Mercy Miller comes to Houston ready to put in work this year
Mercy Miller has been preparing for his time to shine on a bigger stage. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound four-star shooting guard came to Houston because he knew the type of coaching Kelvin Sampson had to offer. He could've held out for others to start calling, but the Cougars stood out from the beginning.
Miller is ranked and 7th shooting guard in the 2024 class, 7th overall player in the state of California and 52nd nationally according to 247Sports. While he'll be taking his talents to Houston to play for Sampson, his development came early with his father, Percy Miller, who was a former NBA player turned entrepreneur.
Sampson saw something in Miller early on, offering him a scholarship as a freshman while he was at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The same school fostered some big-name players who have gone on to play in the NBA like Chet Holmgreen (Oklahoma Thunder) and Jalen Suggs (Orlando Magic), who played alongside Miller in 2021. They won a State Championship together in 2021, which drew attention to the Academy overall.
Miller, like his father who's better know as “Master P", never shies away from the bright lights or big moments, especially on the basketball court. He headlines this year's recruiting class in Houston with two other four stars. IMG Academy's Chase McCarty, who's also a top 100 talent, along with Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan.
The trio will be a great addition to the Cougars Men’s Basketball team who come out of the gate as one of the favorites to make a Final Four run. The lead up this season has a similar feel to early 80s when Houston became a power on the national scene. Sampson's team will try to deliver a National Championship to the program and move past the Sweet 16 loss to Duke in last season's NCCA tournament.
Sampson ability to keep one trait that many coaches over the years have abandoned is the key. He knows how to create relationships with players by truly being a player's coach.
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Miller was recruited by Duke, but he wasn't swayed by any shade of blue in Carolina. Because of his loyalty to Sampson, Miller will be suiting up this season with the Cougars. But is wasn't just having one of the best coaches in the game. He fell in love with the Houston Community as the place for him to continue his career and eventually a shot to be like his father in the NBA. Off the court, He'll look to climb the NIL valuation ranking. He already signed a $1.4 million NIL deal with Greek yogurt company Sweetkiwi this year, which would put him in the top ten of college earners.
Miller's love, passion, and hunger for the game of basketball is like breathing fresh air. He loves to compete and has been doing so at a high level playing against athletes that were three years older than him. However, he never got caught up in the moment or who he was playing with become too much for him. It has always been about the love of hooping for him.
People often talk about Miller's ability to have big scoring nights. Its just part of his game. He set the Sherman Oaks Notre Dame scoring record with 68 points. It's almost like a switch being flipped on in his mind, with shades of how the late Kobe Bryant was able to score on demand. When Miller's number is called, he will be playing hard on both ends of the court. He has a nice shooting touch at all three levels on the court and has the ability to drive to the bucket and score.
Miller wants to help the Cougars compete next year. A few of the goals ahead of him include being part of a Big 12 title bid and earning the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.