Hollis' Hall of Fame video
Hollis Miller II graduated from Drury on August 9, 1975. He was a three-year starter for the basketball Panthers, although his senior campaign was shortened due to a knee injury. Though he played just over two seasons, Hollis twice earned NAIA All-America honors and was a two-time unanimous All-District 16 selection: 1972-73 and 1973-74. He graduated from Drury ranked sixth on the all-time scoring list with 1,246 career points and he averaged a career double-double: 21 ppg./11.8 rpg. On May 29, 1975, the Seattle SuperSonics selected Miller in the 7th round of the NBA Draft (120th overall pick). Miller made the team, but was forced to retire in 1976 because of a knee injury.
Hollis came to Drury after one year (1971-72) at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss., where he received All-American honors. Hollis began his college career with a bang, scoring 40 points and grabbing 25 rebounds in his first home contest as a member of the Rangers’ basketball team. He went on to lead his team to a 25-5 record averaging a double-double: 22 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. Those numbers were no surprise as he was a prep all-state pick at Hernando (Miss.) High School where he averaged 28 points and 20 rebounds per game. Although he spent only one year at Northwest Mississippi C.C., he was inducted into the Rangers’ Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
The next year he was doing similar damage to Drury’s District 16 and NAIA foes throughout the nation. His teammate and Drury Sports Hall of Famer, Brent Stuckey (Drury Hall of Fame Class of 1995), was quick to comment that Hollis was an immediate impact player. “Following the 1971-72 season, Coach Matthews knew that we needed more talent to compete against the likes of Travis Grant from Kentucky State, a first round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers. We were competitive, but quite frankly we were not able to compete at the level that Coach Matthews needed us to compete.” The Panthers finished 9-16 in 1971-72.
In 1972-73 the Panthers brought in a handful of new players, including Hollis Miller and Eddie Thomas. Stuckey continued. “Coach Matthews brought in Holly and Eddie and they were immediately our two best players.” The Panthers finished that season with a 21-7 record and Hollis averaged 23.0 ppg. and 11.5 rpg., both team highs. His 644 points that year ranks #6 on the Drury Single Season All-Time Scoring List. In 1973-74 Hollis again led the team in scoring (19.7 ppg) and rebounding (12.4 rpg.). His 336 rebounds that year ranks #3 on the Drury Single Season All-Time Rebound List. Prior to the 1974-75 season Hollis played on a NAIA All-Star team that competed in the Cup of Nations Basketball tournament, held in Bogota, Columbia. The NAIA All-Stars were 5-1, losing to the Soviet Union in the title game, 101-88. However, in that championship game Hollis shared scoring honors with Lloyd “World” Free as each scored 18 points. Free, an NBA All-Star, went on to score 17,955 points (20.3 ppg.) over his 16-year NBA career.
Hollis’ Drury career came to a sudden end after only four games in the 1974-75 season. “Over my Drury career we played against probably a half-dozen or more NBA players. Holly was that good, from the get-go. We beat #1-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan, Tennessee State with Leonard “Truck” Robinson (11-year NBA career) and numerous other great teams with players who played in the NBA,” remembers Stuckey. “The tragedy was Eddie played hurt most of his career with knee injuries,” Stuckey continued. “Then Holly got hurt early our senior year. We lost two 6’9” stars who were athletic, great players and good teammates. Even though he played in only four games in ‘74-’75 he was selected to play in a Missouri-Kansas All-Star game featuring seniors from all divisions and affiliations. We were coached by Norm Stewart and as I recall, Holly was the game MVP. Simply put, Holly was the best player I ever played with and as good as any player we ever played against.”
The son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Hosea Miller of Hernando, Hollis has lived in the Seattle area since leaving Drury. He is a major account manager with Seattle Office Systems. While his career was impacted by knee injuries, the impact that he had on the Drury basketball program and its storied history will be forever etched into the minds of the Drury Community. Accompanied by his former teammates, coaches, friends and fans, Hollis Miller II is enshrined as a member of the Drury Sports Hall of Fame on this day: Saturday, December 2, 2017.
