“I grew up faster than a lot of other kids,” said Miller-Moore, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard and junior college transfer from Toronto, Ontario. “I didn’t have rides to practice. I didn’t have my parents there to pay for my bills, for AAU trips and stuff. I really had to figure out everything by myself.”
It wasn’t until he was in 11th grade that he realized he wanted to pursue the sport going forward. He says a lack of guidance was a primary factor why he went the junior college route and landed at Missouri’s Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, Missouri, where he played for two years.
He averaged 18.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a sophomore last season, helping the Greyhounds to a 26-7 record, a regional title and a berth in the junior college national tournament.
That helped him reel in a Division I scholarship and make another step forward. He sees basketball as his best current opportunity.
“If I wasn’t playing basketball I don’t know what I would be doing. So I try to play with a chip on my shoulder. I try to take every situation seriously,” Miller-Moore said. “When adversity hits me I do anything to figure it out. I don’t put my head down. I do anything to figure it out. I grind and it’s all I’ve got.”
He signed with Oregon State in late April.
Beavers coach Wayne Tinkle describes Miller-Moore as “an incredible athlete with a high motor and will bring toughness and athleticism to our forward positions.”
“He's a great kid who has been through a lot growing up and has faced a ton of adversity,” the coach added. “He has a great support group back home and has worked his tail off to get where he is.”
Toughness and athleticism were the focuses of Oregon State’s efforts for the incoming recruiting class.
Miller-Moore used the word “tough” to describe his own attributes.
“I’ll do anything to win,” he said. “Whatever coach needs me to do I’ll do it. Good in transition, can make the right play.”