Chris Chaney, who coaches UConn commit Nate Miles at The Patterson School in North Carolina, said Tuesday that there's a "50-50 chance" that Miles could be enrolled at UConn by the start of next semester.

"It's something that's been talked about," said Chaney. "Obviously, he's still got to get qualified academically. We'll wait and see on that situation. He's got to do what he's got to do grade-wise and SAT-wise."

If Miles can get enrolled, the 6-foot-7 "point forward" could be an immediate help to this year's Husky team.

"He's got good basketball I.Q., he's a scorer, a very good shooter," Chaney said. "He's got a very good feel for the game. The thing he needs is to get stronger and tougher defensively, but with all that stuff, he's trying do it."

Chaney added:

• Miles is playing well right now and doing "things I don't think he's ever been told to do," like diving for loose balls, grabbing defensive rebounds and taking charges.
• Miles was suspended from Patterson's season-opening scrimmage with Oak Hill Academy a few weeks ago, but Chaney said it was no big deal. "He wasn't doing what he had to do. We push our kids pretty hard, we expect the best out of them. He just wasn't doing what he needed to do."
• Miles has already taken the SAT once and will take it again soon. Even if he qualifies, he's still got to go through the NCAA Clearinghouse, which could take several weeks.
• Even if Miles joins the Huskies this winter, he may not be with the program for long, as the NBA is on his mind. "I'm sure, like everybody nowadays, he'll want to get out as soon as possible. I think very highly of the Connecticut coaching staff, and I know they're going to get him to be the player he needs to be. He's going to be an NBA player one of these days if he does what he's got to do. The question is, when? He has the ability to be one-and-done, but he's got to prove it."

Read the full story in tomorrow's New Haven Register.