Growing up in Indiana you had two choices as a kid — be a fan of Purdue or be a fan of the Indiana basketball program. It’s one or the other and definitely not both. So when it comes time to make your college choice, it it typically that school that you grew up following. That is except for one former Purdue basketball player.
Brad Miller grew up in Kendallville, Indiana and way before his 14-year NBA career began, he wanted to play for Indiana basketball. After starting his high school career at East Noble he spent one season away in Maine.
He ended up returning home to the state of Indiana for his collegiate career … just not for the team he always dreamed of playing for.
“They didn’t recruit me,” Miller said on the ‘All The Smoke Podcast’ when talking about Indiana. “I’m super glad I didn’t go down there. But 100 percent they didn’t recruit me.”
Miller played from 1994-98 with the Boilermakers and played 128 games with 81 starts in his career. He averaged 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds as a junior and then 17.2 points and 8.9 rebounds as a senior.
He helped lead Purdue to a Sweet Sixteen in 1998 and two Big Ten Championships during his time in West Lafayette. He remembers all of that as well — including the matchups against the Indiana basketball program.
“I went 7-2 against them. Won two Big Ten Championships. They didn’t win (expletive),” Miller said. “They were lucky to get the two wins. They cheated the (expletive) out of the one.”
On the flip side, Indiana failed to get out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament in each of the four years Miller was at Purdue. And, instead of it being Miller in the cream and crimson, Bob Knight was led by forwards Alan Henderson, Brian Evans, Andrea Patterson and Jason Collier during those years.
In fact, Knight never even looked Miller’s way throughout his recruiting process, something that was difficult to swallow for the 7-footer.
“Not one (expletive) letter from IU,” Miller said. “I had red and white up my ass growing up. Sweatshirts and different stuff. So when Purdue — I’m like where the (expletive) is IU?”
Miller went on to make two NBA All-Star Games and play for six different teams throughout his career, including the Indiana Pacers where he earned his first NBA All-Star selection.
He would average 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds in 868 career games.
“Purdue-Indiana is a hell of a rivalry,” Miller said.
“Everything is a blessing. What you think you want, isn’t what you need in life.”
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