A transfer a day keeps the nerves away. After seeing almost its entire roster enter the transfer portal during a coaching change, the Virginia basketball team has started to refill the cupboard. The Hoos picked up their third commitment in three days from the transfer portal when Duke Miles made the call for the Cavaliers.
Miles, who announced his decision on social media, is the third guard to commit to Ryan Odom at UVA from the transfer portal. He played at Oklahoma last season after three years at Troy and one year at High Point earlier in his career. The Covid waiver (2020-2021) and a medical waiver (2022-2023, 6 games played) gave Miles the additional year of eligibility.
Miles joins guards Sam Lewis from Toledo and Jacari White from North Dakota State as recent transfers. That duo announced commitments on Saturday and Sunday respectively. There's a pattern with the three commitments as all are capable 3-point shooters.
Lewis led the MAC at 44.4% 3-point shooting (59 makes). White knocked down 39.8% of his 3’s on 88-221 shooting at North Dakota State and he's made at least 40 triples for three straight years. Miles hit 43.0% of his 3's at Oklahoma last season 40 makes. The prior season at High Point, he connected on 36.1% with 44 makes.
The 6’2”, 188-pound combo guard can play on or off the ball. He averaged 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 25 minutes per game for the Sooners. He started all 34 games while shooting 51.4% overall, 43.0% from 3-point range, and 83.1% from the free throw line. A year earlier with the Panthers, Miles averaged 17.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 52.8% shooting overall, 36.1% from 3, and 80.1% at the free throw line.
Miles posted some solid scoring games against Power 4 competition the past two seasons. At HPU, he had 15 points and 2 assists against Georgia. Playing for OU last season, the Alabama native scored in double figures against Arizona, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, LSU, Mississippi, and Texas. Overall, he scored 10+ points in all 31 of 33 games for High Point in 2023-2024 and in 15 of 34 games for Oklahoma.
After starting in the tough SEC this past season, he had plenty of traction in the portal. In addition to Virginia, Miles fielded interest from Memphis, Missouri, DePaul, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Stanford, VCU, SMU, LSU, Vanderbilt, and more. When he committed out of high school, his main offers came from home state schools Troy, North Alabama, and Samford according to 247 Sports.
With most of UVA’s players from last season in the transfer portal and multiple already committed elsewhere already, Odom’s first roster in Charlottesville is starting to take shape. He’s added two class of 2025 recruits in Chance Mallory and Silas Barksdale, both 4-star prospects in the 247 rankings, in addition to Miles, White, and Lewis from the portal. The Hoos will be in pursuit of many more players this cycle, though. Elijah Gertrude, a former 4-star prospect coming off a knee injury, and Carter Lang, a walk-on from local school St. Anne’s-Belfield via a transfer from Vanderbilt, are the only returning Virginia players that have not entered the transfer portal or completed their eligibility from last season.
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