Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller, like many top players selected in the NBA Draft in recent years, did not play at an HBCU but he does have an immediate family member who did.
Miller, the second overall pick in last week’s NBA Draft, played one season at the University of Alabama. He is the younger brother of former Fisk University basketball star Darrell Miller Jr. A 6’8 forward, the older Miller graduated in 2014, then embarked on a pro basketball career that would take him to Vietnam and Mexico.
Brandon Miller was a star on the court his lone season in Alabama, averaging an SEC-best 18.8 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He became the first SEC player to win SEC Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Tournament MVP in the same season and solidifying himself as a top draft pick with his play.
Twins Amen and Ausar Thompson have special HBCU connections of their own. The pair became the first twins selected back-to-back in the NBA Draft on Thursday when the Houston Rockets picked Amen fourth overall and Ausar was grabbed in the fifth slot by the Detroit Pistons.
Maya and Troy Thompson, the twins’ parents, met at Howard University. The couple’s oldest son, Troy Thompson Jr., played his college ball at Prairie View A&M. He went on to play in the NBA G League.