Boilermaker Great Brad Miller on Picking Purdue Over Indiana: 'They Didn't Recruit Me'

Former Purdue star Brad Miller was a big Indiana fan growing up. So why did he choose Gene Keady and the Boilermakers over Bob Knight and the Hoosiers? He explained in a recent episode of the All the Smoke podcast.

Former Purdue star and NBA All-Star Brad Miller / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Growing up, Brad Miller was a big fan of Indiana basketball. But when the time came to commit to a college program, the 6-foot-11 center from Kendallville, Ind. decided to play at Purdue. Why? The answer is pretty simple: IU never recruited him.

In a recent episode of All the Smoke with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Miller was asked why he picked Gene Keady and Purdue over Bob Knight and Indiana. The former Boilermaker didn't hold anything back when explaining his decision.

"They didn't recruit me," Miller said. "I'm super glad I didn't go down there, but 100% they didn't recruit me. Not one (expletive) letter from IU. I had red and white up my (expletive) growing up. Sweatshirts, different stuff.

"So when Purdue started recruiting me, I was like, '(Expletive), where's IU?' But I am so glad I did not go down there. Everything's been a blessing in life of — what you think you want, isn't what you need in life. I did not need to go to IU. I mean, I went 7-2 against them, won two Big Ten championships. They didn't win (expletive). They were lucky to get the two wins — they cheated to get the one. They literally had a guy in the student section with a laser pointer in my eye while I was shooting free throws."

As it turns out, Miller's decision to go to Purdue worked out pretty well. He became the first player in program history to record 1,500 points, 800 rebounds and 250 assists in a career. Although he was undrafted, he enjoyed a 13-year career in the NBA, playing for the Charlotte Hornets (1998-2000), Chicago Bulls (2000-02, 2008-10), Indiana Pacers (2001-03), Sacramento Kings (2003-09), Houston Rockets (2010-11) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2011-12).

In finished his NBA career with 9,724 points, 6,199 rebounds and 2,137 assists. He was also a two-time All-Star.

Miller played at Purdue from 1994-98. He was a member of the 1994-95 and 1995-96 teams that won Big Ten championships. And, as he mentioned, he did get the best of Knight in the Hoosiers, winning seven of nine games — eight in the regular season and one in the 1998 Big Ten Tournament.

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