Baba Miller
Quick Facts
Biography
Papa Ababacar Bartolome Miller (born February 7, 2004) is a Spanish college basketball player for the Florida State Seminoles of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Early life
Miller was born on February 7, 2004, in Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands in Spain. He has British ancestry. He began playing as a youth for CB Bahía San Agustín of Mallorca and later moved to Madrid to play for Distrito Olímpico. At age 12, he joined Real Madrid Baloncesto and played with the organization through the 2021–22 season. Starting with the youth B team, he played through all the team categories and was promoted to the senior team in December 2021, making his EuroLeague debut in a 71–65 win over PBC CSKA Moscow. He was a member of Real Madrid's winning team in the 2020–21 Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament and averaged 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game with the Real Madrid B Team in 2021–22.
College career
Miller decided to move to the United States and play for a team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2022, stating that he thought it was best for his development. Considered one of the top international prospects, he committed to play for the Florida State Seminoles over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Prior to the start of the season, Miller was suspended by the NCAA, initially for the entire year but later for 16 games, due to him having received $3,000 in third-party money to attend a training camp in 2020; his family payed the money back once they learned that it violated NCAA rules but the suspension was upheld, drawing widespread criticism. He made his return from suspension against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, scoring four points and having four rebounds in a 90–75 loss. He finished the season with 15 games played while averaging 4.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Miller announced in April 2023 that he was returning for his sophomore season at Florida State rather than declaring for the 2023 NBA draft.
International career
Miller played for the Spain men's national under-18 basketball team, including at the 2021 FIBA U18 European Challengers tournament where he averaged 11.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. In 2023, he was a member of the national under-19 team that won the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, starting in the finals and recording 11 points scored and five rebounds in the game, while having an average of 9.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in the tournament.