ast, 0.5 stl
Laurent definitely dropped off as a soph, though, while Miller improved. Hopefully this was just an adjustment year for Laurent to get used to Pikiell's expectations and style of play, and he'll take a step forward as an upperclassman (whereas Miller gradually regressed under Rice).
Miller was reluctant shooter, was always pass first. Laurent is just the opposite. Takes the ball to the basket every time. They were both pretty good athletes with nice hops. As basketball players, don't see any comparison.
I liked Dane Millers play. I thought a great coach would of got more out of him. I always like hearing that Miller is doing well in the d league. Although I think longterm, he is a player overseas. He had been in the d league for 3 years now I believe.
Miller actually took more shots than Laurent over his first two years, though he started to take fewer as years progressed under Rice. Laurent was a very reluctant shooter this year, but it seemed more like he hesitated when he got the ball - even when an open shot was there.
I remember similar conversations about Miller after his freshman and sophomore years... if he could just develop a jumper, if he could just shoot thousands of them in practice, etc. Unfortunately, he had a steady regression after his sophomore year.
Miller was a more athletic player, and he was a much better passer - getting the ball to players in position to score, rather than just moving it around the outside. But they get their points in similar ways - dribble drives from the wing, offensive put backs, interior passes... without really any perimeter game. One key difference is that Miller had perimeter shooters around him as an underclassman that opened up the middle (Rosario, Mitchell, Coburn, Beatty).
I just hope that Laurent's trajectory is opposite Miller's from a productivity standpoint - and I have confidence Pike's staff will do a better job motivating him to improve than Rice's staff did with Miller.
Dane could jump to the moon, but was so frustrating as player. I always pulled for him. He had huge tip on a late game foul shot miss vs. GTown, it was a great play. Laurent is a better offensive player, but he needs to pull it together.
And we used to read almost every off season about all the shots Miller was taking every day at the RAC. And he never could shoot.
Dane was actually a point forward and a very good defensive player. His first two years he was pretty good. It seemed as if he lost interest or wasn't listening to his coach his last season. He had a lot of ability but for whatever reason he didn't show it at the end of his career. He rarely shot the ball. He was very unselfish.
