Sport: Basketball
Born: August 1, 2004
Town: Newark, New Jersey
Dariq Miller-Whitehad was born August 1, 2004 in Newark to Derrick Miller and Quadira Whitehead. He was one of three boys in the family of four. Dariq’s much-older brother, Tahir Whitehead, was an outstanding defensive player for West Side High who went on to star for Temple and then was a starting linebacker in the NFL for the Lions and Raiders. Tahir was a rock-solid 6’2” but soon enough it became clear that Dariq would tower above him. He topped 6’ by the time he was in middle school and was almost unstoppable on the basketball court.
Dariq’s youth coach, Hassan Nix, taught him to love the game. That love weighed heavily on his decision to abandon the family sport of football and devote himself full-time to the hardwood. So when Dariq was 13, he left New Jersey during 8th grade to play for Kevin Boyle’s Monteverde Academy squad in Orlando, alongside future NBA standouts Cade Cunningham and RJ Barrett.
Coach Boyle was a Jersey guy, having coached at St. Patrick High School and gone head-to-head with Bob Hurley’s heralded St. Anthony’s team on numerous occasions. The Monteverde program is focused on preparing players for college, both on the court and off. Dariq developed quickly under Boyle, distinguishing himself as a college recruiting target as a sophomore. That summer, he assumed he would be on the US U-16 team for a tournament in Brazil but was cut during tryouts. It was the first time he’d been cut from anything and served as a wake-up call that he needed to continue improving.
Dariq grew to 6’7” and was a key player in the school’s national championship as a junior. His strength, athleticism and tremendous anticipation made him an exciting two-way player. Meanwhile, in the classroom, he was an honor roll student.
Prior to his senior season, Dariq had an interesting choice to make. He was one of the top-ranked small forwards in the nation and was being heavily pursued by a number of elite programs, including Kansas and Florida State and “hometown” schools Rutgers and Seton Hall. He was also offered $500,000 to turn pro and join the G League. Ultimately, Dariq accepted a scholarship to Duke. The deciding factor was the togetherness he felt powered the varsity squad. It didn’t hurt that Barrett had already made his mark in Durham and was now a New York Knick.
Legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski was in his final year at the helm when Dariq committed, meaning he would be a freshman during the first season of new coach Jon Scheyer’s reign. Kyle Filipowski had committed earlier, so he was already in good company. Both offered to help recruit other top prep players.
Of course, there was still Dariq’s 2021-22 senior season to play. He was simply dazzling, canning long jumpers, ambushing enemy passers and demonstrating a physical, all-around game that led to a bevvy of national awards, including 2022 Naismith Player of the Year, SI’s All-American of the Year and MVP of the McDonald’s All-America Game. He was also named Gatorade’s Florida Player of the Year. The Eagles repeated as GEICO national champions and most rating services had Dariq ranked #1 or #2 among high school seniors. Next, it was off to Durham.
After recovering from a preseason foot injury, Dariq played in 28 games for Duke as a freshman and was part of an overachieving squad that many believed could reach the Final Four. His outside shooting was outstanding, with a 42.4% mark that ranked among the highest marks for a freshman in NCAA history. He primarily came off the bench for Scheyer, but in a game against Maryland-Eastern Shore, Dariq was on the floor when Duke started five freshmen for the first time in program history.
By the end of the season, Dariq was scoring in double-figures regularly until another leg injury sent him to the bench. He returned in time for the ACC Tournament and notched four steals against UVA during the team’s victory over Virginia in the championship final. The Blue Devils’ much-anticipated March Madness run ended in a second-round disappointment at the hands of the Tennessee Volunteers.
Dariq, who had grown an inch to 6’8”, declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft and he was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 22nd pick.