Darius Miller has no idea what happened in Kentucky’s season-opener last week against Morehead State.
The former Mason County High School standout was the only starter who failed to score in the Wildcats’ 75-59 win over the Eagles. The slow start continued Monday when Miller scored just two points in the first half of Kentucky’s 72-70 triumph over Miami of Ohio.
Miller said Wednesday that confidence has never been an issue and was surprised with his showing in the team’s season opener.
“I’ve been comfortable in practice, the coaches and my teammates have done a good job helping me with that,” he said. “To be honest, I don’t know what happened in that first game.”
However, Miller zapped out of his shell in the second half against the Redhawks. Miller sank a 3-pointer down the stretch and scored seven points as the Wildcats erased an 18-point deficit to avoid an early-season upset.
Kentucky coach John Calipari said the difference in Miller’s performance from the first game to the second encounter was simple.
“He made shots,” he said. “It changes your complexion and your whole look.”
Calipari said a minor adjustment in Miller’s form was a factor in his ability to make clutch baskets down when his team needed them the most against Miami.
“I apologized to him because I saw it two weeks earlier that he was moving his shoulders back. I saw it on the tape and meant to say something to him and just never did,” he said. “The day before (Sunday), I just said, ‘Your shoulders are back. Don’t change your shot just don’t throw your shoulders back.’ When your shoulders go back and your head goes back then your shot goes back and there is only one way to shoot it and that is flat. You can’t shoot that ball up or you will fall on your back.’”
Calipari said Miller is moving on and making the proper adjustment as the team prepares for Thursday’s contest against Sam Houston State in a 7 p.m. tipoff at Rupp Arena.
“He is working at it and I am happy for him,” the Kentucky coach said. “I usually say something and I don’t know why I didn’t. I think that I was mad at him for not making a shot is why I didn’t, but I don’t really know. Then I finally said, ‘Listen kid get over it.’ He is a great kid, they all are great kids.”
Although he’s tweaking his delivery, Miller said the team is trying to improve on the defensive end of the court and all phases of the game.”
“(We are working) a lot of defense, and still trying to get in the flow of the offense, get everything right,” Miller said. “We are still making mistakes in the offense - we don’t have it all the way down yet. We are working on the defense and trying to get that down as well.”