THE last time we caught up with Dane Miller Jr, he and the City Oilers were fresh off a successful Road To BAL Elite 16 campaign. They finished second behind the Cape Town Tigers to clinch a ticket to Season 4 of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) behind the moniker the “City Boys.”
After spending time in Indonesia with Prawira Bandung in the Indonesian Basketball League, the forward is back with the Ugandan club. The Oilers will open their Basketball Africa League Nile Conference on Friday (tonight) at 7 pm CAT at the Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo, Egypt.
In an interview with The Big Tip Off, Miller reflected on his time with the Guinean club SLAC and how his time in Indonesia prepared him to take on a leadership role at the Oilers. Miller also spoke about his growth and playing alongside projected 2025 Lottery Pick and Duke commit, Khaman Maluach.
In his first two seasons, he improved from 14.7 points per game, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals to 21.2 points per game, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.4 steals, an effort which earned him the BAL All-First Team Honours. Coming into this season, Miller feels ready to take things to the next level.
“I feel much more comfortable now. In my first BAL season with SLAC, we had a great team. I made the second team by just waking up off the couch. Honestly, I wasn’t playing anywhere before that. Last year, I played somewhere, and my team allowed me to play. But this year, coming off of playing in Indonesia, my body looks different even when comparing it to the [Road to BAL] qualifiers,” Miller explains.
The 34-year-old spent the window between The Elite 16 and Season 4 playing for Prawira Bandung in the Indonesian Basketball League, an experience which Miller, already a prolific scorer, credits for sharpening his defensive skills.
“Defensively, I’m in great shape due to the role that I played in Indonesia. I was focused and locked in, and I knew that I’d be asked to guard the other team’s best player. I’m more confident now, having played in this league for two years. I feel that I’ve done enough to earn the other team’s respect when I step on the court, which makes me even more confident,” said the American-born player.
The Oilers team has made some changes to their coaching staff with the departure of Mandy Juruni. They have welcomed a new coach, Karim Nesba, a former Moroccan national team player. In addition to the coaching appointment, new players such as Randy Culpepper Sr, Muhammed Bashir Ahmed, and Patrick Ronald Rembert have been acquired. The Oilers have also retained most of the local core from the Road To BAL. After a week of training camp in Cairo, Miller is happy with how the new additions have adjusted.
“We have had good preparation for our upcoming games. Some days we had two practices, while other days we had one. During this time, we have been bonding as a team. We are working hard on different strategies and techniques that we are learning on the fly,” says Miller. “Our coach is putting us in positions that push us out of our comfort zones, but overall, it has been a positive and valuable experience. We feel confident going into our upcoming games.”
View this post on Instagram
The Oilers also welcomed Khaman Maluach, the projected 2025 NBA Lottery pick and Duke commit, who will be an asset to the team.
“Having him on the team is a big advantage. He has a bigger body and can do many things. The last time I saw him, I noticed that he was a great rim protector. Despite being young, he is very competitive and eager to learn. These are the reasons why he is considered an NBA lottery pick,” says Miller.
“I believe we will work well together because passing is one of my strengths. I can teach him different ways to set screens and roll and help him gain confidence on the court. We are counting on him to enjoy the game, be competitive, and contribute to our team. We already have a great team, and he will only add to it.”
The Oilers will have a true test of their strength and preparation tonight (Friday) when they take on the defending champions, Al Ahly Egypt, who are favourites coming into the match. But this task has in no way dulled the Oilers’ confidence.
“The underdog approach I guess is what is sparking some motivation for ourselves, I could say. We have a really good team. I know that everyone is talking about Al Ahly and the other teams and that is okay,” says Miller.
“Bangui Sporting Club is also gonna be tough but it’s okay for those teams to be the favourite – one team is a returning champion and the other team is historically good but it’s still basketball. You still have to go out there and play and figure out who can do what. We’ll see, anything can happen but they put their shoes on the same way we put our shoes on.”
As for Miller, he has his eyes set on improving the small details he felt he neglected in last season’s BAL.
“One of the biggest disappointments for me about last year was not making first team all defence. I felt like I deserved that with the stats I had especially on the defensive end. I had the chance to win the scoring title and I lost that on my own. It was the little things like missing free throws,” says Miller.
With the Nile Conference set to start tonight, Miller spoke confidently about the prospects of the Oilers. He feels they will be among the two teams to gain automatic qualification to the playoffs in Kigali, Rwanda.
“When we get to Rwanda I feel like I can lead this team with what we have to a championship and lead a team of rebounders. I just want to be the best leader I can be.”
