CARDINAL GREAT MILES LANDS IN ITALY
Published 11:17 pm Friday, July 28, 2017
BEAUMONT — In what has become a common theme during the 2017 summer, another former Lamar University athlete has signed a contract to play professionally. Former LU basketball standout Anthony Miles has now added his name to the list signing a contract with Givova Scafati Basket in Italy.
Miles, who played for the Cardinals from 2009-12, adds his named to a list that already included former LU teammate Mike James (free agent signee with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns), football players Brendan Langley (2017 draft selection of the Denver Broncos), Reggie Begelton (free agent signee with the Calgary Stampeders of CFL), Mark Roberts (free agent signee with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of CFL) and baseball players Carson Lance (2017 draftee of Detroit Tigers), Bryndan Arredondo (2017 draftee of the Baltimore Orioles), Jimmy Johnson (2017 draftee of the Arizona Diamondbacks) and Reid Russell (2017 draftee of the Houston Astros).
Miles most recently played for Polpharma of the Polish POK league. During 33 games with Polpharma he averaged better than 15 points and four rebounds per game and nearly two assists per contest. Prior to his time in Poland, Miles spent a season with VEF Riga in the Latvian LBL league.
Miles was a member of the last Cardinals squad to advance to the NCAA tournament in 2012. That season, the Cardinals won their final six games rolling through the Southland tournament to receive the league’s automatic bid into the Big Dance.
A 2012 second-team All-Southland selection, Miles averaged nearly 12 points per game (11.8) during his three seasons with the Red and White. Miles converted 97 three-point attempts in his career knocking down long-range jumpers at better than 34 percent. He was also one of the team’s better free throw shooters during his collegiate career (476 of 603 for .789).
As a senior, Miles helped lead the Cardinals to a 23-win campaign on the way to the Southland Conference tournament title. It was the sixth time in program history that the LU men had advanced to play in the NCAA Championships.