Name: Matthew Miller
High school: Upper Dauphin
Grade: Junior
Sport: Boys’ basketball
Accomplishments: Averaged 33.5 points per game in two games last week. Scored 39 and broke school record for 3-pointers with nine in Trojans’ 83-52 rout of Line Mountain on Dec. 22. Followed with 28 points and 11 rebounds in 70-53 victory over Tri-Valley in opening round of WQLV Tournament on Saturday.
Age: 17
Hometown: Elizabethville
Family: Carlos Gibson (father), Mary Miller (mother)
Athletes I admire: LeBron James, Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton
Favorite sports teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, West Virginia University football and men’s basketball teams
What age did you start playing (sport): Kindergarten, around 5 years old
Club team(s): Plays offseason basketball in Smallwood Summer League in Harrisburg and Williams Valley Summer League
What is it about basketball you like so much?: “I loved it ever since I was a lot younger. My dad kind of introduced it to me. He loved the game just as much as I do now. Him being a professional basketball player (played in France) really helped. He went to Marshall University and I saw what he went through and I just want to do the same exact thing.”
Talk about the night you broke the school record for 3-pointers: “I really didn’t expect that to happen. I knew that Line Mountain would play a 2-3 zone and I knew that I would get some opportunities, but I definitely didn’t think I would have that many 3-pointers.”
Off to great start this season (27 ppg. in nine games), what have been the keys for you so far?: “My teammates setting me up and my coach (Anthony Weaver) willing to play me.”
With leading scorer Mac Ney graduated from last year’s team, how did you get ready for this season?: “This past summer I just dedicated a lot more time than I did any other summer because I just knew I was going to get a lot more playing time and I was going to be more of a key part to the team. I just knew I had to dedicate myself.”
What does Upper Dauphin have to do to win the Tri-Valley League title this season?: “We need to work hard as a team, keep our heads in the game and stay focused.”
Individual goals for this season: “I just want to win a Tri-Valley League championship and win a district playoff game.”
Post-graduation plans: Undecided, wants to play basketball in college.
Past winners
• Dec. 16 — Christian Gosch, Blue Mountain, wrestling
• Dec. 23 — Emily Mealey, Minersville, girls’ basketball