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Darius Miller going abroad...

Posted by: Paul Klee

Wednesday, June 6, 2007 4:24 PM

So, what did you do with your summer?

Darius Miller, a rising senior out of Maysville, Ky., is going to Italy. One of Illinois' top recruiting targets, Miller is part of a Team Reebok squad that left today to compete in a tournament against some of Europe's top up-and-comers. His father, Brian Miller, said the team also will attend a European basketball camp before squeezing in a day of sightseeing.

"It's a great opportunity for him and for all those guys," Brian Miller said today.

The tour ends June 17, when Miller returns home to prep for the summer AAU circuit with D-I Greyhounds. Will a commitment follow? The 6-foot-6 forward is going to take his time, his father said, though he won't necessarily wait for the fall to make a decision.

"Someone might spark (his attention) before that," said Brian Miller, who added that they have not made a short list.

"A lot of people feel like they've been pressured into a situation. We want to take our time. He's just being a kid," Brian Miller said. "There's no need to make a big decision you may regret. He likes a lot of coaches, the coaches who talk to him. He hasn't narrowed it down. You've got to sell your program. That's what I've said all along. You've got to sell your program."

And Illinois, which has long been in the picture with Miller?

"We like Illinois. We like Illinois a lot. We like a lot of them, though," Brian Miller said. "We talk to coach (Bruce) Weber and talk to coach (Tracy) Webster. It's the same thing with everyone, though. You've got to sell your program."

-Klee