Phoebus Guard Antwan Miles Commits to Virginia State
Phoebus guard Antwan Miles has ended the recruiting process, giving a verbal commitment to Head Coach Lonnie Blow and the Virginia State University Trojans.
Miles, a 5-foot-11 guard that earned 1st Team All-State accolades each of the past two seasons with the Phantoms, drew Division I offers from such programs as Hampton University, Howard and Maryland-Eastern Shore, plus interest from others like Longwood and UNC-Asheville. But ultimately, a chance to step on the floor right away and contribute for a successful Division II program that is not even two hours away from home appealed most.
"I felt like they really wanted me," Miles told VirginiaPreps.com. "They know I’m a scorer and plan on putting me in position to do what I do best, whether it’s playing off the ball or bringing the ball up.
"After not being able to go to any of my original three schools who offered due to coaching changes or not needing my assistance, it had came down to Virginia State and Longwood. That’s when I really felt how wanted I was at VSU."
Before the end of his junior campaign at Phoebus, Miles eclipsed 1000 career points. Coming off a scary knee injury the summer before, it would've been understandable for him to be slow getting back to top-tier form. However, Miles returned even stronger, averaging 23.2 points per game while scoring in double-figures every time out with the high water mark being 45 in a win over Woodbridge.
It's no secret that Miles was a major reason why Phoebus won its first ever State Tournament game in 2016-17 as they beat the likes of previous Group 3A State Champs - Norcom, George Wythe and John Marshall - during the playoffs on their way to capturing a regional title.
Even with Division I prospect Khyree Temple and fellow starter Jerimiah Todd sidelined due to injury this past season, Miles made sure he'd leave with plenty of fond memories from his senior season at Phoebus as he averaged averaged 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals per game to get the Phantoms back to the State Tournament.
Although they were denied a ring, falling to eventual State Champ John Marshall 77-74 in the quarterfinals, Miles helped Phoebus go from 11-13 overall his freshman year to finishing with a 21-5 record this past season - the program's best since 2009-10. He was named the Region 3A Player of the Year by the coaches for his efforts.
Blow was named the CIAA Coach of the Year last season as the Trojans went 25-5 overall, raising his career mark there to 103-36. The former state title winning Head Coach at Granby High School has long recruited the '757' area code with the likes of Warwick grad Daniel Raham, Hampton High product Cyonte Melvin and UVA-Wise transfer Phil Owens (formerly of Bishop Sullivan) all on the roster.
The profilic scorer out of Phoebus is setting the bar high as he gets ready to embark on the next chapter of his journey.
"I look to bring a winning attitude and I am motivated by the path I had to take to get to the point I’m at," Miles noted. "I’m motivated to put myself in position to play professionally some time in the future."
Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a regular contributor to the ACC Sports Journal. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10 AM to Noon on ESPN Radio 94.1.