It’s often said that we’re judged by the company we keep. And if that’s the case, then Georgia’s Khaalidah Miller is good people.
First off, she keeps a lot of company. As the lone honoree on Senior Day on Sunday, coach Andy Landers said his staff estimated his point guard had 120 friends and family there specifically on her behalf.
That’s one of the benefits, she says, to growing up close to Athens. She prepped at Douglass High along with close friend Garrison Smith, he of the Bulldogs’ football team. And her grade-school years were spent competing on boys’ baseball and basketball teams with Georgia defensive back Damian Swann. Their fathers often teamed as coaches.
“I’ve known Damian longer than I’ve known anybody,” Miller said.
It’s that home-grown feel that has Miller so excited about this week’s SEC tournament. It’s taking place at Gwinnett Arena, and she has summoned her Atlanta throng to follow her and the Bulldogs there for Thursday’s first-round game against Vanderbilt.
“I definitely take a lot of pride in the ‘G,’” Miller said. “Being so close to home, you always want to play your best around your fans and your people. That’s why I’m excited about playing so close to home. We’ll have a lot of our fans there. I’ll have a lot of friends from home there. We’ll have a lot of support, and that’s the most important thing.”
They’ll need it. Vanderbilt, the No. 8 seed, is a tough draw for the ninth-seeded Bulldogs (19-10, 7-9). The Commodores (18-11, 7-9) beat Georgia 66-58 on Jan. 2 and are a difficult matchup. Guards Christina Foggie (19.1 ppg) and Jasmine Lister (14.2) present a formidable challenge.
And both squads desperately need to advance. Never mind that regular-season champion and top-seeded South Carolina awaits in the quarterfinals. In what has been a weird, somewhat upside-down season in league play, this is effectively a bubble-buster for both teams.
“With Vanderbilt you’re talking about a team that has the same aspirations as we do,” Landers said. “So let’s take care of that. Not trying to sound hurtful, but we may really help ourselves by taking care of Vanderbilt. You have people on both ends playing for seeds and playing for bids. In that regard it’s a really important tournament for a lot of teams.”
The game holds no more importance for anyone than it does for Miller. She was an integral part of the Lady Bulldogs’ team that narrowly missed advancing to the Final Four last year, and she doesn’t intend to miss the Big Dance her final season.
Miller made a major sacrifice at the outset. A shooting guard her whole life, Miller was asked to move to the point and try to help her teammates score. It hasn’t been a seamless transition, but she enters the 30th game of the season with a career-best 48 assists while maintaining a healthy scoring average of 10.7 points.
“To her credit she did it willingly and she took off, and I think really surprised herself,” Landers said. “She’s a very good ball-handler, has terrific strength, stability on her feet. … As she started to play it, she really got excited about it because the ball was always in her hands and she was making plays.”
Miller has come through often, such as her 18-point effort in the regular-season finale win over Mississippi State on Sunday. She’s reached 20 twice and double figures in 19 games.
But scoring is not what she’s focused on.
“We just have to win,” Miller said. “That’s all we’ve talked about; that’s all we’re focused on. We definitely can make a run.”
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