Miller commits to Northern Iowa basketball as walk-on

Jun. 7—LUMBERTON — For the last couple of years, Charlie Miller has looked for the right opportunity.

He's found it — and at a place his family is very familiar with.

The former Lumberton High School basketball player announced Sunday he has committed to the University of Northern Iowa as a walk-on, joining a traditionally-strong midmajor program competing in the Missouri Valley Conference in NCAA Division I.

"I talked to Coach (Ben) Jacobson a couple times; he saw me play last summer, so he told me he would be in touch," Miller said. "I had a couple good conversations with him. He pretty much said I could come out for a visit and everything, so I did that and I really liked it. I liked what he had to say and everything. Right then and there I just knew this was going to be the best fit for me."

Charlie Miller, the son of former UNC Pembroke head coach Ben Miller, will bring a Miller family presence back to Cedar Falls after his grandfather, Eldon "Pops" Miller, was the Panthers' head coach from 1986-98.

"That's a really cool part about it," Charlie Miller said. "When I went on my visit and everything, seeing his banner in the gym and stuff, and soon as I walked in they had the Eldon Miller Plaza, a sign. So that was just kind of a really cool experience just to see all that. I know he's really excited too, and the whole family is, honestly, but it's definitely cool to have his legacy out there."

"During the process, Dad and I tried to take a step back; we didn't want Charlie to feel any pressure from him or the history, we wanted it to be his decision," Ben Miller said. "Of course, my mom and dad are really excited about that, just the connections they have with that university and the people there."

Charlie Miller's sister Betsie, who recently completed her undergraduate work at the University of Kansas, will also be attending UNI to begin grad school this fall.

"That made my mom and dad really happy that we'll be in the same spot," Charlie Miller said.

Charlie Miller, a 5-foot-10 shooting guard, was part of Lumberton's 4A co-state championship team in 2020 as a junior; the following season he averaged 16.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game in helping lead the Pirates back to the 4A East Regional final.

He played a post-grad season in 2021-22 with the Flight 22 program, based in Wilmington, due in part to the congestion in college basketball recruiting resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the extra year of eligibility given to all players who participated in the 2020-21 season.

"It was a really strange time for everybody recruiting, with COVID and the transfer portal," Ben Miller said. "It was a challenge, for not only Charlie but for a lot of kids that were on his prep team or that he played high school ball with. ... The prep year seemed like a logical opportunity to grow and develop, get stronger, play against a little bit better competition."

Miller had several Division-II scholarship offers, including UNC Pembroke, but after weighing the options ultimately chose the path of walking on in a Division-I program.

"It was just a lot of talk with my family. There's pros and cons to both, but it honestly just came down to this is just a great opportunity and I didn't want to pass it up," Charlie Miller said. "Honestly to any hooper out there playing D-1 basketball, whether it's a walk-on or a scholarship, it's a dream come true. I'm going to do everything I can, I'm going to work hard out there and I think I can help them out in a few years, that's the goal."

Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at cstiles@robesonian.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @StilesOnSports.