Sophomore guard Shake Milton has become a different player in his last 10 games.
Milton has consistently scored in double figures for the entire season, but his evolution into a dangerous player did not begin until mid-January. Since then, the Oklahoma native has averaged 16.1 points per game. He is currently averaging 13.1 ppg on the season, up from the 10.5 that Milton averaged last season.
The change in Milton is not just seen on stat sheets, but in his eyes. Long gone are the days when Milton looked like a deer in headlights while running the point. The timidness that left him has been replaced by a mature and confident attitude.
Milton now plays with the mentality that suits his skill set. The word “hesitation” does not belong in the vocabulary of a stone cold shooter.
Milton had not posted 20 points in a game this season until the Mustangs’ home contest on Jan. 19. SMU’s opponent? Connecticut.
He scored 23, a season-high before Milton went on to score a career-high 27 a few days later.
Up against a red hot Huskies squad in a hostile environment at the XL Center, Milton’s three-point daggers in the first half quickly hushed the crowd – all six of them. Milton led the Mustangs in scoring with 20 points while shooting 55 percent (6-for-11) from three-point range. Semi Ojeleye added 16 points while Ben Moore finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in SMU’s 69-61 win over Connecticut.
Milton’s shooting put the Mustangs out to a 16 point lead with just over eight minutes left in the first. He carried the offense while two of SMU’s major offensive weapons sat on the bench in foul trouble.
Before the midway point of the half, senior guard Sterling Brown was called for a foul on the floor and then rung up for a technical. Ojeleye picked up his second a few minutes later.
With Brown and Ojeleye rendered helpless, the Huskies had the Mustangs on their heels until halftime, cutting the lead to 11 by the break. Connecticut began to heat up from deep in the second frame, allowing the Huskies to climb within five.
But SMU’s superior defense controlled the game. The Mustangs held Connecticut to just 40 percent shooting from the field. The Huskies also struggled to hit from deep for a full 40 minutes, shooting only 29 percent (7-for-24).
SMU contained Connecticut’s most productive shooters in both frames.
Jalen Adams finished with only four points, but did not play following halftime after twisting his ankle late in the first. Rodney Purvis finished with 11 points, but shot only 17 percent (2-for-12) from three-point range. Purvis also struggled when the Huskies visited Moody Coliseum earlier this season, only scoring two points.
Connecticut’s Kentan Facey did most of the damage in the frontcourt, finishing with 15 points. The Mustangs shut down senior center Amida Brimah, allowing him only one point off a free throw.
SMU’s frontcourt duo of Moore and Ojeleye combined for 31 points. Both displayed their stellar ability to finish around the rim, with Moore scoring on multiple layups and tip-ins and Ojeleye throwing down thunderous dunks. Moore and Ojeleye also scored on drives from the corner – many of which were by design with others requiring sheer determination.
