The Daily Times

The aftertaste of Alabama was hanging off Tennessee Wednesday night before it opened up a Miller.

Make that a Dwight Miller. The juco forward that has hardly been seen since Christmas, came off the bench and sparked the Vols’ crucial rally in a 73-60 win over Ole Miss. After UT fell behind 15-2 in the opening minutes, Miller battled and scrapped his way to a putback basket that started a 19-2 UT run and a tie game. Working with the also-seldom-seen Yemi Makanjuola, Tennessee broke out of a red elephant funk — hitting just one of its first eight shots — with its most notorious front line starters sitting next to coach Cuonzo Martin on the bench.

Jeronne Maymon returned with an effort more akin to that of a player gracing the gameday guides — which he was — and more customary to a team whose dominance of the boards was challenged — which it was.

Miller’s seven points and five rebounds didn’t stuff the first-half stat line. They looked even less so on the game’s final totals. But when a team looks stunned and pained enough to take the leading roles in a third installment of The Hangover, the first signs of steadiness, no matter the source, are the most important.

Before Miller Time, UT was neck-and-neck on the boards in a battle of two of the conference’s best rebounding squads. After Miller Time, UT hovered at a commanding plus-10 advantage on the glass over Ole Miss while avoiding the first home loss to the Rebels since the Wade Houston era.

But if like a chorus of fans in Thompson-Boling Arena the word “who?” comes out at Miller’s mention, it’s understandable.

Even his coach had problems.

“I thought Dwight Howard, excuse me I mean Dwight Miller, I wish he was Dwight Howard,” Martin said postgame. “I thought he did a great job coming off the bench and giving us energy and enthusiasm.”

Since some limited time in the early slate, the top 10 juco prospect has hardly seen the floor. After a 13-point night against College of Charleston, Miller had logged all of 12 minutes and a lone bucket in SEC play until Ole Miss showed up.

With Kenny Hall’s suspension still indefinite, the Vols needed another spark from the deep pine and Miller proved he was the answer against the Rebels.

So, while Jordan McRae’s monster jam midway through the second on a Trae Golden to Maymon to lob exchange might make SportsCenter today. Miller’s big-time rebound and quick pass to start the play probably won’t, but maybe it should.

Without Miller Time to save the early day, UT would likely have been short on many happy hours this week.

Marcus Fitzsimmons is sports editor at The Daily Times, who enjoys reading comments posted to this column at http://thedailytimes.com . He wrote from Knoxville.

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