Gonzaga Adds Sharpshooting Transfer Guard Adam Miller From Arizona State
Last season, Gonzaga had the worst three-point shooting rate of any team with Mark Few at the helm. With four of the top five shooters and 87% of their total 3-point shooting from last season no longer on the roster, the Zags had a desperate need as the transfer portal opened.
Few and his staff have attempted to fill this hole by recruiting guard transfer Adam Miller from Arizona State, who shot nearly 43% from beyond the arc last year. Miller slots in as the projected best 3-point shooter on the team, effectively replacing Nolan Hickman, who led the Bulldogs last season by shooting 44.5 percent from three in his senior campaign. It will be Miller’s only year in Spokane as he is entering his final year of eligibility.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is a left-handed assassin when it comes to shooting the ball. Miller averaged 9.6 points per game, with over 59 percent of his shot attempts being 3-pointers. He can shoot from anywhere on the court and is especially lethal in catch-and-shoot opportunities, posting a 68 percent effective field goal percentage on those shots — ranking in the top 2 percent of college basketball. Miller is capable of knocking down shots whether they are spot-ups or off-the-dribble, utilizing a quick trigger to get attempts up over defenders’ contests. Overall, his three-point percentage jumped 13 percent last year and proved to be a weapon on the perimeter that can space the floor.
Miller started all 30 games for the Sun Devils last season, and has started 115 of the 117 collegiate games he’s played in. Spokane will be Miller’s fourth stop in five years. The Peoria, Illinois, native committed to Illinois out of high school and set the program record for points scored in a freshman’s debut with 28. Miller then transferred to LSU but tore his ACL before his sophomore season commenced. He returned to the Tigers the following year, averaging 11.5 points in 33 minutes a game.
Afterwards, Miller transferred to Arizona State, where he played the next two seasons. The stark difference in Miller’s production in 2024-25 compared to his other three collegiate seasons is the leap in efficiency. Miller logged a stellar 57.6 percent effective field goal percentage, the highest number of his career. This was with a career-low 7.5 field goal attempts per game, which was an almost identical mark to his freshman year with the Fighting Illini (7.4). Miller had never shot over 40 percent from the floor until last season, where he hit 45 percent of his attempts. His 4.4 3-point attempts per game were even his lowest mark in college so far.
Miller also logged his lowest usage rate (16.4 percent). Even though the ball wasn’t in his hands as often last season, Miller played the best basketball of his career. He transformed himself into a shooter but was also plenty effective in transition and near the basket. 20 percent of Miller’s shot diet came from shots at the rim, including a fair share of fast break buckets. With his solid frame, Miller showed an ability to finish strong through contact.
He also took steps forward as a playmaker, putting together his best season in assists per game (1.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio. With Braeden Smith assuming the role of point guard, Miller won’t be called upon frequently to run the offense, but he is surely capable of facilitating when necessary. When Graham Ike and Braden Huff penetrate, it could lead to wide-open opportunities for the marksman Miller to capitalize on.
He represented the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia with former Bulldog Chet Holmgren, where they won the gold medal. Along with playing in the Big Ten, the SEC, the Big 12, and the Pac-12, the 23-year-old brings experience to the WCC — especially in high-level, competitive environments — which fits the bill for the championship aspirations Gonzaga holds.
