Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Talking about blowing a major chance.
UConn freshman Nate Miles was expelled from the school Thursday after an administrative hearing investigated allegations that he sexually abused his former girlfriend.
A 20-year-old native of Toledo, Ohio with immense basketball talent, Miles was accused of physically abusing a 19-year-old woman from Manchester and of pressuring her to have sex.
Miles has five days to appeal the decision made by university hearing officers.
Asked by The Connecticut Post if he would, Miles said, “I don’t know.”
The Courant reported that the woman’s affidavit says that Miles and the alleged victim began dating on Sept. 6. The woman said that “the first time we had sex it was consensual.” She added that “within about a week and a half he began to dig his nails into my thighs or side when he would become angry with me.” She accused him of becoming “extremely possessive, wanting to know where I was and told me he didn’t want me seeing other men.”
The affidavit says the woman went to Miles’ dorm room on Sept. 14, at which time he began pressuring her to have sex. When she refused, he allegedly “would tap my face or dig his nails into me.” When she hit him back, he “slapped me and pushed me off the bed.”
A restraining order was issued Sept. 22, but Miles violated it 16 minutes later by calling the woman.
A civil court judge was supposed to decide on Monday whether to keep the restraining order in effect, but Miles has gone home to Toledo and it remains unclear how that will play out.
Sean Patterson, Miles’ legal guardian, told the Courant he thought Miles was innocent.
“The first thing I would like to say is I would not be having this conversation if I felt Nate was guilty of things he is accused of because I have two daughters of my own,” Patterson said. “If there was one percent of doubt in my mind that Nate was guilty of assaulting a female, I wouldn’t have anything to say. … In my mind, he was railroaded today. It’s unfortunate for everyone involved. I want to add that I have no regrets about having a great relationship with Jim Calhoun and the basketball staff, and am glad to have had Nate be around such a person and staff. Any parent that is lucky enough to have their son play for those guys is a very fortunate person.”
The Miles incident is the latest black eye for a UConn program which has had its troubles in recent years. In 2005, A.J. Price and Marcus Williams were arrested on charges of trying to sell stolen laptops. Last year Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins were charged with possession of alcohol by a minor. Dyson also tested positive on several occasions for drug use. Wiggins has since transferred.
On the basketball front, the 6-foot-7 Miles was the leading candidate to start at small forward. Now the team will be without Miles, Ater Majok and Stanley Robinson for at least the first semester. Majok and Robinson are expected to join the team for the second semester, according to the Courant.
Majok’s transcript is being reviewed, while Robinson is working near UConn and living with his uncle while also playing pickup with the team.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Talking about blowing a major chance.
UConn freshman Nate Miles was expelled from the school Thursday after an administrative hearing investigated allegations that he sexually abused his former girlfriend.
A 20-year-old native of Toledo, Ohio with immense basketball talent, Miles was accused of physically abusing a 19-year-old woman from Manchester and of pressuring her to have sex.
Miles has five days to appeal the decision made by university hearing officers.
Asked by The Connecticut Post if he would, Miles said, “I don’t know.”
The Courant reported that the woman’s affidavit says that Miles and the alleged victim began dating on Sept. 6. The woman said that “the first time we had sex it was consensual.” She added that “within about a week and a half he began to dig his nails into my thighs or side when he would become angry with me.” She accused him of becoming “extremely possessive, wanting to know where I was and told me he didn’t want me seeing other men.”
The affidavit says the woman went to Miles’ dorm room on Sept. 14, at which time he began pressuring her to have sex. When she refused, he allegedly “would tap my face or dig his nails into me.” When she hit him back, he “slapped me and pushed me off the bed.”
A restraining order was issued Sept. 22, but Miles violated it 16 minutes later by calling the woman.
A civil court judge was supposed to decide on Monday whether to keep the restraining order in effect, but Miles has gone home to Toledo and it remains unclear how that will play out.
Sean Patterson, Miles’ legal guardian, told the Courant he thought Miles was innocent.
“The first thing I would like to say is I would not be having this conversation if I felt Nate was guilty of things he is accused of because I have two daughters of my own,” Patterson said. “If there was one percent of doubt in my mind that Nate was guilty of assaulting a female, I wouldn’t have anything to say. … In my mind, he was railroaded today. It’s unfortunate for everyone involved. I want to add that I have no regrets about having a great relationship with Jim Calhoun and the basketball staff, and am glad to have had Nate be around such a person and staff. Any parent that is lucky enough to have their son play for those guys is a very fortunate person.”
The Miles incident is the latest black eye for a UConn program which has had its troubles in recent years. In 2005, A.J. Price and Marcus Williams were arrested on charges of trying to sell stolen laptops. Last year Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins were charged with possession of alcohol by a minor. Dyson also tested positive on several occasions for drug use. Wiggins has since transferred.
On the basketball front, the 6-foot-7 Miles was the leading candidate to start at small forward. Now the team will be without Miles, Ater Majok and Stanley Robinson for at least the first semester. Majok and Robinson are expected to join the team for the second semester, according to the Courant.
Majok’s transcript is being reviewed, while Robinson is working near UConn and living with his uncle while also playing pickup with the team.
