Franklin wing Diamond Miller was one of the best surprises in New Jersey Basketball last year.
Anyone who caught her play during the season knew she was in for a big tournament run. Miller showcased a skill set well beyond her years in 2017. On offense, she was one of hardest players to guard, averaging 19 points and 2.5 three pointers made on offense. While her offensive production was more than welcomed, it was her defensive prowess that propelled her team to elite status. She was a beast on the glass averaging 7 rebounds per night. She played the passing lanes relentlessly, logging close to 3 steals per night. Miller protected the paint as well, punching 4 blocks per night to the stands. Miller was everywhere!
It's only right that we paid homage by selecting Miller as a diarist for us this year. Check back throughout the season as Diamond gives us an insider look at the life of a star student athlete playing basketball on the highest level in New Jersey.
Hello everyone! My name is Diamond Miller and I am a guard for Franklin High School. I will be checking in with you guys twice a month to share my journey throughout my junior season!
This spring/summer was very intense, but fun. I play for Team Miller, which is sponsored by Under Armour. This summer, I traveled to Tennessee, Georgia, D.C. and Virginia. We played against some of the top teams in the nation on the AAU circuit this summer. One of the most exciting matchups was against Boo Williams. One of my favorite matchups was against Ashley Owusu, who is committed to Maryland.
The first couple of days were very exciting, as we were all happy to get back out there. We focused a lot on team building, as we don’t all play with each other during AAU. We also did a lot of conditioning to prepare us for our style of play this year. I like how everyone has worked hard everyday, which makes us all very confident in each other.
One thing we have focused on a team early is taking everything one step at a time. We don’t want to underestimate anyone as we know everyone will bring their best every night against us. We’re not focused on the past, but we are locked in on what could be in store for us if we work hard in the future.
We had a couple scrimmages to prepare us for the season. One of the best ones was against Trenton Catholic. They were very scrappy and physical. I loved getting that type of energy in a scrimmage, as it will prepare us well for the regular season games. It really showed us just how hard people will be coming at us every game due to the fact that we won it all last year.
One of the games to lookout for early for us is today against Rutgers Prep. It’s a rivalry game for us. It’s a game that is circled on my calendar. Every time we play each other, it’s a close game. In order to be the best you have to play against and beat the best. I’m up for the challenge. It will be an exciting game for sure.
On a separate note, I love scary movies. My favorite scary movie is “Insidious.” I enjoy everything related with Halloween. I love haunted houses as well. I want to go to The Penitentiary in Philadelphia, which is one of the best haunted houses in America.
'Til next time,
Diamond