Southland Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
18. LaQuentin Miles
A 6’5 guard from Jacksonville, Arkansas, Miles got his collegiate start way back in 2009 at Southeast Missouri State. After minimal contributions as a freshman, he’d arrive at Central Arkansas a few years later. Miles would develop into a star under head coach Corliss Williamson, averaging right around 15 points a game in his first two seasons, though today we’re just looking at that senior year that began in 2013.
He would miss eight games for the Bears, but Miles put up inspiring numbers, averaging 23.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. While Central Arkansas struggled as a team under interim head coach Clarence Finley, Miles clearly had some great performances. He put up 28 points and 16 rebounds in one of his first outings against Omaha before dropping 34 points at Northwestern State much later in the year.
Having previously been named Third Team All-Southland, Miles’ standout season earned him the elusive First Team honors. Despite missing nearly a third of the season, he was one of the league’s leaders in field goals and a number of other offensive categories, especially with those boosted scoring numbers. Miles did miss much of the first month and a half of the season, but came back in style during Southland play, even in a rough season for Central Arkansas.