Miller puts a charge in HC.

PositionSports

Like he did in spurts his first two seasons at Holy Cross, Malcolm Miller is still electrifying Hart Center fans with his spectacular slam dunks -- see Sunday's thunderous throwdown of a long Cullen Hamilton pass against Bucknell -- and some equally breathtaking blocks, such as his length-of-court sprint and swat from behind of a Loyola layup attempt.

But HC coach Milan Brown wanted -- and knew the Crusaders needed -- more than just a flash here and a flash there from the 6-foot-7 junior forward this year.

Miller, as Brown hoped, has become a consistent contributor at both ends of the floor and has played a major role in HC's recent success.

"It's him being confident as a player,'' Brown said. "He's starting to grow as a player, and we're seeing it.''

The Crusaders (14-10, 8-4) have won seven of their last eight games to move into a third-place tie with Army in the Patriot League. The Black Knights visit the Hart Center at 7 tonight.

Miller has scored in double figures in three straight games and in eight of HC's last 10, averaging 13.2 points over that span. On the season, Miller is averaging 10.6 points and 5 rebounds to rank second behind senior Dave Dudzinski in both categories. Miller is shooting 48 percent from the field and has a team-high 42 blocks.

"I talked to the coaches, and they definitely wanted me to start being more aggressive,'' said Miller, who averaged 5.7 points as a sophomore, "start looking to make more plays for myself along with more plays for my teammates. So I just wanted to stay in that attacking mentality, stay looking toward the basket more and trying to make more plays.''

Brown moved Miller from the 3 spot to the 4 after HC's loss to American in early January. He has started there the last 10 games, and the change in position has benefited him greatly.

"It's helped quite a bit,'' said Miller, who still shifts to the 3 at times. "It gives me different looks in different areas against different opponents. Sometimes I'll be at the 3 playing a smaller guard at which point I'll post up, and sometimes I'll be at the 4 going against a slower big man, so it utilizes my versatility and allows me to make more plays.''

Sophomore Eric Green took over at the starting 3 position when Miller moved to the 4, and 6-8 junior forward Taylor Abt, who started the first 14 games, has made some contributions off the bench.

Miller also has shown improvement at the defensive end.

"What he does is, he can erase a mistake for us because...

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