Derek Miller brings winning attitude to hoops

It’s been said winning is an attitude.

When Derek Miller arrived at Cheney High School last year as a junior transfer from St. John-Endicott High, he immediately noticed the difference between his hoops-crazed Eagles days and the atmosphere at Cheney.

“I’m used to winning from St. John,” said Miller. “I remember our first game against Lewis and Clark, one of the pre-season favorites, and we came out and beat them.

“Everyone came running out on the court when we won, and I was like, ‘Whoa, what are you doing? We just won a game and have to play another one.’ They (the crowd) were just ecstatic we had won.”

The Blackhawks rebounded from a 1-20 season the year before to finish in a three-way tie for the National Division title in the Greater Spokane League last season before falling one game short of the 3A regionals in a loss to West Valley.

Cheney will look to Miller and his fellow seniors to take the next step this season.

“The guys coming back, we really put in our time this summer,” Miller said. “We really worked on team stuff, not just on the court, but also off the court. We’ve become close so we can trust each other.

“Last year was the first year we tasted success in quite a while, so we know what we can do.”

Coming from where outside shooting is emphasized at the state B level at St. John-Endicott, the 6-foot-2 Miller is a seasoned sharpshooter from the perimeter, helping to open up the Blackhawk interior offense.

“I try to go out there and shoot 200 shots every day working on my shot,” said Miller.

“This past year, my junior season, I didn’t really have much of a 15-foot jump shot. It was either a three pointer or lay-in type.

“This summer, I really worked on the 15-foot jump shot and outside shots and just tried to shoot as much as I possibly can because I just wanted to get better. I put in a good hour to hour and a half a day even when I’m not in the season.”

“He was our leading three-point shooter last year at just under 50 percent,” said Blackhawk head coach Dave Baird. “He was our leading free-throw shooter at 89 percent.

“From two-point range, he was a 52 to 53 percent shooter.

“He’s a wonderful shooter, and beyond that, he sees the floor extremely well. He really understands the game. He’s a coach’s son all the way.”

Indeed, Miller’s dad Darrell coached in the St. John-Endicott program, giving the young Derek the chance to soak up the basketball-crazed atmosphere of a tradition-rich program.

“I loved it,” said Miller. “It was almost like the ‘Friday Night Lights’ thing, but in a good way. It was great, always having basketball.

“There were little kids basketball on Saturday’s, little kids’ camps, high school practices, and the middle school going on during the week. In a small town, everyone would show up to the games.

“I was a manager and would be at all the games, and we were winning, so it made it that much nicer. It was great.”

“My dad is my biggest motivator,” continued Miller. “He got on me more than anyone else, and it’s helped me get to the point where I am now. I thank him so much for that.”

Miller’s love for the game can be mildly described as a passionate affair, as the Blackhawk senior is driven to make winning a regular habit at Cheney.

“His improvement is really phenomenal,” said Baird. “He could probably win a most improved award on the team (this year), as well as he won a shooting award for us last year.”

“I’m used to winning and I have a mind-set that we’re going to win,” Miller said. “If we win a ball game, we come back and do the next thing the next day.

“I think we have that mental attitude this year. We win a game – we don’t celebrate it; we come back and take care of business the next night.”