UCSB has made another big score on the men’s basketball transfer market, announcing on Thursday that former University of Oregon forward Miles Norris has signed a national letter of intent with the Gauchos.
Norris, a 6-foot-10 sophomore who played his freshman season with the Ducks, is currently at top-ranked state junior college power City College of San Francisco.
“Miles is very versatile,” UCSB coach Joe Pasternack said. “He can play multiple positions and really shoot the ball.
“He’s a great athlete for his size. Being able to shoot the ball is what makes him special, and his athleticism will be a huge benefit for us next year.”
Norris, a San Diego native, was a four-star recruit coming out of New Hampshire’s Brewster Academy, helping his team win the 2018 New England Prep School Athletic Council Class AAA championship.
ESPN ranked him No. 79 nationally among all high school recruits, while 247Sports.com put him at No. 73 and as the 19th-best power forward. It also placed him at No. 3 among power forwards from the Western United States.
“I’ve known Miles for a long time, having recruited him when I was at Arizona,” Pasternack said. “A lot of success we’ve had (with bounce-back recruits) is about the relationship you build with these families.
“He comes from a great family – his parents (Fred and Christina) are great people – and he’s a great kid. I really look forward to having him as part of our family.”
Norris played for Chula Vista’s Mater Dei High as a freshman and sophomore, earning All-CIF San Diego Section first-team honors after leading the team to the section semifinals. It helped him earn an invitation in 2016 to the USA U17 World Championship Team Training Camp.
He transferred to La Mesa’s Helix High as a junior, leading it to a 31-win season and the CIF State Division IV championship.
Norris signed with Oregon, where his mother, the former Christina Metzger, had played three seasons for the Ducks’ women’s basketball team.
He played in 27 games as a freshman, averaging 10.5 minutes per game. He shot 54 percent from the floor while scoring at a 3.3-point clip.
Norris became a key contributor for Oregon during a late-season, 10-game winning streak which took it to the Pac-12 Tournament championship and NCAA Sweet 16.
He scored 14 points to help the Ducks’ beat Washington State in the Pac-12 Tournament. He also had a 10-point game against Washington and, in a Feb. 16 game at Oregon State, had seven points, five rebounds, and three blocked shots.
Pasternack said that playing closer to his home in San Diego “had a lot to do” with Norris’ decision to sign with UCSB.
“The past relationship had a lot to do with it, as well, plus I think our university really sells itself,” he added.
Pasternack said UCSB will look to add two more recruits during the spring signing period.
email: mpatton@newspress.com
