Daxter Miles Jr. of West Virginia Says Kentucky Will Be 36-1 After Sweet 16 Game

Never heard of Daxter Miles Jr?

Neither have a lot of college basketball fans. He didn’t have a ranking coming out of Dunbar high school in Baltimore, and as a testament to how strong his defense is compared to his offense, he has more steals this season (38) than free throws made (28). Miles has saved his best basketball for late in the season – he’s had seven straight games scoring in double figures (including a career-high 23 against Kansas).

Still, he’s not nearly a household name in the Big 12 yet, much less the rest of the nation.

But the scrappy guard had the audacity to say the 36-0 Kentucky Wildcats were going to lose Thursday night in the Sweet 16 to the Mountaineers.

West Virginia’s Daxter Miles Jr. on UK: “I give them them their props. Salute them to getting to 36-0. But tomorrow they’re gonna be 36-1.”
— Brett Dawson (@BDawsonWrites) March 25, 2015

Love confidence. I prefer seeing it rather than hearing it. Cowering in fear is not the way to approach the Wildcats, or anyone.

But giving ammunition to the best team college basketball has seen in awhile? The pressure’s already on Kentucky – history is a heavy burden on the shoulders of teenagers and college sophomores who can’t even legally drink yet. Why shift the narrative from pressure’s on Kentucky to “did you hear what this kid said?”

The line is still hovering around 13/13.5, but don’t be shocked to see two TDs before tipoff at 9:45 Thursday.